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Basics of Bead Stringing
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This bead stringing project is for instructional purposes - some of the items need to create this necklace are no longer available.
If you have never worked with flexible bead wire or jewelry wire and headpins, then this project is a good place to start. This beading project goes over stringing crystal beads, glass pearl beads and metal beads and spacers on beading wire - here we used Soft Flex 0.019" to create a necklace. Additionally, this project demonstrates how to create simple drop earrings by using headpins, earwires, a few beads and simple round-nose pliers and chain-nose pliers.
We hope this section helps you with your bead projects. If you want to create the necklace and earrings shown, you can find the items used to create this design listed at the bottom of the page. |
| Measure out the beading wire that you will need for your design, always allow for extra - you'd rather have extra length you can cut away, than end up short for your project. Start by threading the bead wire with a crimping bead. |
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Then thread through your jewelry clasp and back again through the crimping bead. Pull the ends tight so that you minimize the loop. |
| Use crimping pliers to close the crimp bead around the wire and secure the clasp. You should not be able to pull the wire through the crimp bead if it is closed correctly. |
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Cut the short end (tail) of the wire that is hanging out of the crimp bead. |
| Begin stringing beads in the design you've chosen along the wire. |
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Once you have finished string the beads for your design, you can attach a crimp bead, the other end of the clasp, and again loop it back through the crimp bead as we did in the beginning. Again, pull the slack; use the crimping pliers to secure the crimp bead and snip off the excess from the tail of the wire. You have just completed your first bead-stringing project - congratulations! |
| If you haven't worked with hard jewelry wire before, it does take some getting used to. Here we are working with a head pin, basically a 22 gauge sterling silver wire with a head on the end that act as a stopper by keeping the bead in place at one end of the wire. |
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We just drop the beads down the wire, arranging the beads to meet your design, until we achieve the look we want. Again, the first bead will be held in place by the head of the pin. |
| Once you have arranged the beads and are satisfied with the look, push the beads down so they are snug against the head and bend the end of the pin with your index finger. |
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| Use your other hand the bend the headpin around the round-nose pliers forming a loop. |
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You want to work the loop around the nose of the pliers so that the wire meets and you have created a loop with some overhang/tail. |
| Use your side cutter pliers to snip the wire just past where the loop ends. ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES AND CUT SO THAT ANY MATERIAL WILL NOT BE FACING YOU. TIP: Hold the overhang/tail between your thumb and index finger and snip just past where the loop meets. The beaded drop part should fall away leaving you holding only the tail of the wire. |
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Your beaded ear drop should look like the picture on the left. Now you can attach the beaded drop to an ear wire or you may want to add additional beads. We've chosen to attach another bead so we created a eye pin by cutting a piece of wire and using our round-nose pliers to form a loop. If you don't have any wire handy you can snip off the head of a head pin (again, always wear safety glasses and cup your hand over the material to protect yourself). We then slid a bicone bead on the wire, formed another loop at the other end and cut away the excess. |
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Now we are ready to attach the pieces to complete our earrings. Grab the ear wire with your thumb and the second or index finger of one hand. Using the tip of your chain-nose pliers, grasp the loop at the end of the ear wire where the loop is cut and pull the wire either upward or downward at an angle so that you create just enough room to slide in the loop of your beaded pieces. NEVER PULL APART THE WIRE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THIS GOES FOR WORKING WITH JUMP RINGS AS WELL. If you're looking for more movement in your pieces attach your components with jump rings. |
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Once you've placed your beaded pieces on the loop that you've just opened, you can then close that loop by grasping the same section of the loop with the chain-nose pliers and moving it back in place to close the loop. If you have more beaded pieces, continue attaching in the same manner until you have your desired design. |
To create the design above you will need the following items
(this assumes you already have pliers - if not, see our tools section)
If your looking for other bead projects and jewelry design ideas, click here
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