Making Dots...

I found a post on Pinterest that really thrilled me. I went straight to Walmart to buy Pony Beads (found in Kids Crafts)  I LOVE dots, but they are pricey.  $3.99 seems to be the going price for about 20.  I spent about $16 and will have almost a 1,000 of them in all sorts of sizes and mediums.  I now have pearly dots, bright dots, clear pastel dots and strange black with metallic abstract dots.

Recipe:
   Preheat oven to 400 degrees

   Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet

   Place beads on the cookie sheet at 1 inch apart.

   Bake for 15-20 minutes.

   Pull sheet out of oven and pull paper off to cool

   Wait one or two minutes to let them cool and pop them into your container.

Here is what I learned making mine:

1) The first batch takes 20 minutes....the rest about 3- 5 minutes

2) The longer they are in the oven, the more oval they get...so watch them. The oval ones look like drops of
     nail polish

3) The longer they are in the oven the more muted the color becomes.  White becomes ivory.

4) The Metallic beads do not melt  as gold and silver. They melt as black with metallic spots.  They also take      a lot longer to go flat.  I haven't found the average time yet.

5) You can get a divided bead case for $3.97, but  you can get a Divided fishing lure case for $1.49 in the sporting goods department