Beaded stretch bracelets were all the rage during the 80s and Ellen Kharade has brought them back with a crafty twist!

What you need...

• Fimo Soft polymer clay: aqua, lilac, vanilla, mint, light pink, blueberry shake
  Beads: silver tone barrel, silver tone round corrugated, acrylic flowers, alphabet
  1cm round metal fondant cutter
  Ceramic tile
  0.8mm transparent beading stretch cord
  Darning needle

instructions

1. Flower Bracelet - 1 Condition three strips of the pink polymer clay and roll out into a flat sheet on a ceramic tile, using the fondant cutter cut out as many circles as you can, then use the darning needle to make a hole in the centre of each circle big enough to thread the elastic cord through, and bake the polymer clay beads in the oven according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
   
   2 Repeat Step 1 to make more beads from mint clay, once cool remove the beads from the tile and set to one side, and if the holes on the reverse of the beads are slightly small for the cord, enlarge them by pushing the darning needle through and giving it a little wiggle.
   
   3 Thread a pink bead onto a 30cm length of elastic cord, followed by three mint beads, another pink bead and a decorative flower bead, continue threading in this pattern until the bracelet is long enough, then tie the ends of the cord in several tight knots, thread the remaining ends back through a flower bead, tie another knot to secure and trim the ends of the cord.

2. Silver Bead Bracelet - Roll out sheets of vanilla and light pink polymer clay and make up several beads as before, cut a length of elastic cord and thread on one light pink bead followed by two vanilla beads, a light pink bead and a silver tone barrel bead, repeat this pattern until the bracelet is long enough, then tie the ends of the cord in a double knot, pass through the barrel bead and knot again to secure.

3. Name Bracelet - Roll out sheets of lilac, aqua and blueberry shake polymer clay and make up several beads as before, cut a length of elastic cord and thread on one blueberry shake bead, one aqua bead, one lilac bead, one aqua bead and a silver tone corrugated bead, add special letter beads to spell out your name, then continue threading the pattern of coloured beads until the bracelet is long enough to fit, tie the ends of the cord in a double knot, then pass through a silver bead and knot again to secure in place.