How To Make A Beaded Necklace

Before you begin making a beaded necklace you need to know what some of the tools are called that you'll be using so you know what to buy in the craft store. Here is a small list of things you will be using and how to use them.

Jump Rings are small rings, that can be opened using 2 pairs of Needle Nose Pliers. How to add Jump Rings...Using two pairs of pliers, pull one side of the jump ring towards you and the other side away from you so that the jump ring opens up a little. Add the jump ring and close it using the same motion you did to open it. You will find the use of jump rings come in handy when making beaded jewelry.

Occasionally you will have to throw a jump ring away if it won't go back to it's original shape. Don't try to fix it, just toss it and move on to another one.

Beads: Beads come in so many different sizes, shapes and colors.

Glass beads are very versatile and make beautiful jewelry. They come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. I like using them the best for making necklaces.

Plastic beads are great for making jewelry for kids.

Metals beads come in a variety of sizes and colors.

Bugle Beads are long tubes that come in various colors.

Stone Beads come in Precious and Semiprecious stone varieties and are available in almost any shape and color imaginable.

Spacer Beads are any small beads that are used in the spacing of a design.

Beading thread is used for making jewelry. You can even get the thread to match the beads you are using.

Headpins look like small thin nails. Put a few beads on a head pin, bend a loop at the top and you can attach it to necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

Eyepins are just like headpins except instead of a head there is a loop. You can make them yourself out of wire, by cutting a length of wire and forming a small loop at the end. But if you want them straight and don't want the hassle of making them yourself, I say buy them.

Crimp beads are soft metal beads that are flattened onto soft-flex wire or stretch magic elastic cord to finish strands or keep a bead in place. String a crimp bead onto the elastic cord and flatten it with pliers.

Crimping Pliers are special pliers used just for squeezing the crimp beads. You can use regular needle nose pliers but using crimping pliers makes it look much neater.

For this project you will need: 

4 headpins 

48 " of colored ribbon, divided in half in the color of your choice 

2 Jump rings 

2 crimp beads 

10" stretch magic elastic beading cord 

20-30 small different shaped glass beads in the color of your choice 

80-100 seed beads in the color of your choice 

2 pairs of needle nose pliers 

Crimping pliers 

scissors

The first thing is to get all your supplies ready so you don't have to stop and go looking for them. Once you have done that you can start the project. Start by cutting 10" of the Magic Elastic beading cord, add a crimp bead to one end and one jump ring. Now slide the cord back through the crimp bead, making sure the jump ring is on the loop you just made, pull snugly, and then flatten the crimp bead with the crimping pliers. Trim the excess cord. You should now have a cord with a jump ring hanging from one end of it. Set aside for now.

Add beads to the headpins but don't over fill the headpins. When you like the design on the headpin take the pliers and make a loop at the top. To make the loop take your needle nose pliers in your dominant hand, hold the headpin and beads in your other hand while pushing the beads down towards the nail end of the headpin. Grasp the end of the headpin wire tightly with the pliers. Twist the wire in a circular motion until the end of the headpin forms a small loop that closes securely. Finish all four headpins and set them aside.

You are now ready to start stringing beads. It's easier to empty some of the seed beads onto a small plate or bowl when you are using them. Slide 20 seed beads onto the cord then add one of the larger beads and one of the bead filled headpins you just made then add one more larger bead so that the loop of the headpin is between the two larger beads. Then add 10 seed beads and 2 larger beads with the headpin between the two larger beads. Do this until you have three sets of 10 seed beads and 4 sets of the larger beads with the headpin between the two larger beads, then add 20 seed beads.

Add a crimp bead to the end of the cord, add a jump ring and slide the cord back through the crimp bead, just as you did on the other side of the cord, making sure the jump ring is at the end of the cord. Pull it snugly, but do not pull too hard, do not stretch the cord while pulling.

Now take one length of your ribbon and slide it through one of the jump rings until the ends are matching. Tie the ends together and do the same to the other side. Tie a knot in the ribbon about an inch from the jump rings on each side and you are done! Now just tie the necklace around your neck and show it off.

If you plan on making a lot of jewelry, getting a storage box to keep all of your different beads and fasteners in is a really good idea. This is a case that my sister in law sent to me. It's just one of the sets of beading materials that I have. The right side is a guide that you can lay the beads on to see how it will look when it's finished.