Adjustable Beaded Bar Bracelet ... or Necklace!

What you will need: 

- wire cutters
- needle nose pliers
- flat head pliers (optional and not pictured above)
- thin thin beading wire - 3inches
- braiding chord - 10 inches
- 1.5 inches worth of beads
- 1 bead of your choice (hole big enough to fit 2 braiding chord through snugly)

Necklace option: instead of the beading chord you will need chain (your desire of necklace length, clasp (instead of single bead), 2-4 O rings (2 to connect the beaded bar to chain and 2 to connect it to a clasp)

Step One: Wire wrapping

 Leave about 1cm of wire.

 Bend it over the needle nose pliers.

 Give it a little pinch.

Wrap the 1cm of wire around the long end with your fingers or with the aid of some flat pliers.

Should look something like the above.

Step Two: Bead and close the wire

Bead 1.5 inches of beads onto the wire and time to get the needle nose pliers again!

Cut off the excess wire and ensure no sharpness on either ends.

The finished portion should be about 1.50 inches.

**** OPTIONAL NECKLACE**** 

Instead of going further you can use the beaded bar portion to make a beaded bar necklace! Not all links of a chain can be opened so in this case you may need to use O rings on either side of the bar to attach it to the chain. SIDE NOTE: The chain method can also be used for a bracelet too instead of beading chord.

Step Three: Bracelet time!

Cut the 10 inch of beading chord in half. Tie one to either side of the beaded bar.

Step Four: Finishing off!

If you are having trouble threading the chord into the bead. Make yourself a threader using some dental floss! Thread a loop of dental floss into the bead.

Then stick the chord into the loop of the dental floss and pull the floss through including the beading chord.

The finished project should look like this! Remember to tie a little knot on either ends of the beading chord so it won't slip out of the bead.

Crimpping101

Beading is easy. Get a piece of string and string beads onto it. Finishing the project especially finishing the project professionally is the tricky part. The easiest form of making a bracelet without using clasps is the elastic stretchy bracelet. Even then there are different ways of completing the project. Some may just tie the ends together and hope for the best. I say hope for the best is because elastic chords over time will stretch out including the knotted part ... then BAM it falls apart.



The best way is to use a crimp bead and some flat crimping pliers.

XXXXX NO NO NO XXXXX:

!!!!!YES YES YES!!!!:

Once the crimp bead is in place properly. Pinch it with the flat head pliers then tuck the left over string into the beads on either side (hiding the lose ends).

Wire Wrapped Pendant Tutorial

Super easy circle wire wrapped pendant! Similar ones like these are selling for about $80.00USD ... well because they are 24K gold. The above pendant is less than $5.00 to make excluding the chain.

What you will need:

- the hoop is called a 'component' they come in different colors (gold, silver, gunmetal, bronze) and sizes (one used is 1.50 inches) purchased for about $2.00 from Country Beads
- very thin gauge beading wire (ensure it fits into the bead hole) - for the 1.50 inch hoop I used 3.00 feet of wire
- small beads (1.00mm to 2.00mm) - ones used are uncut Peridot and cut Moss Agate also purchased from Country Beads (PS: left over beads are perfect for this project because you don't need a lot)
- needle nose pliers
- wire cutters



Step One: Starting off

If using a 1.50 inch hoop cut about 3.00 feet of beading wire. Fold the cut wire in half and thread a bead to the center point. Twist twice to secure the bead.

Step Two: First bead

Place one end of the wire on either side of the hoop and twist the two wires together twice with the hoop between them to secure the bead onto the hoop.

Step Three: Beading onto the Hoop

Now your first bead is secured onto the hoop and you have two pieces of wire going either side. Work one side of the hoop at a time. Going from left to right - the starting point is having the wire under the hoop then thread a bead.

Once the bead is in place, pull the wire over the hoop.

Twist the bead twice securing it onto the hoop. Then pull the wire into the hoop so it is on the bottom again - the starting point. Repeat until you have about an inch of wire left. Flip the hoop over and do the same thing with the other half of the wire until the loop of beads meet!

Step Four: Finishing off! 

Once the two ends of beading meet twist the left over wires together about 3-4 times then cut off the excess and using the needle nose pliers work the end into the beaded area to prevent any jagged edges from protruding.

And you're done!

DIY Bird Nest Charm

Happy July! Time goes by so fast and my friend Shelley has asked me a while back to create this charm. It only took me a few months to get around it but here it is!

What you will need:

- 4 feet of thin gauge wire
- 3 beads/ pearls
- 2 jump rings
- a charm (optional)
- wire cutter, flat nose and needle nose pliers (all 3 shown below) 

Step One:

String all 3 beads into the center of the 4 feet wire. Create a triangle shape with the 3 beads then twist the wires together a couple of times to secure the beads in place. 

Step Two:

Bend then unbend the remaining 4 feet of wire. This will help make the nest a little less perfect giving it a rugged natural look.  

Step Three: Nest building

Wrap the wire 4 times around the circle of beads, remember to hold things firmly! Then wrap a few smaller circles on the underside to create the bottom of the nest - this can be messy because nests are supposed to be somewhat messy and it is the underside after all!

Step Four: Securing everything into place

Using the wire from the bottom of the nest, thread it into the center of the nest from the top. Wrap it 3 times, repeat this between the 3 gaps of the eggs.

Step Five: Finishing off

Trim off the excess wire leaving about an inch. Using the needle nose and flat head pliers bend the sharp ends of the wires in to prevent harm. Then wrap and tuck the excess into the nest.Then attach a jump ring to the nest.

Viola! 

Pearl Necklace

A good quality strand of pearl is fluid, flexible and flows. As opposed to just beading a strand of pearl, pearls are supposed to be strung and individually knotted. This technique prevents pearls from rubbing against each other and losing its lustre. Another benefit of this technique is if something were to happen to the strand of pearl you would only lose one pearl as opposed to a dramatic scene where the strand falls apart and pearls bouncing everywhere and people slipping on them.  

This blog post will demonstrate how to string a strand of pearls (aka cheap beads to make it look baller).

What you will need: 
- pearls or pearl like beads
- unflavored dental floss (yes as opposed to expensive beading thread)
- sewing needle
- clasp for finished project

Step One: 
Cut TWO pieces of dental floss TWICE as long as your desired length of project. You will be using TWO pieces of string as opposed to ONE to increase durability and to create a knot large enough so it won't slip into each pearl hole. Tie the TWO strings together.

Step Two: 
Attach a clasp and string the first pearl - ensure to thread both strings.

Step Three: 
KNOTTING TIME! Grab the two strings together and do a loose knot. Insert the needle into the loose loop of the knot. Slightly tighten the knot with the needle in it. Using the needle drag the knot up against the bead.

 

Step Four: 
Remove the needle and tighten the knot. You have officially strung and knotted your first pearl!!! Repeat Steps Two to Four until desired length of the necklace or bracelet you wish to make and finish off with the other side of the clasp!