Tip-sy Tuesday: Stringing Beads

I can't tell you how many times I've left strands of beads not knotted off yet on my desk that I've then picked up like a dummy and all the beads slide off (and usually go all over the floor)! Ugh I hate when that happens. So here's what I try to do when I leave a bead project before it's done - put a binder clip on the end of the string/wire/cord so the beads can't slip off. Such an easy solution that has taken me years to figure out!

It's especially helpful when working with multi-strand pieces, sometimes I don't want to finish a strand until I see how it'll look with the other strands - and no matter how many times I tell myself to not pick the project up I do anyway! Head slap. Now I put a clip on the open strands until I'm ready to finish them.


4.2.18: make a spring wreath
4.2.17: BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes
4.2.16: cleaning glassware


Happy moment ~ laughing on the kiddie rides with a 5 year old

3-Strand Beaded Bracelet

Here's a different morse code bracelet - you didn't think I stopped making these, did ya? Cuz I still love them - love making them, love wearing them, love giving them, and love the secret messages!

I've never made a bracelet using these multi strand connector bar spacer things - the only hard part was getting the three strands the exact same length so they lay evenly between the two ends.

To make this 3-strand bracelet I cut a length of beading string long enough for the bracelet plus a few inches for tying off. Tie the thread to one of the loops on a connector, add a bit of glue and then put a crimp bead over the knot and carefully smash the bead. I cut the thread a couple of times smashing the crimp bead too hard, it pinched the thread right off - so even tho it's an oxymoron you need to gently smash the crimp bead. Add the beads in the order you want and connect to the other connector at the other end of the bracelet. Run the loose tails back thru a few beads to hide it. Repeat with the other 2 strands; attach a clasp to one connector and a jump ring to the other to close.

3.25.18: glazed baked ham and pineapple stuffing

3.25.17: frozen smoothies

Happy moment ~ sun rays (aka: Jesus rays) 

Plastic Spider Earrings

I painted some basic black plastic spiders (they come in a bag at the craft store) and turned them into earrings - after the first pair turned out so good I couldn't stop and made a few more pair!

The purple and gold post earrings are super simple - paint the spiders (adding glitter if you want), and let them dry. Then glue on a post. Let it dry and you're done.

For the dangly mismatched black and gold pair:

• 1st earring: on a 2" eye pin, put a bigger black bead followed by small black seed beads and gold seed beads to the top, bend the wire at the top to a 90' angle and then make a small loop using round pliers (there are lots of instructions on how to do this online). 
• 2nd earring: glue two spiders together with a black bead in between so the legs are touching - the bead in between is so you can add the spider to the eye pin - then repeat the 1st earring pattern adding the spiders to the black seed beads. 
• you can now attach these to earring wires, but I am wearing them with the gold post earrings from above - just hang the dangly pair from the post. 

For the spider and feather mismatched pair:

• for each earring I put together 2 feathers and attached a cord crimp (this gives them a metal end to attach to a jump ring). 
• glue black beads to the back of 4 painted spiders - that creates a place to be able to string the spiders. 
• 1st earring: using bead string and needle, add a crimp bead and a jump ring, then run the string back thru the crimp bead. String on 3" of black seed beads, a plastic spider (run the string thru the bead on the back of the spider), a few more seed beads and then a larger black bead and a crimp bead. Run the needle back up thru the large bead and a few of the seed beads, tie off and add a drop of glue to the end. Crush the crimp beads to secure the string. Attach to a jump ring along with one feather bundle, attach to an earring wire.
• 2nd earring: add 3 spiders (thru the beads glued to the back) to a 2" eye pin, bend the wire at the top 90' and make a small loop using round pliers. Attach to a jump ring along with the other feather bundle, attach the jump ring to an earring wire.

Aren't these fun? And all from those cheap plastic spiders - love!

10.8.2017: heart you to (reese's) pieces test tubes
10.8.2016: my non-crafty-sassy sissy
10.8.2015: creepy-cute pumpkin

Mixing Morse Code Bracelets with Coordinating Beaded Strands

Well that was a really long title and sort of sums up this post...I made 3 morse code bracelets for a birthday present and then made 6 other beaded ones so she'll have a wrist full of them that can be worn all together or separately. You know me, once I start I don't know when to stop! HA!

These turned out so pretty that other than the morse code messages that are specifically for her, I wanted to keep them! I did them in shades that make me think of my friend -  blues, creams, gold and silver, a little green...was going for a beachy vibe. All of them are on stretchy cord except one that has bigger pearly stone beads that made it a little heavier so I strung it on beading string and attached a clasp in case it was too heavy for stretch cord.

Morse Code Bracelets

Morse Code Jewelry is my new favorite thing to make. I'm obsessed. How fun is this? Do you know that morse code is short and long sounds (represented in print as dots and dashes) assigned to each letter of the alphabet and sent over a telegraph system so someone listening can understand (if you know the code) the message being sent? Yes it's much more detailed than that, but that's all we need to know to make these bracelets!

Using a code chart I found online, I made these bracelets for my sister spelling out secret words and messages that are special between us - most are from silly old stories we have that by just saying the catchphrase of the story brings back the memory of the event. For instance - we were all at one of Dave's pro/celebrity races where celebrities and drivers are all hanging out together in a big tent waiting, just sitting around. Minnie Driver was sitting at a table all by herself, not doing a thing - not on her phone, not reading a book, just sitting there. My sister and nieces approached her and asked for an autograph and Minnie looks at them and goes "later. definitely later". Seriously? If not then, when? Good grief. We haven't liked that actress since then! Anyway - anytime someone says "later" we answer "definitely later", so that is something I beaded onto the bracelet.

I ended up making 10 strands because I was having so much fun and kept thinking of other
funny or sentimental things to bead. Small round beads represent the dots, and long narrow beads represent the dashes - so going by the chart I laid out the beads to spell my messages, then strung them onto stretchy cord. My first thought was to put a clasp on each one of them individually, but when I realized I had 10 of them that seemed a little awkward to put on. So I attached them all together to a big jump ring, then attached a clasp to that - now all 10 are together with one clasp. It's a little big but I love that the entire thing is made up of messages to her. 

Because we aren't going to remember what each bracelet says without a cheat sheet, I typed up what each bracelet says and looks like with the morse code symbol underneath...as long as she has that she'll know which bracelet is which.

Do you love this as much as I do? I keep thinking who else I can make a morse code bracelet with a secret message on it for - maybe even for myself with positive affirmations and all that. Obsessed.

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one year ago: caprese salad (tomato mozzarella salad)
two years ago: chocolate peanut butter layered dessert

Wire Wrapped Ring

I've been sick the past couple days so haven't made anything - hope you're cool with a couple repeats of things I've posted before! This is from last year, and since we're coming up on St. Patty's soon I thought it'd be useful to show you again...you need a green ring, right?!

From 2/27/17


St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner - heart stuff from Valentine's Day is put away and now it's time for all things green, shamrocked, and lucky :)

Was inspired by a green beaded ring I saw here, mine is way different of course but that's what I think crafting and inspiration should be...get ideas and then make them your own! Plus I didn't have the inspiration picture or directions with me when playing in the craft room and I just winged it hahaha.

This is super simple - twist some sort of heavy weight jewelry wire around something that is the size of the ring you want. (Remember when Janis and I tried to make wire wrapped rings, click here for that post, and they didn't turn out so good? Well I bought a ring sizer tool thing back then so I used that for this ring). I used 20 gauge copper wire for this ring since that's what I have on hand. Wrap the wire around a few times, I did 8 or 9, beginning and ending at the same place. Twist the two ends around to hold, thread a bead on each end and then loop the wire ends under the beads so they don't poke you and you can't see them. Then take a long piece of thinner gauge wire, wrap one end in between the two beads to hold it, string a couple beads on and wrap around wherever looks good to you. Make sure the beads stay on the top of the ring and aren't underneath the band, and don't pull too tight or the ring will get smaller. Keep wrapping and adding a couple beads at a time until it looks how you want, cut off the wire you aren't using and twist the end around and underneath the beads so it doesn't poke you and you can't see it - that's sort of a no-brainer I know, why would you leave the ends sticking up or out to poke yourself? Just start wrapping and these instructions will make sense I think! Give me a holler if you can't figure out what I did and need some help :)

I used green beads so I'll have green jewelry for St. Paddy's Day, make yours whatever color you want!

wrap wire around something that's the size you want the ring, then twist the ends around each other to hold

put a bead on each end and then wrap the end under the bead to hide it and hold the bead in place. 

wrap thinner wire between the two beads, add a couple beads and continue wrapping around the ring placing the beads where they look best. don't pull too tight or the ring will get smaller. 

side view

what the back looks like...obviously ;)

Hoop Earrings with Beads

I saw this earring project on Michaels.com - they used turquoise and mint green glass beads, I didn't want to go to the store to buy their exact beads so came up with my own combination and chain so mine don't look exactly like the inspiration project and I'm good with that! I'm a self-taught jewelry maker so didn't totally understand their directions but by just doing it instead of trying to make sense of their instructions I figured it out - if I did it wrong don't judge hahaha...they turned out good!

For each earring you'll need:
1 hoop earring
3 turquoise beads
3 light green beads
4 small coral beads
1 silver bead
7 silver head pins
5 lengths of silver chain about an inch long each
1 silver jump ring


Here are their directions - one thing I did differently is to put the 5 lengths of chain on a jump ring and then attached the jump ring to the loop (steps 10-13):

STEP 1

String one dark turquoise glass bead and one mint green glass bead onto a Silver head pin. Bend the head pin to a 90° angle and trim the wire down to ¼” in length.

STEP 2

Form a simple loop using your round nose pliers. Simply grasp the wire between the jaws of the pliers and rotate the pliers toward you until a small loop is formed. TIP: To ensure your loops are the same size each time, simply mark the jaws of your pliers with a Sharpie® marker. Start your loop at the mark each time for consistency.

STEP 3

Repeat Steps 1 and 2 three more times for a total of four beaded links. Set beads aside.

STEP 4

String one small pink coral bead onto a Silver head pin and trim the head pin down to ¼” in length. Note: Due to size of bead and thickness of the head pin wire, it may be difficult to bend the wire to 90° degrees prior to trimming it down as you did in Step 1. You can still form a simple loop without bending the wire 90°, although bending the wire does visually give you a nicer-looking simple loop.

STEP 5

Grasp the wire with your chain nose pliers and form a simple loop. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 seven more times for a total of eight. Set beads aside.

STEP 6

To make the remaining bead links, use your wire cutters to cut the head end off of a head pin. Measure ¼” in from the end of the wire and bend the wire 90°.

STEP 7

Use your round nose pliers to form a simple loop.

STEP 8

String a Silver bead, a dark turquoise bead and a mint green bead onto the wire so that the beads rest above the loop.

STEP 9

Bend the remaining wire end 90 degrees and trim the wire down to ¼” in length. Form a simple loop using your chain nose pliers. You now have a simple loop on both ends of the beaded link.

STEP 10

Repeat Steps 6 -9 one more time for a total of two beaded links.

STEP 11

Use your wire cutters to cut a length of Silver chain that is 15 links long. Continue cutting lengths of chain until you have a total of ten lengths.  Note: You can adjust the length of chain, if desired, to suit personal preference.

STEP 12

Open one loop end on the bead link from Step 10 using your chain nose pliers. Hook five lengths of chain onto the loop and twist the loop closed.  TIP: Never pull the loop “out” to open as this will cause distortion. Always twist the loop side-to-side to open and close.

STEP 13

Repeat Step 12 using the remaining bead link from Step 10 and the remaining lengths of chain. You should now have two beaded chain links.

STEP 14

To make your earrings, string the following bead links onto each Silver ear hoop: two small coral beads, one mint and turquoise bead link, one beaded chain link, one mint and turquoise bead link and two small coral beads.

one year ago today: steakhouse wedge salad

Beaded Stretch Bracelets with Charms

Happy Birthday to my niece Paige! She made a comment a couple months ago about liking big beaded stretchy bracelets right now and wished she had more - I filed that away for a little thing to make her for her birthday. These are really simple and quick to make - I made some before (click here for that post) but those were out of smaller beads and included words so these are a little different.

Cut 11 inches of stretchy cord (it comes on a spool, clear like fishing line but thicker and really stretchy. don't use old cord, for some reason it gets brittle after being stored in your craft room for a long time but you won't realize it until you've made your bracelet and then when putting it on it snaps and beads go flying everywhere. yeah, ask me how I know). Tie a knot in one end, string your beads and charms, knot both ends together tightly. Add a drop of glue to the knot so it'll hold and then trim the tails off. Done. Easy!

tie a lose knot in one end or the beads will
fall off while you are stringing!

Note - I used 6mm and 8mm beads for these bracelets. The charms needed to be attached to a jump ring before adding to the string so they were able to move better, otherwise they stayed stuck in place on the bracelet. When attaching a jump ring you need to open it up by twisting the ends towards and away from you - don't pull them apart or it's hard to get them lined back up again.

opening a jump ring to attach a charm

added a drop of glue to the knots, waiting for
it to dry before cutting off the excess tails. 

one year ago today: my favorite homemade citrus pesto - oh man this is SO good!

Boho Earrings

I saw this idea on Michaels.com along with a necklace, they didn't provide instructions for making the earrings so I just used the picture for inspiration and winged it. I did change a couple things - theirs are hanging on dangling ear wires, I did mine off silver posts; and it looks like they used chain above the beads but I substituted copper tube beads. These took me less than 1/2 hour to make and I love how they turned out!










Supplies:

•  something to hang them from - silver posts like mine (with a little loop on the bottom to attach the beads), hoops, ear wires...whatever. 
• 2 2" eye pins with loop on one side
• 4 small copper tube beads
• 12 4mm beads
• 6 silver feather charms
• 4 jump rings
• small needle nose pliers

Directions:

for each earring - string 6 beads then 2 copper tube beads on the eye pin, bend the top of the pin using the pliers into a closed loop. Attach to a jump ring (open the jump ring using 2 tweezers, pull one side towards you and push the other side away from you - put thru the beaded loop and close by reversing how you opened the ring). Put the 3 feather charms on another jump ring and then attach to the bottom of the beaded strand. 

how to open a jump ring

one year ago today: the best baked beans!

Pom Pom Earrings

Got the idea for these from Michaels, I didn't have all the supplies they called for so I made them using what I have on hand. They came together really quickly once I made the pom poms - for those I found a tutorial here to DIY a pom pom maker and it totally worked! I'm pretty stoked, I do love pom poms and now I know how to make them quickly and easily - I can feel my sister rolling her eyes at me as I write this, she's gonna love (wink) these earrings...

This is a two-part craft - I thought about making it 2 separate posts but if you want to make these in time to wear on July 4th I should give them both to you at once. This is a longer post than I normally do so bear with me!

First you need 2 pom poms, you can make them any size - mine are about 2". I made them in red so I'll have fun Fourth of July jewelry to wear with the blue and white cotton dress and red converse tennis shoes I'm planning to wear that day,  make yours any color! Watch the video to see step by step directions, it's quite easy. You'll need to cut a piece of yarn about a foot long before starting, set aside for now. Cut out 2 circles from cardboard, then cut a smaller circle inside and a notch on the side - they look like 2 "c"s once you're done. Hold the two pieces together and wrap yard as shown starting at one end of the c and wrap to the other end, then wrap back to where you started so there are 2 layers of yarn on the circles. With your non-cutting hand hold the yarn in place and don't let go while inserting scissors between the 2 circles with your cutting hand. Once again, don't let go! Cut thru the yarn as shown; still holding on to the yarn with one hand use your other hand to wind the long piece of yarn you cut in the beginning around the pompom between the 2 circles and tie in place. Remove the cardboard and trim the balls to make them even all around - that's the hardest part, getting the whole ball even!

2" circle, then trace a 1/2" circle in the middle and cut out, also cut a notch so there is a place for the yarn to wind thru. After making the first one trace it onto the 2nd circle and repeat so you have 2 identical "c"s - they look like "c"s to me.

holding the two circles together, wind yarn around from one end to the other and back again

You'll need to hold onto the yarn that is wrapped around the inner circle - I'm not showing that 'cuz I need my other hand to take the picture! Insert your scissors between the 2 circles and cut thru the other edge of yarn (the middle of the circle stays intact) - don't let go of the inside part of yarn or you'll have little pieces of yarn and no pom pom!

still holding the ball together with one hand, insert a length of yarn in between the 2 circles and pull tight.

knot the ends and remove the cardboard. Trim the pom pom so it's even all the way around.

Now to make them into earrings...

Supplies I used per earring:
15 small blue beads
1 jump ring
1 crimp bead
1 spacer bead
fishing line
needle
2 tweezers
needle nose pliers
glue (if you want to get all serious about your project)

Thread the needle with fishing line and put the needle thru the middle of the pom pom. Then bring the needle up thru the bottom of the pom pom and knot it at the top. Cut off one end of the fishing line so you just have 1 strand to work with (if I was serious about these and wanted to make sure they don't break I'd put a dab of glue on the knot before cutting one end off - but this is just a fun little project and I don't care if they last forever). Remove the needle. Thread 15 beads onto the fishing line, then the spacer bead, the crimp bead, and lastly the jump ring. Run the fishing line back on itself thru the crimp bead, the spacer bead, and a couple of the blue beads pulling till taught but not so tight the beads buckle. Using needle nose pliers crush the crimp bead to lock the fishing line in place, then cut off the tail sticking out thru the blue beads (once again you could but a bit of glue there to make sure it stays put). Using 2 pairs of tweezers open the jump ring by twisting the sides away from each other - don't pull the ring apart that will make it all wonky and difficult to close, if you twist the end (one tweezer goes away from you and the other twists towards you); attach the jump ring to the loop on an earring hook then close the ring back up.

after running fishing line thru and back up the middle of pom pom, tie it in a knot and remove one tail.
slide 15 small beads onto the other tail as shown. 

add a spacer bead, crimp bead, and jump ring - then thread the tail back thru the crimp bean, spacer bead
and a couple of the blue beads. pull tight so there's no space between the beads then crush the crimp bead using needle nose pliers. cut off any tail that is sticking out.