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Here’s how to make some statement beaded earrings. These babies are special!
Do you love statement earrings? These statement earrings feature some gorgeous beads and some clever wire work to make a cute pair of bold earrings to wear on your next outing. Please note that this tutorial contains affiliate links.
You’ll need these tools and materials to make these earrings:
1: Two pieces of tiger tail wire about 20cm long.
2: Two crimp beads.
3: Two crimp cover ends.
4: A pair of earring hooks.
5: Pliers. I used my flat nose, cutting and round nose pliers.
6: Beads. I used some resin cube beads, some handmade polymer clay beads (tutorial for these here), and some timber beads.
Follow these steps to make your statement earrings:
1: Add one of the cube beads to the middle of the wire.
2: Add the smaller timber beads either side of the cube bead, I added 10 to each side, but you can add more or less depending on the size of the beads you are using. You’ll want to get a circle about 2.5cm in diameter.
3: Add one of the polymer clay beads to one side of the wire.
4: Thread the other side of the wire through the polymer clay bead to create a loop.
5: Add another four beads to each end of the wire.
6: Add the crimp cover to the two wires held together.
7: Keeping the crimp cover open, add a crimp bead to the wire.
8: Squash the crimp bead using flat nose pliers.
9: Trim the excess wire.
10: Squash the crimp cover around the crimp bead using the flat nose pliers.
11: Use the wire at the end of the crimp cover to create a loop, thread on an earring hook and close it to secure the earring to the beaded design.
12: Repeat steps 1-11 for the second earring.
Now your beaded statement earrings are complete and ready to wear!
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Here’s a wild beaded anklet that can also be worn as a shoe chain!
I love jewelry that can be worn multiple ways, so I created a tutorial that shows you how to make a beaded shoe chain that can also be worn as an anklet! It features clasps on either end so that it can be clipped to your shoelaces as a shoe decoration, or to each other to create an anklet effect. Please note that this tutorial contains affiliate links. Here’s a fun detail. This tutorial makes use of beads I made in this tutorial… so if you follow both you can have a completely custom piece of jewelry!
You’ll need these tools and materials to make this multi-use shoe chain/anklet:
1: Some beading thread, I used this hot pink nylon string. Make it long enough to fit your ankle plus a bit extra.
2: A pair of large clasps. I used these gold-tone clasps.
3: A selection of beads. I used a mixture of handmade resin and polymer clay beads, and other plastic beads.
4: Super glue for securing the knots.
5: Some scissors for trimming the string.
Follow these steps to make your multi-purpose anklet shoe chain:
1: Tie the string to one of the clasps. Wrapping the string around the clasp a few times and making multiple knots can help keep it more secure for longer.
2: Add beads to the string in your chosen pattern. I added mine in random order.
3: Continue beading until you have a length you like. Then tie a knot at the end to secure the last bead in place
4: Add the second clasp to the end of the string.
5: Knot the second clasp in place, remembering to wrap the string through the end of the clasp a few times and securing it with multiple knots.
6: Trim the excess string on both ends of the shoe chain anklet.
7: Add a dab of superglue to each knot to keep it secure and set it aside to dry.
Once the glue is dry, your anklet is ready to wear! Which shoes will you clip yours to?
And here’s what it looks like (On some dirty old converse haha)
Here are some other shoe chain tutorials you can follow if you want to make some more:
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Here’s how to make round polymer clay beads using a bead maker!
I’m no expert on polymer clay, but I do like using it from time to time. I recently received this polymer clay bead maker as a gift and I thought it would be fun to try it out and take you along for the ride! So here’s how to make some cute round polymer clay beads using a special bead maker! Please note that this tutorial contains affiliate links.
You’ll need these tools and materials to make some polymer clay beads with me:
1: Some polymer clay.
2: A polymer clay bead maker. I used this Sculpey Tools branded one.
3: A carving tool or something similar that has a long pin on it for making the bead hole.
4: Some baking paper and foil for working on and baking. It is best to use a baking surface just for polymer clay and not trays you prepare food in. I like to fashion a little tray out of foil and then recycle it when I’m done.
5: An oven.
Follow these steps to make your polymer clay beads:
1: Choose the size of bead you want to make and fill the corresponding measuring cup with polymer clay. I chose 18mm.
2: Scrape off excess clay so that the clay sits flush in the cup.
3: Take the clay out of the cup and then roll it into a ball shape.
4: Put the the bead roller inserts that are the right size for your bead into the roller base. I used 18mm rollers.
5: Put the polymer clay ball between the two rollers.
6: Push the rollers back and forth with the polymer clay inside to make the ball round.
7: Take the ball out of the rollers and poke a hole through it using the poker tool.
8: Now you can decorate your ball, you might want to roll it again gently to reshape it after making the hole. I used the other end of my poker tool to add some cross designs on my bead.
9: Bake the bead according to the instructions on the package of your chosen brand of polymer clay. I made a couple more beads before I baked them. Here they are before being baked.
Once your bead is baked it is ready to use in your jewellery designs! Stay tuned for a tutorial where I use my polymer clay beads in a design!
If you liked this tutorial, here are some other ways to make polymer clay pieces to include in your jewelry designs:
- Here’s how to make polymer clay earrings with a beaded tassel
- Here’s how to make polymer clay charms for long statement earrings
And here are some pieces that make use of polymer clay beads and charms:
- A bracelet made using polymer clay beads and beading thread
- Maybe you’ll make a funky beaded lanyard with polymer clay beads?
- Make a cute charm bracelet with your handmade polymer clay beads.
- Use some cube shaped polymer clay beads to make a fun stacking ring
- Add some polymer clay beads to a funky beaded phone strap
- Or use polymer clay beads to make a unique anklet
- Maybe you’ll add polymer clay beads to an amazing mixed bead statement necklace.
If you want to make beads in other materials here are some tutorials:
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Here’s how to make a bracelet using beading thread and a needle!
I’m loving using nylon beading thread at the moment, so I thought I’d make a tutorial showing how to use it to make a cute beaded bracelet! Here are all the instructions plus some affiliate links so you can buy the materials to make your own.
You’ll need these tools and materials to make this beaded bracelet:
1: Some nylon beading thread. I used some thread that was cut to about 1m long.
2: A clasp. I used this sterling silver parrot clasp.
3: A jump ring. I used a sterling silver jump ring.
4: Beads. I used these handmade polymer clay beads and some red glass seed beads.
5: Scissors to cut the thread.
6: Super glue.
7: A beading needle with a thin loop of thread tied around the bottom.
Follow these steps to make your beaded bracelet:
1: Fold the piece of thread in half, loop and knot it around the jump ring.
2: Slide the thread through the needle loop and begin adding beads.
3: Add beads in your desired pattern.
4: Once you have your bracelet at a length you like, tie a knot to the end so the beads won’t slide off.
5: Tie the end of the string to the jump ring on the parrot clasp, be sure to do a few knots and loops around the clasp for a strong tie.
6: Trim the excess thread.
7: Add a dab of superglue to each knot and set the bracelet aside to dry.
8: Once the superglue is dry, your bracelet is finished! How sweet is it to learn how to use new beading materials?
If you like using beading thread, here’s a tutorial that shows you how to use it to make a beaded necklace.
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How to make a beaded lanyard using string and funky beads!
I recently caught up with a friend, she’s a teacher and she was really excited that she found some funky beaded lanyards, and it made me think… I could probably make one myself! So here’s the tutorial, here’s how to transform some string, clasps and funky beads into a useful lanyard! Please note that this tutorial contains affiliate links.
You’ll need these tools and materials to make your own beaded lanyard:
1: Scissors
2: Cotton twine, cut about 15cm longer than the length you want your lanyard.
3: Three large lobster clasps.
4: A selection of beads with holes large enough to fit on the string. I used some painted timber beads, glass beads, plastic beads, and some beads I made from polymer clay, resin and air dry clay.
5: Superglue
Follow these steps to make your own beaded lanyard:
1: Take one of the clasps and add it to the middle of the piece of string.
2: Create a knot at the top of the clasp.
3: Add beads to one side of the lanyard until you get the length you like.
4: Add another clasp to the end of the lanyard and loop the end of the string back through the last bead and pull it tight.
5: Tie a secure knot to the end of the string securing the clasp tightly to the last bead.
6: Repeat steps 3 to 5 for the other side of the lanyard.
7: Trim the excess string on either end of the lanyard.
8: Add a dab of superglue to each of the knots at the end of the lanyard. Set it aside to dry.
Clip the ends of the lanyard together and now your beaded string lanyard is finished and ready to use!
If you want to make your lanyard with handmade beads, here’s a tutorial you can follow to make your own.
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Here’s how to make a really cute charm anklet!
Do you love the look of dangling charms? Why not drape some around your ankle with this beaded charm anklet design? This tutorial contains affiliate links.
Here are the tools and materials I used to make my beaded charm anklet:
1: Pliers. I used by round nose pliers (middle), flat nose pliers (right) and cutting pliers (left).
2: A selection of beads. I used some polymer clay beads that I made a while ago, some green glass beads and some gold e-beads.
3: Some chain long enough to fit around your ankle.
4: Two jump rings.
5: A lobster clasp.
6: A bunch of head pins.
Follow these steps to make your charm anklet:
1: Add beads to each of the head pins.
2: Bend each head pin to form a right angle.
3: Trim the excess pin using the cutting pliers. Leave approximately 1cm unbeaded on all the charms.
4: Loop the top of the pin using the round nose pliers to secure the beads in place.
5: Add a jump ring to either end of the anklet chain and attach the lobster clasp to one of them.
6: Now you can attach the charms. Do this by opening the top loop slightly and sliding it through the chain links at spacing of your choice.
Now your charm anklet is finished and ready to wear! So fun!
This tutorial contains affiliate links.
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Flowers brighten everything up! Make this cool beaded floral pendant necklace.
This floral pendant looks tricky but it’s actually really easy to make. Use your favorite chunky beads and some cool cotton cord to make this fresh looking necklace.
You will need the following tools and materials to make this floral pendant necklace.
1: Pliers. You will need your cutting pliers and flat nose pliers to make this necklace.
2: Some cotton cord.
3: Two crimp ends.
4: Two jump rings.
5: A lobster clasp.
6: Six chunky beads of your choice. I used some handmade clay beads.
Follow these steps to make your floral pendant necklace:
1: Cut a length of cord using your cutting pliers or some scissors. It can be useful to cut a little more than you think you need.
2: Add all of the beads to the cord, moving them to the center.
3: Pick up the last bead and side the opposite end of the cord through it.
4: Pull the cords in opposite directions, pulling the central bead down to form a circle of beads.
5: Tie the two cords together around the top bead.
6: Add another knot to secure the beads in place.
7: If your ends are uneven, trim them using your cutting pliers or scissors again.
8: Add a crimp end to one end of the cord, securing it in place by squashing each side using the flat nose pliers.
9: Repeat step 8 for the other side of the necklace.
10: Add a jump ring to one side of the necklace, adding a lobster clasp to the jump ring before closing it.
11: Add another jump ring to the other side of the necklace to complete it.
Cute or what? Which beads will you use to make your own beaded floral pendant?
Here’s another one I made using some painted wooden beads.
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Need some sweet scents in your life? Here’s how to turn your clay beads into oil diffusers!
If you’ve made yourself some cool clay beads and pendants using our clay bead tutorial you might be looking for some creative ways to incorporate them into your DIY jewelry designs… well this tutorial is for you! We’ll show you all the steps you need to take to turn your clay creations into wearable essential oil diffusers.
You will need the following tools and materials to make your clay diffuser pendant:
1: A clay pendant or bead.
Make your own using some air dry clay
2: Your favorite essential oil. I used some lavender oil.
Follow these steps to turn your clay creations into essential oil diffusers:
1: Open up your bottle of oil.
2: Turn your pendant over to expose the back or choose the part of the bead you want to add your oil too.
3: Put some oil on your finger (you don’t need very much).
4: Apply the oil to the back of the pendant or bead using your finger.
5: Now you are done! You can add your great smelling clay diffuser to a special piece of jewelry or add oil to clay jewelry you have already made.
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Want to make something sweet for Mom? How about a handmade heart?!
Mom’s love something that comes from the heart… so why not make her a pretty rustic handmade heart pendant or bead out of air dry clay? Here are some instructions for making handmade hearts two different ways to give to your mom this Mother’s Day.
You will need the following tools and materials to make these clay hearts:
1: Air dry clay.
2: A skewer.
Follow these steps to make these cute clay hearts:
1: Pull out two small pieces of clay from the package.
2: Work the clay a little bit and form them into balls.
3: Take one ball and flatten it slightly.
4: Using your fingers form the flattened clay into a rough triangle shape.
5: Use the skewer to define the top of the heart.
6: Poke the skewer through the top of the heart to turn it into a pendant.
7: Create your desired pattern on the heart pendant. I used the end of the skewer to create a polka dot effect.
8: Repeat steps 3 to 4 to form the second heart shape.
9: Use the skewer again to make a hole through the center of the second heart that runs from top to bottom.
10: Create a pattern on the second heart.
11: Set both hearts aside to dry!
12:Now that your clay hearts are dry all that’s left to do is to add your new beads to some stunning jewelry designs. What will you make for your mom?
Here are a couple of pics to give you some heart-filled inspiration!
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Give Your Jewelry a Unique Edge by Making Your Own Beads!
I love making jewelry with pretty beads and pendants made out of different materials like gemstones and glass, but sometimes I want to my jewelry designs to have a special, one of a kind edge. To make sure that my designs are truly unique, I sometimes make my own beads out of air dry clay. Using clay allows you to get really creative with the shapes and forms that you create. Not only can you make your own beads, you can made some beautiful pendants and charms as well. Using air drying clay requires a little bit of extra patience (As you wait for them to dry) but it is an easy fun (and slightly messy) material to work with!
In this tutorial I will show you a few different ways that you can make unique clay beads and pendants.
You will need the following tools and materials to make these clay beads and pendants:
1: Air dry clay. I used terracotta colored Fimo Basic air dry clay.
I used terracotta colored Fimo Basic air dry clay but this DAS air dry clay in terracotta gives a similar finish. You can also purchase it in white!
2: Baking paper. Baking paper is a great surface to work on and helps to keep your surfaces clean!3: A skewer for making holes in your beads and pendants.
4: Buttons or other materials for adding pattern to your beads and pendants.
The Steps:
Here are the steps for making a round clay bead:
1: Lay down a piece of baking paper.
2: Take out a portion of clay.
3: Begin rolling and shaping the clay in your hands. Forming a spherical shape can be easier if you roll the piece on a flat surface.
4: Once you are happy with the shape you have made, take the skewer and poke a hole through the center of the bead.
5: Your shape might be a bit disfigured after poking the skewer through, carefully reshape it again and poke the skewer through the hole from the other side. This will ensure that the hole is evenly shaped on both sides.
Here are the steps for making a textured round clay pendant:
1: Take another piece of clay and begin shaping it into a sphere.
2: Take the spherical shape and then flatten it between your palms to make a disk shape.
3: smooth the surfaces out by pressing each side lightly against a flat surface.
4: Once you are happy with your shape, take a button and press it into the upper face of the clay. Make sure you press down firmly to get a good impression in the clay.
5: Remove the button to reveal the impression made in the clay.
6: Take the skewer and use it to create a hole in the pendant disk. As with the round bead, you may need to poke the skewer through from both sides.
Here are the steps for making a rectangular clay pendant:
1: Form a rectangular shape with a piece of clay using your fingers to make your desired shape.
2: Take another button or charm and press it firmly into one end of the clay shape.
3: Remove the button to see the impression it has left in the clay.
4: Use the skewer to create a hole at the top of the pendant. Make sure you poke the skewer through to create an even hole.
Here are the steps for making a coiled clay pendant:
1: Roll some clay backwards and forwards on a hard surface using your fingers.
2: Continue rolling until your piece of clay is a long flexible log shape.
3: Coil the log into a spiral shape and pinch the end to create a space for the hole to be placed.
4: Poke the skewer through the top part of the pendant. Make sure to even out the hole on both sides.
When you have finished making all of your clay designs, pop them outside to harden in the sun. If that doesn’t suit you can leave them to dry inside.
Once your pieces are dry you can get to beading with them right away or you can add some extra pizzazz by finishing them off with some paint.
Here are some tutorials that show you can use your handmade clay beads and charms:
- Turn your clay charms into scented diffusers
- Make a flower necklace with clay beads
- How to make clay love heart charms
- Make a double strand necklace with clay statement beads
Here is some more inspiration for making jewels out of your handmade clay beads and charms.
This tutorial contains affiliate links