As Christmas draws closer, you may be thinking about how you want to decorate your home for the occasion. You can add some extra glitz to all of your holiday displays with handmade crystal ornaments constructed using our quality beading supplies. Keep reading to find out what you’ll need for this project and how to turn a small pile of beads into a glamorous icicle accent.
Start by cutting a four-foot piece of beading thread from the spool and threading it into your beading needle. This might seem like too much, but trust us – you’ll need it!
Use a bead stopper on the open end to keep your beads from falling off, then begin threading the first beads onto the line. Begin with one 8mm briolette bead, then add two 3mm bicones. Continue with an 8mm polygon, then two more bicones. Then add another 8mm briolette and two more bicones.
Once you’ve gotten this far, it’s time to start using some bigger beads. Add a 12mm briolette to the string followed by a bicone, a polygon, another bicone, and one more 12mm briolette.
At this point, you will have reached the very bottom of the ornament. String six bicones together, then add the centerpiece of the whole design: a shimmering crystal pendant. Drop pendants work well for creating a dripping icicle-like effect, but you can use any shape you like. Try one of our Swarovski crystal heart pendants to evoke the warmth and togetherness of the holidays.
After attaching the pendant, thread six more bicones onto the string to complete the small loop that will hold it in place. Then thread the needle back up through the entire line of beads.
The final step involves creating the loop that holds the finished ornament up. To do this, thread 18 bicones together, then pull the thread toward the base of the longer string. Tie several knots at the base of the loop to keep all of the beads in place, then trim away any thread that is still showing.
When you’re done, you will have created a stunning statement piece perfect for decorating your home for the holidays. Hang it on your tree, add it to a window display, or string a few over your mantle – however you choose to show off your glittering creation, it’s sure to make an impression on everyone who visits you during this year’s festivities.
Deck the Halls… with Beads!
This ornament is just one of the many gorgeous crafts you can make with the beads and supplies we stock here at Crystal Findings. Our massive selection of crystal and stone beads, wires, beading threads, and other custom jewelry making supplies includes everything you need to tackle projects both large and small. Browse our listings today and see what else you can find to make your home sparkle this holiday season.
A big part of jewelry making lies in the moments before you actually start making jewelry. The creative, plan-making part of the process is when you decide what type of jewelry you want to make and which beads and other gems you want to use to make it. For some, this is the best part of the jewelry-making process, but for others, the incredible amount of choices in beading tools and supplies can feel overwhelming. Here’s a quick look at some factors that can help as you start considering which beads to choose for your upcoming jewelry pieces:
4 Things to Consider When Choosing Beads for Your Jewelry
The type of jewelry itself and its purpose. The first important thing to consider is what type of jewelry you want to make, for whom, and what event. For example, if you want to build up a friendship bracelet or a commemorative gift for a friend, then alphabet letter beads are a good type of bead to choose. But if you’re wanting to create something like a necklace for a more formal event like a wedding, then you should consider adding in Swarovski crystal beads.
Whether there are any concerns on materials. What type of beads you choose may depend upon certain material considerations. For example, if you are building a jewelry piece that you want to wear every day and in more active situations (such as jogging), you might choose a stronger type of material, such as stone beads. Unfortunately, not all beads are built for daily wear and tear. Glass beads and Swarovski crystal beads are better used in jewelry pieces that are not going to be worn daily.
If you are in need of certain colors or matching schemes. Some types of beads and jewelry materials will go with anything. For example, sterling silver beads are very versatile and can go well with just about any outfit. However, colored crystal beads and gold-filled beads may not be quite so adaptable. That said, these pieces can be the perfect color for some looks!
How big do you want your finished piece to be? Certain jewelry supplies like beads might be too small or too large for the desired look. For example, a small charm might be the perfect accent piece on a bracelet but could look cluttered if paired with others on a longer neckpiece. A lot of good jewelry making is about balancing your beads, charms, and other pieces.
Ready to Get Started? Visit Our Website Today
Now that you have a good idea of how to plan your next jewelry-making session, the next step is to order up your pieces and get started crafting! Check out our website at Crystal Findings for an easy and fast way to buy jewelry making supplies online.
Alphabet letter beads are fun and quirky beads, each of which features a different letter of the alphabet. Often, alphabet letter beads come as part of any basic beading tools and supplies kit as they are one of the most popular types of beads to get started beading with. Why? Because they are typically a part of the friendship bracelets that are so often the very first type of beading jewelry a young person will make.
Beaded Alphabet Bracelet & Necklace Gifting Ideas
The traditional friendship bracelets that bear each person’s name remain among the most popular beaded jewelry made with alphabet beads, but they certainly are not alone in this category. These types of beads can be used in a variety of out of the box creative jewelry ideas that make for excellent gift ideas, including:
Spiritual milestones. First communion, bar or bat mitzvahs, and more personal spiritual milestones are popular points of gift-giving, and what better gift than to fashion a bracelet that lists an important verse from a loved one’s preferred holy text?
Encouragement for life changes. Maybe your best friend got a new car or a cousin is planning a road trip across the country? These big changes bring about new opportunities and a small gift like a beaded bracelet with words of encouragement and inspiration is a fantastic token of your support.
Celebration of a new family addition. Beaded bracelets are often used to connect friends, but that isn’t the only type of relationship that has to be celebrated. Maybe a friend added a new pet to their life, or a sister is about to become a mother. A bracelet made with alphabet and stone beads listing the name of this new familial addition is a great celebratory gift.
Supplies to Make Beaded Alphabet Bracelets & Necklaces
Are you ready to get crafting? The first step is to make sure you have the right supplies. We recommend the following basics for your first alphabet beaded jewelry gift:
Alphabet beads
Decorative beads to place in combination with alphabet beads, such as stone beads or sterling silver beads
Elastic string or other type of cord to thread your beads on
Sharp jewelry scissors
Glue that dries fast and clear
All of these items can be bought at your neighborhood crafts supply store, but for the best deals and the best selection, you will want to buy jewelry making supplies online.
Visit Crystal Findings to Learn More
Here at Crystal Findings, we are passionate about not just getting our customers the best supply of affordable jewelry-making supplies, but also helping them learn more about what they can create and do with those supplies. Browse our blog for more jewelry-making tips and be sure to visit our online store for the best in online jewelry-making supplies!
We also welcome customers to visit our showroom in Philadelphia by calling in advance.
Necklaces are a timeless style of jewelry that transcends cultures and other such lines. You will find that examples of necklaces throughout just about every culture in every era of history on every habitable piece of land. And it’s not hard to understand why. Necklaces, whether made of carved bones or sterling silver beads or plated gold chains bring a certain elegance and distinction to the wearer. Thus, the question often isn’t whether to wear a necklace but rather what type and of what length to wear it.
Different length necklaces have had different eras of popularity. For example, chokers and collars were extremely popular during the 15th and 16th centuries as well as during the 1920s era and for a brief period in the late 1990s to early 2000s. But while popularity of different lengths will always ebb and flow, there are some key things a person might look for to determine specifically which length necklace they should wear or make with their beading supplies.
How to Pick the Right Necklace Lengths for Every Neckline: The 6 Popular Lengths
The best way to know how to pick or make the right necklace length with your gold filled beads and findings is to better understand the six popular necklace lengths.
Collar. The collar length necklace is the shortest diameter necklace, only 13 to 15 inches around, and is always worn snugly around the neck, well above the collarbones. This necklace is best paired with clothing where the neck is readily exposed, like scoop necks, off-the-shoulders, and V-necks.
Choker. The choker lies against the base of the neck, often just barely touching the collarbones if at all. The diameter for this length necklace is between 14 and 16 inches. Chokers look fantastic with just about any outfit, but this is a necklace you will want to have a longer or slender-looking neck for. Chokers on short necks accentuate the neck’s shortness, creating a stubby appearnce.
Princess. Princess lengths fit right on the collarbone with a length of 17 to 18 inches. This is considered an ideal, fail-proof necklace length that will go with anything and look well on anyone — making it a good choice for those just getting started with making their own pieces with jewelry making supplies.
Matinee. The matinee sits between the collarbone and bust with a length between 20 and 24 inches. Matinee necklaces are ideal for pairing with plunging and sweetheart necklines.
Opera. Opera necklaces are a hard one to pair. These are 28 to 36 inches necklaces that lie just below the bust. They are best worn layered and with evening wear and one to two color outfits.
Rope. This is the longest of the necklaces with a length of 36 to 51 inches. It’s much more versatile than the opera necklace as it can be wrapped over and look excellent with both casual and formal wear.
Visit CrystalFindings to Start Making Your Necklaces
Whether you’re in love with chokers or opera necklaces, our large inventory of online beading tools and supplies offer an easy way to get started crafting the beautiful pieces you’re imagining. Visit us today to get started.
Beading is one of the best starter crafts a person can get into — for many reasons. First, getting into bead making as a hobby is relatively inexpensive thanks to the ability to shop around and buy jewelry making supplies online at good prices. This makes it possible to start making beautiful pieces without a big initial investment. The other reason why bead jewelry making is so great for newcomers to jewelry making, in general, is because of how much you can customize your pieces to be exactly what you want them to be.
So, now that you have decided you want to get into bead jewelry making, let’s take a look at some other key ideas that will help you hit the ground running:
Starting Ideas for Bead Jewelry Making for Beginners
Wire-wrapped beaded chain necklace or choker. The basic wire necklace or choker is one of the best pieces of jewelry that a beginner can make. Here, you start with a piece of wire and your favorite alphabet letter beads or sterling silver beads and start putting the beads on that wire in your own desired pattern. You can also use a spinning beader to make the process go faster (although that makes it harder to personalize the pattern).
Earrings with beaded tassels. Earrings are a wonderful beginner project because of how small they are. This is one that won’t require a ton of beading tools and supplies or your time, making it possible to really experiment with different looks and methods.
A beaded circle necklace pendant. A beaded circle necklace pendant is one of those things that you can do really simply, or go all out extravagant. As such, this type of jewelry piece is ideal for beginners as you can experiment and slowly hone your skills with each new rendition. A good place to start is with a simple wire circle on which you thread your favorite stone beads.
Beaded ladder stitch bracelet. This one will require a bit more time and patience than most of the other beded jewelry on this list, but the finished look is well worth your effort! This is a chunky beaded bracelet that features multiple thin weaves of beads in which the maker creates a repeating pattern. It has a fantastic end look that really accentuated many different fashion styles, and so it is also a good choice for gift-giving.
Visit Our Online Store for More Information & Supplies
Are you eager for more top bead making ideas? Or maybe you need some new beading tools and supplies in order to get started? In either case and more, our team at Crystal Findings is here to help. Visit our website today for more jewelry-making tips and to get the best prices on new beads and beading equipment.
