Beads | Crystal Findings

Leftover Beads? Try These Unique Beading Projects!

Aug 27, 2019 | Beads, Jewelry Making, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES

Leftover beads? These simple and unique beading projects can help you utilize your ever-growing collection of beading odds and ends.

10 Great Beading Projects for Leftover Beads

Beaded Earrings
Because it takes relatively few beads to make earrings, earring projects are a great way to put leftover beads to good use, especially sparkly statement pieces like Shamballa beads. As an added bonus, these make great last-minute gifts for family and friends.
Beaded Bookmark
Make a pretty beaded wax linen twin bookmark from odd beads for yourself or the avid reader in your life. This simple project takes only about 10-minutes, making them a fantastic project for children or any potential new jewelry makers in your life.
Burlap Curtain Tie-Backs or Napkin Rings
Spruce up your curtains or dining room table with stretchy strings of your leftover beads. Have a little extra time and quite a few extra beads? Add a beaded fringe to your drapes or make a full beaded curtain for budding bohemians.
Wine Glass Beaded Charms
Enjoy a glass of wine while making charms for your stemware. Wine glass beaded charms are a great way to mark glasses. Make color variations from leftover beads for dinner parties, or put those alphabet beads to good use for your next family gathering.
Beaded Barrettes
A few bobby pins and a bit of glue and you can turn just a few leftover beads into a fun hair accessory for children or friends and minutes.
Beaded Insects
Dresser or desk less than inspiring? Top it off with a conversation piece. Create your own beaded spider or dragonfly. A quick Google will have you on your way to a unique beaded centerpiece in no time.
Beaded Wind Chime or Sun Catcher
Artfully arrange your assortment of leftover stone beads into a unique and sparkling sun catcher or set of wind chimes for your yard.
Beaded Candleholder
Drape fringes of beads surrounding a mason jar or string and glue beads around a simple glass votive or pillar candle holder to make a colorful home accent piece.
Holiday Ornaments
Your imagination is the limit for turning your leftover beads into a fun or stunning holiday ornament. Shape with craft wire, create a wrap, or simply glue to a frosted glass ball.
Beaded Art
Lose the wire and string and grab a tube of glue, turning your leftover beads into art atop a photo frame, mirror, or into a collage. A fun project with or without the kids for the artistically inclined.

Out of ideas? We’ve got more than a few. Shop the wide selection of wholesale beads and jewelry supplies at Crystal Findings, or peruse our blog for inspiration today.

How to Clean Sterling Silver Beads

Jun 10, 2019 | JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES

Tarnished silver abandoned in the jewelry box? The brilliance and versatility of sterling silver beads make them a wildly popular addition to many jewelry pieces. Unfortunately, exposure to air can lead to the tarnishing of silver jewelry, making items appear dirty or discolored. Luckily, however, you can give these pieces a fresh start, easily cleaning sterling silver beads and jewelry with these tips and tricks…

Electrolyte Method for Resilient Pieces

The electrolyte method is easy and science-backed, helping you avoid endless polishing and possible abrasions on ornate or engraved pieces. It reverses the chemical reaction that causes tarnishing. To clean with the electrolyte method, you will need a dish or bowl, aluminum foil, 1 cup boiling water, and 1 tablespoon baking soda. Line the dish with foil, dull side down. Place the jewelry in the dish, making certain it touches the foil. This ensures the silver sulfide atoms tarnishing the piece will transfer to the aluminum foil. (They will also cause a ‘rotten egg’ smell as they lift, so do not be alarmed.) Mix the baking soda with the boiling water, then pour the solution onto your jewelry in the dish. Let sit for 2-10 minutes to remove tarnish, then rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth.

Silver Cleaning for ‘Delicates’

Like your favorite cashmere sweater, some pieces are more delicate than others, requiring more careful cleaning. This includes jewelry held together with glue, porous stone beads (gemstones like opal, turquoise, onyx, and carnelian), as well as clear gemstones such as Swarovski crystal beads and pendants, Cloisonné beads, watches, and antiques. For these more delicate jewels, try one of the following methods:

Simple Soap & Water This simple and safe method should be the first cleaning method you attempt on silver jewelry.
Baking Soda & Water Make a paste of baking soda and water, polishing your silver beads gently with a pea-sized amount on a polishing cloth. For etched or detailed items such as silver fancy beads and corrugated beads, be sure to use a thinner paste. A soft-bristle brush can help on cracks/crevices. Run carefully under warm water when done and dry with a clean cloth.
White Vinegar & Baking Soda This combination works better for items with heavier tarnish, applied in the same manner as the baking soda method, however it should NOT be used with soft gemstones, which can etch and scratch. Make a solution of ½-cup vinegar to 2-tablespoons vinegar for polishing. Expect it to fizz and bubble. Rinse well and pat dry.

The Easiest Tarnish Prevention

Many avoid wearing their sterling silver jewelry, saving it for special occasions. While silver can be effected by chlorinated pool water and sunlight, however, surprisingly, the oils from your skin can help your jewelry keep its shine. Thus, wearing silver jewelry often is the easiest tarnish prevention. When its not being worn, reduce oxidation by simply sealing each piece into a small craft bag separately. This also prevents scratching and tangling. Ensure looks that last with premium beading supplies. Shop Crystal Findings today.

Jewelry Making 101: It Is Easier Than You Think

May 2, 2019 | JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES

Making your own jewelry isn’t difficult once you take a class or two and depend on certain manuals to teach you the basics. A good bead supplier like Crystal Findings is a great source, because they have experts who know the ins and outs of all types of Beaded Jewelry. So, whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you can easily get the assistance you need to make beautiful pieces of jewelry for yourself or to sell to others. Whether you’re looking for colorful stone beads or sterling silver beads for jewelry making, you can find them easily in the right store, because their selection is always second to none. You can find all types of supplies for making all types of jewelry, including rings, necklaces, and earrings, bringing you one step closer to creating your next masterpiece.

Get as Creative as You Like

When you’re making your own jewelry, you don’t have to follow a specific set of directions, because once you learn the basics of jewelry making, you can spread out on your own and create items that are truly unique. Once you find the right custom jewelry making supplies, you can do it all – bright-colored earrings or silver necklaces, or even bracelets made with gems or stones. In one short shopping session, you can find everything you need to make these and many other items, including beads, chains of all types, pearls, findings, ring sizers, bead counters, glue and other adhesives, and even cords and stretch wire. In other words, if you can think up a design for a piece of jewelry in your head, it is easy to create i, because it is easy to find the supplies you need to make it.

Something for Everyone

Jewelry-making supplies include something for everyone, so whether your jewelry is flashy and bold or more subtle and toned down, finding the right supplies is easier than you think. You can choose sterling silver alphabet letter beads to make that special piece of personalized jewelry for someone’s birthday, or basic pearls of all colors to create something more subdued. Best of all, making extraordinary jewelry doesn’t have to cost a fortune, because you can create something special without spending a lot of money. However, if you do want something more elegant and formal, you can try using Swarovski beads and crystals, which are high-quality gems that sparkle and shine, regardless of what you’re making with them.

Making jewelry is a lot of fun, and the basics are simple enough for anyone to learn. Finding the right supplies is easy and allows you to get exactly what you’re looking for every time. This is one hobby that offers something for everyone, and it is not likely one you’ll regret trying.