Aug 21, 2022 | JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES, Swarovski Crystal Beads, Swarovski Crystal Pendants
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.
Materials
For this craft, you’ll need
You can get these beading tools and supplies shipped right to your door from our online store. Be sure to order bicones, briolettes, polygons, and at least one pendant.
Making the Ornament
- 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.
Jan 20, 2022 | JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
Jewelry isn’t just something you wear. Especially not when you create unique pieces via custom jewelry making supplies. Precious jewelry pieces become a part of who we are as we use them to accentuate our features and provide insight into ourselves, such as our favorite colors, animals, and themes. With such a role, your precious pieces of jewelry deserve to be well cared for. After all, the better you maintain your pieces, the longer you will get to enjoy them. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite tips for cleaning and caring for our beaded jewelry pieces.
How to Clean and Care for Beaded Jewelry
- Take regular care of your beaded jewelry- There are many ways to clean your beaded jewelry and we will discuss a few ways in the next pointers but you can avoid these cleaning tips and tricks by taking care of your jewelry on a day-to-day basis. Take off your jewelry before sleeping and give a quick wipe down to remove any settled dust or junk between the beads. Invest in a velvet-lined jewelry box that will protect your jewelry and limit the oxygen that gets to the beads.
- Use toothpaste on silver but never gold or gems. As you browse online DIY tips for cleaning and caring for jewelry, you are apt to find toothpaste recommended as a good cheap cleaning material. Be cautious with this advice. A small dab of the most basic of toothpaste is great at removing the tarnish and gunk on some types of jewelry, most notably for any type of silver piece and some stone beads. Sterling silver beads and findings are thus a good choice for this technique. However, the same slight abrasive nature of toothpaste that makes it great for cleaning off tarnish makes it not so great at cleaning less hard pieces, such as softer gemstones or delicate cloisonne beads. For our customers who buy gold-filled beads online from us, we recommend not to use toothpaste as it risks scratching and causing discoloration.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to apply mild soap and water or a jewelry-specific cleaning agent. In the end, the best technique to clean your beaded jewelry is going to be the boring technique. The technique doesn’t rely on tricks or finding odd items in your pantry to use. Rather, be patient and use a very mild soap and water mixture to clean your jewelry of any gunk and tarnishing. A soft-bristled toothbrush is best for applying this mixture and getting in angles and divots. Use a soft cloth rag as a final wipe-down.
When in Doubt, Take to a Professional
If the mild soap and water mixture isn’t getting your pieces properly sparkling, then you might want to consider taking them to a professional. An expert jeweler has the tools and know-how to get your pieces beautifully cleaned. And when it comes to making more pieces, don’t forget to visit our site for the best wholesale beads and jewelry supplies.
Oct 18, 2019 | Beads, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES, Swarovski Crystal Beads
When you’re aiming for a certain look, the Thanksgiving décor from your area retailer may leave you wanting. For stylish and tasteful tabletop displays and an enjoyable fall project, why not create your own pieces for a look that’s unique and memorable? Keep treasured pieces for annual use, creating a beading tradition, or gift coveted pieces to loved ones and friends.
Create Stylish, Unique Thanksgiving Tabletop Décor with Beading Supplies at Crystal Findings
Our beading supplies include a variety of styles and autumn shades, allowing you to design the perfect accent pieces for your Thanksgiving gathering. What beaded tableware could you create for your tabletop?
- Wine glass rings
Create simple and elegant wine glass rings, helping your guests avoid confusing their beverages. Keep things simple and elegant with circular wine glass rings adorned with a single Swarovski crystal, or adorn them with festive fall charms accented with your favorite fall bead colors.
- Napkin holders
Weave napkin holders in sparkling autumn shades, accenting them with gold-filled beads and findings. Choose from luminescent lamp beads in shades of clear and topaz, or stone beads in carnelian, jade, gold, tiger’s eye, mother of pearl, and yellow.
- Beaded pine cones
Add elegance and whimsy to your table with beaded pine cones, alternating brown stone beads in shades of brown, topaz, or tiger’s eye with gold-filled beads for excitement and shine. Coordinate with a miniature, matching pair of earrings.
- Indian corn
Get the kids involved or reconnect with your inner child, creating beaded Indian corn for fun table flare with round stone beads. For a more adult approach, use craft wire and more shimmering, festive beads, adding visual interest and luminosity with cat’s eye beads in shades of green, brown, gold, orange.
- Pumpkins
Beaded pumpkins can be a fun craft for kids or adults alike, and make perfect Thanksgiving tabletop décor for the kids’ table. Create 3-dimensional pumpkins with pipe cleaners, or take a more sophisticated approach with beading wire and stone or cat’s eye beads in shades of orange, green, and brown.
- Beaded placemats
Create beaded placemats with a fall theme, such as pumpkins and gourds, leaves, acorns, sunflowers, or a simple mosaic of fall colors. Choose classic stone beads in fall shades, luminescent cat’s eye beads, or add a touch of sparkle with shamballa beads in shades of siam red, topaz, yellow, and emerald.
- Beaded table runner
Create an intricate design using a single fall color, or a beautiful mosaic to match your beaded placemats in a pattern of leaves, pumpkins, acorns, and sunflowers.
- Beaded bowls
Created with a modern wire framework beads in your favorite autumn shades with accents of gold, beaded bowls make an elegant centerpiece statement.
- Beaded wreath
Invite guests into your home with the sparkle and flair of a beaded wreath on your front door.
Ensure a memorable Thanksgiving with the elegant addition of beaded tableware. Shop the wide selection of custom jewelry making supplies at Crystal Findings today.
Jul 18, 2019 | GOLD FILLED BEADS, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES, Swarovski Crystal Beads
Synonymous with quality and luxury since 1892, the Swarovski brand name is well-known in the jewelry market. These jewels, neither a crystal nor a gem, are actually a form of glass. With such a seemingly simple composition, what makes Swarovski crystal beads and pendants more expensive?
A Painstaking Attention to Detail
Much more than meets the eye, Swarovski crystals are anything but simply made. Like true diamonds, the quality of materials used in the creation of Swarovski crystals as well as the Austrian company’s highly-specialized cutting practices lend to the cost of the crystals. Their creation is a long and complicated process. To create crystals with a higher refraction index than true crystal, precision manufacturing is essential. This results in a stone with looks close to those of diamonds.
The Swarovski Manufacturing Process
To achieve the sparkle you love, the creation of Swarovski crystals begins with a secret lead glass crystal recipe featuring a blend of quartz, sand, minerals, and about 32% lead, which helps maximize refraction in the crystals. The clearer the crystal, the more difficult to produce. Purity of material is key. After creation, they are precision-cut with a patented electric cutting machine. Accurate and consistent, the cutting process adds as many as 100 facets to each crystal which mirror and bend light in various directions, providing a higher refraction index in the crystals. After this complex cutting process, the crystals are then polished to perfection and ready for sale with custom jewelry making supplies. Coatings may also be added during this process to refract light in different color spectrums.
A Step Above the Competition
Because Swarovski crystals are man and machine made, the quality of crystals is far more consistent than is seen in naturally occurring gem stone beads and crystals. Crystals with imperfections such as bubbles, scratches, and lackluster shine and brilliance will not meet Swarovski quality standards. Premium, genuine Swarovski crystals should be identical, showcasing unsurpassed consistency of design to meet Swarovski’s high manufacturing standards:
- Each Swarovski crystal should be identical in size and cut, a key sign of Swarovski’s precise workmanship and authenticity.
- Crystals should have zero bubbles.
- Crystals should be clear and brilliant, with no oily sheen, dullness, or surface scratches.
- The shine of each crystal should be diamond-like.
- The facets of each crystal should meet and point upwards.
- Colored crystals should be identical in tone.
- Crystals are sold loose (only Swarovski pearls are sold strung together).
- Crystals should be sought from a Swarovski authorized retailer.
Make a statement, adding a touch of brilliance and luxury to your upcoming jewelry making project. Shop the world-renowned Swarovski line. An authorized retailer, pair the sparkling perfection of Swarovski crystals to our vast array of premium wholesale beads and jewelry supplies. Shop Crystal Findings today.
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.
