Make Beaded Medallions

Beaded medallions may represent a culture or an accomplishment or showcase a metal work of art. You can create your own beaded medallions with polymer clay, a coin and glass or crystal beads. Polymer clay is pliable and you can shape it any way you like to incorporate the coin and beads. Consider creating a necklace from an old coin left to you by your grandfather, or commemorating a special vacation with a coin from a different country. You can also create your own metal insert by hammering or embossing a piece of copper foil to make a beaded medallion.

Instructions

1. Soften a quarter-size section of polymer clay by kneading it with your hands. The clay will be the back of your medallion, so select a color that complements the glass beads and coin.

2. Flatten the softened clay with the palm of your hand. Run it through the pasta machine on the largest setting.

3. Draw the outline of your medallion on the flattened clay with a marker. You can skip this step if you are using a cookie cutter to make the shape of the medallion.

4. Cut the shape of the medallion from the clay with a clay knife or a cookie cutter. Place the shape onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil. You can fill the baking sheet with medallions.

5. Press the coin into the center of the clay. You only need the edges of the coin to be embedded into the clay; do not press the coin all the way through the back side of the clay shape.

6. Surround the coin with glass beads, pressing them into the clay right beside the coin. Make sure your beads are glass and not plastic, since you will be baking the medallions. Select beads in any shape, but the size should not overwhelm the coin. For example, if you use a small penny-size coin, your beads should be no larger than 4mm. Depending on the shape of your beads, you may have a space between the edge of the coin and the beads where the clay is visible. You can fill in this space by pressing in tiny glass seed beads.

7. Trim away any excess clay around the outside edge of your beaded medallion. Bake the clay in the oven according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually around 40 minutes at 275 degrees.

Tags: clay with, your beads, baking sheet, beaded medallion, coin beads, cookie cutter