Funky Swirl Necklace

This striking necklace is sure to be the centrepiece of any outfit – try combining different colours for a whole new look!

Funky Swirl Necklace

How to Make

  1. Soften the block of pink clay in your hands until it’s warm and malleable. Roll out with the rolling pin until its approx. 3mm thick.
  2. Repeat with the blocks of purple and dark blue clay. Take the rolled out layer of purple and lay it on top of the rolled out layer of pink, pressing them firmly together so they adhere to each other.
  3. Add the blue layer on top, doing the same. You should now have a a flat striped piece. Cut away the messy outer edges so you have neat lines, then cut the layered piece of clay into 1cm – 2cm wide strips.
  4. Stack the strips on top of each other, lining them up as best you can and press down firmly as you add each striped layer to ensure they adhere together. Don’t worry if the stripes get slightly distorted as this will all be part of the effect.
  5. Put this to one side for a bit. Take another block of clay, any colour, and soften with your hands. Make one large round bead shape and two slightly smaller beads. These will be your three focal beads.
  6. Slice the striped, squared block into thin layers. These thin layers should show the striped pattern – again, don’t worry if they are slightly distorted. Take your largest bead and start covering with thin, striped layers of clay, pressing down until firmly secure. Overlap the striped layers (they Don’t needs to match up) until the bead is completely covered. You should then give it a few rolls on a flat surface to smooth out any of the joins.
  7. Repeat for the remaining two beads. Take another block of clay, soften and make six equal-sized smaller beads (using the picture as a guide). Cover each bead in striped layers until the base colour is completely hidden and roll against a flat surface to smooth out any joins.
  8. Put your beads in a plastic container and pop them in the fridge for an hour. Then, take them out and pierce each one through the centre with a plastic needle, wiggling it about a little to widen the hole until it’s big enough for narrow satin ribbon to be fed through.
  9. Bake in the oven according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then leave to cool. Once cool, cut narrow purple satin ribbon to the desired length and feed on your biggest bead, with a pink plastic bead either side. Follow the design in the picture until all your swirly beads are on, then add as many plastic beads as required until it is the desired length. Finish by tying in a bow.
Funky Swirl Necklace Funky Swirl Necklace Funky Swirl Necklace

Top Tip

Putting your finished beads in the fridge before piercing will stop the piercing process from misshaping the bead