Jewelry Beading on Leather Cord Pendants

About Leather Cord Jewelry

Leather jewelry has a natural look with widespread appeal. In Native American cultures, people traditionally wore leather jewelry to bring them good look. Today, crafters enjoy experimenting with this versatile material to create hip and stylish fashion accessories.

Leather cord is generally available whenever beads and other jewelry making supplies are sold. It is often sold in a roll and available in many different widths and colors. Thicker cord is generally best for single strand projects, while thinner cords are preferable for intricate designs that involve braiding or weaving. When buying leather cord for your projects, however, it’s important to remember that some types of dyed leather will bleed when wet. To avoid accidentally staining your neck, test a small piece of the material before completing your project.

While it’s certainly possible to finish a leather cord necklace by simply knotting the ends of the cord, adding a clasp gives your piece a much more professional look. The Bead Monkey has a downloadable reference guide that explains how to add coil cord, channel cord, and sterling or gold-filled tubular crimps to your designs so you can attach the clasp of your choice.

If you’re planning to start your own jewelry making business, you may want to keep in mind that some people have ethical objections to the use of leather for clothing or fashion accessories. Fortunately, it’s easy to achieve create similar looking designs by using substitutes such as waxed linen, cotton, rubber, or hemp.

Making a Simple Pendant

Although making your own pendant may seem like a difficult proposition if you’re accustomed to working with pre-made accents, the basic technique involved is actually quite simple.

1. Choose one large focal bead or a large bead and a few smaller beads for your jewelry beading on leather cord pendant project.
2. String the beads onto a large headpin.
3. Make a 90 degree bend approximately two inches from one end of the wire.
4. Use round nose pliers to hold the wire near the angle of the bend and bend the short end up and around until the wire meets itself.
5. Wrap the tail securely down the stem of the pin to make two or three coils.
6. Use wire cutters to trim the excess wire.

If you are working with a bead that is too long for a headpin, you can try first making a spiral shape on the end of a long piece of 18 or 20 gauge wire. Follow these steps:

1. Use round nose pliers to make a small loop at the end of the wire.
2. Enlarge the loop by holding onto middle with chain nose pliers and pushing the wire around the loop with your thumb.
3. Let go of the chain nose pliers and reposition the spiral within the jaws to draw the wire over the previous loops.

Advanced Jewelry Beading on Leather Cord Pendant Ideas

Once you’ve discovered how much fun it is to create your own pendants from large focal beads, you may find yourself searching for more jewelry beading on leather cord pendant ideas. If you’re ready to take your jewelry making to the next level, check out the following fun projects:

• Domino Art Pendant: Add a vintage image to an old domino piece to create an artistic looking pendant.
• Photo Transfer Pendant: Transfer old family photos onto polymer clay to design meaningful keepsake jewelry.
• Ceramic Scraffito Necklace: This dramatic clay pendant works well as the centerpiece of almost any outfit.
• Blue Flat Stone Necklace: Design a hip necklace with a simple, graphic look.
• Faux Mother of Pearl Flower Pendant: This stunning necklace only looks like an expensive fashion accessory.
• Stamped Pendants: Put your rubber stamping skills to work by make a unique necklace.
• Clay and Wire Pendant: Use rubber stamps and metallic polymer clay to create a pendant with a holographic effect.
• Melted Glass Art Pendant: Although this beautiful pendant looks complicated, it’s surprisingly easy to create.