Saturday, December 14, 2013

Rainbow Loom Fishtail Bracelet



How to Make a Rainbow Loom Fishtail Bracelet


The rainbow loom is one of the most poplular gifts for the holiday season this year.  Boy and girls of all ages, as well as adults are loving this fun and crafty toy.  We found a great tutorial that shows how to make the fishtail bracelet, a perfect design for rainbow loom beginners.

You will need the rainbow loom kit which includes a rainbow loom, hook, c clips, and rainbow loom rubber bands.

Pick two colours for your bracelet.

Take your first rubber band, stretch it out into an 8 shape, and put it on the first two pegs of your loom.

Take your next two elastics and put them on top.

Then take your hook and pull the bottom band to the top on both sides.  Then take your next rubber band and put it on top.  Keep pulling the bottom band up and then putting a new band on top until you have reached the desired length of bracelet.

Take the bracelet off of the loom, take out the last elastic and attach the c clip (see video).
And your bracelet is done!

Enjoy your new bracelet and happy holidays.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

A Few Great Reasons to Have a Beading Party Before Your Wedding

Beading parties are growing in popularity as a fun and female-focused activity to enjoy with your friends and family before your wedding. You can choose to throw a beading party as part of your bachelorette party, as an intimate activity for yourself and your bridesmaids or even enjoy a beading session as part of some pre-wedding bonding with your mom or mom-in-law-to-be. It's a great way to relax, unwind, and have plenty of fun before your big day. Here are a few reasons why it’s such a good idea to host your own beading party, or have a private beading session,  before you wedding.

Homemade Jewelry Makes Perfect Gifts


Your bridesmaids and other attendants are integral in helping your wedding run smoothly: a good bridesmaid will help you get ready on the big day, smooth out any problems as the ceremony progresses, and is worth her weight in gold! It’s likely that you picked your bridesmaids because they are your beloved family members and closest friends. All of this means that it’s important to give your bridesmaids the perfect gift to thank them for being part of your wedding party, and for all of their hard work in the lead up to your big day. What better than a piece of homemade jewelry? Homemade jewelry makes the perfect gift because it shows that you care, especially if you’ve taken the time to make the piece yourself. You can then tailor each piece to the personal tastes and styles of your bridesmaids, leaving them with a piece of jewelry they will love and treasure forever. It's hard to think of a better gift!

Use Beads to Embellish Your Venue Décor


The great thing about making things yourself is that you can think outside the box, and the only thing that you are limited by is your imagination! Who says that you can only use beads to make jewelry? You could make beaded napkin rings to liven up the table décor at your wedding reception: these could then double up as your wedding favor to your guests. You could also sprinkle beads over your table centrepieces so that they coordinate perfectly with these personalize favors. Beaded boutonnieres for the groomsmen have seen an increase in popularity, as have beaded handles or brooches on bridesmaids bouquets. Or even create a beaded flower as the centrepiece for your wedding car ribbon, so that you can ensure it matches your bridesmaid dresses and wedding colour perfectly. Just don’t forget to ensure that your wedding cars have adequate fleet insurance! Your wedding cars may look great with their beaded accessories, but if they break down whilst you’re on the way to your ceremony then you need to know that the cars will be repaired quickly, and that there’s a back-up plan to get you to the church on time!

Match your Jewelry to Your Wedding Dress


The most obvious reason to throw a beading party before your wedding is so that you can create beautiful and personalised bridal jewelry. Whether you want to wear earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, or even all three, you can create your dream wedding jewelry set using swarovski crystal, pearls, and sterling silver plated components. You can ensure the necklace you make suits the neckline of your dress perfectly. You could consult with your hairdresser and create earrings that will match your wedding hairstyle perfectly. There are so many reasons why it’s better to make your bridal jewelry yourself! Do you need any more reasons to throw that beading party? Well, the average American Bride spent $144 on her wedding jewelry in 2012. However bridal beading packages start from just $30 per person. So as well as having your jewelry personalised to you and your tastes, you may also find that making your bridal jewelry yourself could help you save money too!  And don’t worry if you don’t think you’re creative enough because you won’t be attempting this alone:   A Beading Buds designer will work with you, the bride, prior to your beading party to choose the design and colour of the jewellery you want to create at the event. Why not give it a try? You’ll be amazed at all the beautiful things you can create!

By Lisa Fielding

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Spring Button Necklace



Materials and Tools:
Assorted coordinating buttons
Needle nosed pliers
24 gauge wire
Chain
Jump ring
Clasp
2 beads

Spring is coming and we feel like the bright colours of this necklace
put a spring in our step.

Try a few different arrangements to see what you like best.  Take a
photo with your camera or phone so you have something to look back at
in case you forget your design.

Cut 3 to 5 feet of wire.  Start by bending one end of the wire into a
loop.  Wrap the wire below the loop a few times.  String one bead onto
the wire.  Then add your first button.  Bring the wire through the
button a second time to secure the button.   Keep adding your buttons
and linking them together.  When you reach the other end add the other
bead.  Wrap the wire under the bead again.  Cut the wire and tuck it
underneath.  Open a jump ring and attach the chain to one end.
Attach a clasp to the other end of the chain.  Do the same thing to
the other side.

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