Beading Jewelry
From LoveToKnow Crafts
Would you like to get into beading jewelry but you don’t know where to start? Perhaps you have been beading jewelry for a while but want to get back to basics. By basic I don’t mean ugly or plain. It is possible to make really pretty beaded jewelry with simple materials that don’t cost a lot of money. Here are some ideas for beading jewelry that you can get started on today.
Beading Jewelry Basics
The first thing you should know about beading jewelry is that it can be very quick and easy. Sure, it is possible to make complex designs and beautiful pieces that cost hundreds of dollars and take hundreds of hours to complete.
But you can also make lovely jewelry that you’ll want to wear every day for just a few dollars and a few minutes to an hour of your time, depending on the materials and technique chosen. In a few minutes we’ll talk about some of those easy techniques that will build your confidence for beading jewelry.
Another thing you should know about beading jewelry is that necklaces and bracelets are the place to start. Earrings are great and can be a lot of fun to make (I’ll show you one basic earring design that can be done literally in a couple of minutes) but they can be frustrating to beginners, particularly when wire wrapping or making drops out of wire are involved.
That’s OK, though. There are lots of different things you can do with necklaces and bracelets while you’re building up your beading jewelry skills.
Sweet Simplicity
The key to a simple but beautiful jewelry design is choosing really great materials to work with. That doesn’t mean they have to be expensive; they do have to speak to you, delight you, make you thrilled to work with them and wear them.
The beginning of an great jewelry design, then, is a trip to the bead store. You can shop online, at a local bead shop or even at your favorite chain craft store or discount store. There are treasures to be found in all these places.
For beginners, it is a great idea to start with a single bead or charm that you love and build a simple design around that. One of my favorite “designs” is a lovely cross-shaped pendant highlighted with green and turquoise stones, simply slipped onto a suede “chain” with an adjustable silver clasp. This project came about from shopping and finding the perfect thing. It took about 10 seconds to put together but I love it and would be happy to give it as a gift.
A similar project is my favorite earring design for beginners. Find a small charm that you like. Buy two of them. Purchase earring findings and jump rings (if there aren’t rings already attached to your charms) in a coordinating color. Open the ring, slide over the loop in the charm, and close with pliers. Slide onto the earring hoop of your choice and you’re done.
Asian Flair
Here’s another simple jewelry project that I’m sure will spin off in all sorts of different ways for you. This involves two beads and a plain leather or rubber thread. It requires skill in knot tying as much as it does a flair for design.
to make your own, choose a large donut bead and a similarly colored decorative accent bead. For my design, I chose a reddish brown donut and a red plastic carved bead. Pick up some leather strapping or basic rubber cord in a coordinating color.
Slide the cord (folded in half) through the donut and then run the cord through the loop, securing the cord around the donut. Tie a knot to serve as a spacer between the two beads. You might have to redo the knots several times to get one that looks good and is flush with the bead.
Slide your second bead onto the cord, again through both threads. Tie another knot that’s snug against the top of this bead. To finish, cross the ends of the cord to the opposite side and tie each end to the cord on the other side. This will allow you to adjust the length of the necklace by sliding the knots.
I hope these simple beading jewelry designs have given you some ideas and inspiration to try your own projects. Beading jewelry does not have to be difficult, time consuming or expensive. Start small and let your imagination take flight!
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