Bead It!

A how-to for the do-it-yourself diva

Have you ever looked at a piece of jewellery and thought to yourself, “I could do that myself...if only I knew how”? Well, here’s your chance. Beading is actually a simple and fun way to get nice jewellery without the not so nice price tag. To get started, all it takes is a trip to your nearest craft, or even dollar, store. So here it is; a simple how-to to make a basic beaded necklace.

What You Will Need:
To start off, you will need wire, 2 jump rings, and a lobster claw clasp. These can usually be found all together in a kit at the craft store. The only real “tool” you will need is pliers, and they don’t even have to be good ones. Now for the fun stuff... the beads! Start with a small package of what are known as seed beads. Next, get approximately 15-20 slightly larger, contrasting beads, or, if you feel like it, they could be completely mismatching. Whatever you want.

Ready, Set, Bead!
Now that you’ve got everything you need, it’s time to get started. First, cut your wire to the desired finished length of your necklace, adding about an extra inch so you can tie it off. Next, tie one end of the wire to one of the jump rings and attach the ring to one side of the clasp. String on 10 seed beads and 1 big bead. Repeat this sequence for the entire length of the wire. Make sure to leave about ½ and inch at the end to finish it off. Once again, tie the end to the other jump ring and attach it to the other piece of the clasp.

Voila! A handmade, unique necklace that was much cheaper and more fun than buying one at the store.


***if chosen for the magazine, i will be taking step-by-step pics