Jewelry and Beading » Tutorials & Techniques

Some more jewelry gifts for the holidays

Cyndi Lavin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:00:44 +0000

Whether you want to make something festive to wear to a party or are planning on making jewelry gifts for others this year, here are some great ideas to get you going. I’ve tried to include patterns here that will be appropriate for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Solstice. Please feel free to add more links (free patterns only, please) in the comments below. When it comes to the holidays, you can never have too many options!

Five golden rings bracelet

Poinsettia necklace

Holiday earring bead patterns for every winter holiday

Sugar plum swirls necklace

Five golden rings bracelet

Evergreen star earrings

Berry bracelet bead pattern

Snowstorm earrings

Starry night Hanukkah earrings

Holiday beaded bracelet

Holiday zipper pulls

Sugar plum swirls necklace

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Beaded jewelry as decorations

Cyndi Lavin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:54 +0000

Have you ever thought of using your beaded jewelry as garlands? How about to decorate Christmas lights or to enhance another gift? Here are some great projects that are fast and easy to do, and will leave your house (and packages) looking elegant and festive!

Fun ways to use beaded jewelry at Christmas on the Bead Jewelry Blog.

How about these darling little beaded wire trees by Fusion Beads? I know they look like earrings, but they’re for your tree!

Small beaded wreathes for your tree? These can be made to be elegant or cute, depending upon the beads you choose.

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Beaded ornament covers

Cyndi Lavin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:00:16 +0000

Most of the ornament covers you see out there are not for beginners, but the results are spectacular! A really motivated beginner could tackle some of them, and if you’d really like to have a go at it, I’d recommend working through the first one on the list to get the idea of how they go together. From there, dive into the more difficult ones!

Victorian beaded Christmas tree ornament

There are many kits available, and patterns that you can buy. Some beading magazines also have patterns, and if you want to make the really elaborate ones, you’re probably going to have to buy a pattern or kit. Still, here’s a selection of the free patterns that are available:

Beginner’s beaded ornament cover

Easy netted ornament cover

Beaded ornament cover

Victorian beaded Christmas tree ornament

Fancy crochet and beaded ornament

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Beaded Ornaments For Your Tree or Table

Cyndi Lavin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:00:10 +0000

Here are some projects that will help to bring the generations of beaders together in your family this year. I wouldn’t recommend putting the beaded tea lights on your tree, but all the rest of these projects make nice tree ornaments as well as table top decorations.

Golden beaded pear – not difficult to make but a bit time-consuming. Can you picture a set of these in a bowl on the table or hanging from your tree?

Star, candycane, and wreath – easy to make beaded ornaments that kids will enjoy helping with.

Safety pin tea lights – I’ve seen lots of flag pins and bracelets made from beaded safety pins, but I’ve never seen tea lights before!

Fuse bead ornaments – another great project to do with the kids!

Beaded wire ornaments – look how many things you can do with stars!

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Deco Scarab necklace

Cyndi Lavin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:00:27 +0000

After several false starts, I finally came up with a beaded necklace style that suited the gorgeous Deco Scarab pendant that my friend Melanie Brooks sent me to play with. If I do another of these, I will probably make one change, and that is to look for size 6/0 seed beads for the base strands that are rounder, less cylindrical. The rounder shaped beads generally sit together in a smoother line than the cylinders, oddly enough. Still, the weight of the pendant holds the beads straighter when it is being worn than is shown in the photo above, so I’m satisfied with it for now!

Step by step instructions

Materials & Tools

Deco Scarab pendant from Earthenwood Studio
Black Nymo thread, size O
7 AB red glass rounds, 11 mm
8 AB topaz glass rounds, 7 mm
8 topaz glass rounds, 6 mm
Gold seed beads, 11/0
Matte frosted AB brown seed beads, 8/0
Silver lined rootbeer seed beads, 6/0
2 jump rings, 7 mm
6″ copper wire, 20 g
4 copper bicones, 6 mm
2 textured copper rounds, 4 mm
4″ copper chain and lobster claw clasp

Beading needles, size 12
Scissors
Glue
Flat nose and round nose pliers
Wire cutters
File
Tape measure

As regards FTC disclosure guidelines: I have received the Deco Scarab pendant free of charge from Earthenwood Studio in order to write an honest review and/or create a project free of charge for you. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

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Holiday gifts from the archives

Cyndi Lavin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:15:21 +0000

Just because these ideas are a couple years old doesn’t mean they aren’t still good! If you’re looking for quick and easy, I just might have a link to one of Tammy’s or my projects for you here These are not necessarily holiday-themed pieces, just pieces that I think you’ll like to share.

Sparkling holiday pin

Make Mom an elastic bracelet

Photo keychain for Dad

Net-beaded ornament cover

Wire tie chain

Ruby’s beaded wreath

Holiday kits

Briolette necklace

Heart earrings

Champagne bubbles necklace

Leaf earrings

Bubble earrings

Beaded pendant necklace

Pearl-dangle pendant

Pompom delica earrings

Stamped resin pendant necklace

Optical lens pendant

Hanging the Moon necklace

Fishing for Trout necklace

Beaded bauble necklace

Wired up beach rock

Textured polymer clay pendant

Lots more ideas can be found in our Technique Tuesday posts. Some of these projects are fast and easy, some take more time, but there is plenty there to get you going!

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Interesting spiral…just not what I wanted

Cyndi Lavin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:32 +0000

Well, I started working on a beaded strap from which to hang one of Melanie Brooks’s gorgeous new pendants. Once I had a few inches done though, I decided that this spiral was going to be much too thick and ornate to be a good match for the ceramic Deco Scarab.

However, there’s no reason why I can’t explain how to make this spiral, because it might be just perfect for something you’ve got planned

Step by step instructions

Beads needed:
Size 6/0, 8/0, 11/0, and 15/0 seed beads

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Some simple CopprClay pendants

Cyndi Lavin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:51 +0000

Here are a couple of really easy pendants you can make that would be good Christmas or holiday gifts this year. I used CopprClay, but you could use any other metal clay you wanted, or even polymer clay. Since these end up looking somewhat like fossils, it would be interesting to experiment with some of the “granite ” colored polymer clays, or to mix your own faux stone.

Instructions for CopprClay pendants

General instructions for working with CopprClay

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Making a Floral Bead Embroidered Necklace

Cyndi Lavin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:09 +0000

Using the cute little beaded flowers that I showed you a couple weeks agao, plus a few more styles, I fashioned a floral necklace that I named for my mother: RuthAnn’s Garden. RuthAnn has an absolutely magic touch with flowers of all types, and her garden is always a riot of colors from the earliest spring to the lastest fall.

The focal flower on the top of the piece is styled after a hibiscus, modified slightly (but only slightly!) from the excellent instructions given by Kerrie Slade in the April 2009 issue of Bead&Button Magazine.

For my general instructions on bead embroidery, please check Bead Embroidery Techniques.

Step by step instructions for RuthAnn’s Garden:

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Jewelry and Beading » Tutorials & Techniques

Some more jewelry gifts for the holidays

More holiday tutorials from around town

Beaded jewelry as decorations

Beaded ornament covers

Beaded Ornaments For Your Tree or Table

Deco Scarab necklace

Holiday gifts from the archives

Interesting spiral…just not what I wanted

Some simple CopprClay pendants

Making a Floral Bead Embroidered Necklace