How to Bead a Necklace
Have you ever found yourself wishing for a particular design for a necklace, but you couldn’t find it anywhere? Or have you ever wanted to make something for yourself or someone close to you? The solution is quite simple: Make your own jewelry. It can be surprisingly easy, too. Here’s how.
What You’ll Need
Jewelry wire or jewelry chain
Beading thread
Beading needle
Clasp
Necklace beads
Wire cutter
Flat-nose pliers
Craft glue
Scissors
Towel
Well-lit flat work surface
Beading a Necklace
Determine the length of jewelry wire that you want for your necklace, adding a few inches.
Determine the design you want for your jewelry. Using a towel to keep the beads from rolling away, line up the necklace beads and the spacer beads (the smaller ones that go in between the bigger ones).
Take your jewelry wire and knot one end using your flat-nose pliers. Use your wire cutter to trim off the excess wire. Try to make the knot near the tip of the wire, but not on the edge, just enough to keep the knot secure from unraveling. The knot should also be bigger than the first bead’s hollow. Put on a bit of craft glue to keep the knot in place.
Thread one half of the clasp through the unknotted end of the wire so that it rests against the knot.
Place your beads on the wire in the same order that you laid them out on the towel. Leave the beads a little loose from each other as to not overly cramp the necklace and the beads.
Leave three to four inches of the wire free of beads.
Put the other end of the clasp at the tail end of the jewelry wire and make another knot after pulling in the clasp. Put another dot of craft glue, and trim off the extra wire.
Other Tips and Tricks
Use double strands of wire to make your necklace stronger.
Put craft glue along two to three inches at each end of the wire. When the glue hardens, the stiffness will help make stringing the beads easier.
Once you’ve become better and more confident with your beading skills, you can try your hand at making more complicated jewelry. Make many-stranded necklaces or experiment with bigger beads.