Necklaces

Knotted pearl necklace

What you will need:

• pearls of your choice
• silver spacer beads that match the size of your pearls. The holes of these spacer beads must be more or less the same size as your pearls
• 2 bead caps to fit your pearls
• clasp and hook (I've used a toggle clasp and bar)
• natural silk cord (see link above for the correct size)
• beading awl or very thick needle
• beading needle that matches your silk cord
• 3 cm (1 inch) bullion (french wire)
• scissor or cutter

Instructions: 

1. Cut off 8 mm bullion.

                                       

2. Most cords have a needle attached to it. Use it and slide the following to the end of your cord (leave at least 10 cm cord left to work with at the other end of the cord): pearl, bead cap, bullion, toggle clasp.

                               

3. String the short end of the cord back through the bead cap and pearl. You will have to attach your own beading needle to this end of the cord.

                   

4. Tighten both sides of the cord so that the bullion forms a loop. The silk cord must not be visible in the loop.

5. Tie a knot next to the bead using both cords. You can do it without the beading awl (or thick needle). This will be used when you have only one cord left for knotting.

             

6. Slide another pearl onto both cords next to the knot. Make another knot with both cords. Slide a third pearl onto the cord, and trim the short end of the cord next to the pearl. You will now have only one cord left for knotting.

7. Make a knot next to the pearl, and place the beading awl (or thick needle) inside the loop of the knot as close to the pearl as possible. The beading awl will assist you in making tight, consistent knots between the pearls.

8. Tighten the knot while keeping the awl in place.

                          

9. Release the awl if the knot is close enough to the pearl, and use your nails to tighten the knot.

10. You can even add a silver touch to your design by using silver beads between some of the pearls. If you are going to add silver beads or gemstones, lay out your design before stringing and knotting it.

11. Keep on knotting....and knotting....until you have only one pearl left to string.

12. String the last pearl, bead cap, 8 mm bullion and toggle bar onto the silk cord.

13. Insert the needle back through the bead cap and pearl (not through the bullion and toggle bar). Pull the cord and tighten the loop until you can only see the bullion which forms the loop.

14. Make a knot as shown in the picture below. Pull the cord to tighten the knot. (The knot might look slightly bigger because of the double knot) Don’t cut the cord yet.

15. String the cord through the second pearl as well.

16. This is the last step in learning how to knot pearls. Make another knot at the end of the second pearl, and string the cord through the third pearl. Don’t make a knot, but use your scissors or cutters to trim the excess cord. Well done, now you know how to knot pearls!

Source: http://www.how-to-make-beaded-jewelry.com/knot-pearls.html

Gum wrapper chain 

What you will need:

• paper gum wrappers
  OR
• 1-inch-by-3-inch pieces of paper
• NOTE: Origami paper folds more easily than construction paper.

                                                                Instructions:

If using gum wrappers:

1. Remove the outer paper wrapping (not the foil) from a 3-inch-by-¾-inch stick of gum. Open it up.
2. Fold the paper in half the long way. Tear it along the fold to make two long pieces.
3. Follow steps 4-10.

If using 1-inch-by-3-inch paper, follow these steps:

4. Fold one piece in half the long way. 5. Open it up. Fold the edges into the center. 6. Fold it over again the long way. 7. Bring the ends together. 8. Fold the ends into the middle. 9. Repeat steps 1 to 7 to make another link. 10. Fit two prongs of one link into the slots of the other. Source: http://www.highlightskids.com/crafts/gum-wrapper-chain

 Clay Beads Jewelry        

These are some examples of clay beads 

What you will need: 

• Polymer air-drying clay (color(s) of your choice) 

• Round toothpicks 

• Darning needle 

• Twine or nylon thread 

• Acrylic paint 

• Paintbrush

                                                           Instructions

STEP 1 - Begin by rolling out the dough into small snake-like logs ( roughly 1" thick). If you will be making clay beads with more than one color, choose the colors you'd like to use and roll a section for each color. Cut each section into approximately 1" lengths.

STEP 2 - Now that the cutting has been done, the children can help roll each section into a ball. If you want to have very small beads, roll just one section. If you want medium-size beads, roll two sections together. Larger beads require three sections rolled into one ball. (If you are making clay bead jewelry with multiple colors, combine all the colors together to form one ball)

STEP 3 - Push a toothpick through each clay bead. It may be necessary to wiggle or turn the toothpick while inserting it, to form a clean line all the way through the bead. Remove the toothpick and push it back through, this time leaving it in place.

STEP 4 - Allow the clay beads to set (with the toothpick in place) overnight. This will give them plenty of time to air dry and harden to create jewelry for kids to be able to wear.

STEP 5 - Remove the toothpicks from the clay beads. Now you'll have a hollow center that you can thread with nylon thread or twine.

STEP 6 (Optional) - If your child wants to personalize their clay bead jewelry one step further, they can paint it using acrylic paints. Designs can be drawn on each bead, or the entire clay bead itself can be painted.

STEP 7 - Use a darning needle to thread the clay beads together. Depending on how many clay beads you made, you can make either a bracelet or a necklace that your child can wear. Jewelry for kids will, obviously, not be the same size as jewelry for adults, so pre-measure your child to see how long to make each piece.

STEP 8 - Once the jewelry is threaded, tie off the ends into a knot to hold it in place.

Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/how-clay-bead-jewelry-kids-7579000.html?cat=24

  Paper Bead Necklace 

What you will need:

• Paper

• ruler and pencil

• scissors

• wooden skewers

• glue stick

• disposable plates or plastic container

• gloss spray varnish

• leather cord, for stringing

•  necklace findings (2 silver leather clamps, 2 jump rings and a clasp per necklace)

• needle-nose pliers

Bead Templates 

                                 Instructions:   

Step 1 Use Bead templates to choose the shape of your paper strips. Vary the width according to desired bead size (2-4 cm), the length is determined by the thickness of your paper. For thin magazine pages, a strip 2 cm wide across the bottom and 20 cm long is ideal; for thick paper, about 15 cm long. Rule strips on the back of your paper and cut them out.

Step 2 When you have cut a number of strips, you can start to roll your beads. Begin by rolling the thick edge firmly around a skewer. Then run the glue stick along the remainder of the triangle and continue wrapping the paper around the skewer until you reach the end. Make sure the paper is wrapped tightly on itself and the end is glued down really well.

Step 3 Continue to roll beads this way until you have covered most of the skewer. Then rest skewer ends on the edges of a plastic plate or container with beads not touching plastic to allow glue to dry. Repeat.

Step 4 Spray an even coat of gloss varnish over the beads. Rotate the skewers so the beads are evenly covered.

Step 5 When beads are completely dry, slip them from skewer and string together as desired on 3 leather cords. Using pliers and a leather clamp, join the 3 strands together at one end; repeat for other end. Attach jump rings to each clamp and a clasp to one of the jump rings. If you prefer, you can knot the strand ends together instead of attaching necklace findings.                                     





Source: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/craft/articles/a/-/6949252/make-your-own-paper-bead-jewellery/