How To Create A Morse Code Necklace

Materials:

Seed beads

Bugle beads

Tiger tail or silk cord

Crimp beads

Lobster clasp and ring

Tools:

Pliers

Using a morse code chart (see below) lay out the beads in the word that you would like to put in your necklace.  In the video, the word love is being spelled out.

If using silk cord, attach the clasp to one end of silk cord using the crimp bead and pliers, then string on your beads spelling out the word that you are putting on your necklace (see video).  Then attach the other end of your clasp (the ring).

If you are using tiger tail, attach the clasp to one end of the tiger tail and then fill up with seed beads in a clear colour until your necklace is 1/4 full of beads, then string on the word in morse code, then fill up the other side with clear beads.  If your word is short, you may need to do more clear seed beads before and after your word.  Once you have filled up the other side, attach the other side of your clasp (the ring).

We hope you enjoyed making this necklace as much as we did.  

Pearl Spacer Bracelet in Spring 2014's Colours

How to Make a Bracelet using Pearls and Spacers using Spring 2014 colours

Materials:
Pearls
Spacers
Elastic string

Using scissors, cut a strand that is double the size of your wrist and then add two inches. Tie together with a knot at the end of your strings.  String a bead and then 5 spacers, continue this pattern until the bracelet is the desired length.  Tie in another knot to finish off your bracelet. 

To make your bracelet extra trendy, make it in one of springs "it" colours.  According to Pantone, the Official Color of 2014 is PANTONE® 18-3224 Radiant Orchid, described as "an enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm."  The other colors for this Spring are Placid Blue, Violet Tulip, Hemlock, Sand, Cayenne, Freesia, Celosia Orange and Dazzling Blue.

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.

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.

Make a Crystal and Chain Necklace

Materials Needed:
3 -12 inch pieces of sterling silver chain
17 headpins
68 4mm crystals
Toggle clasp

Tools:
Cutter pliers
Round nose pliers


The holidays are coming and it's time to bring out the sparkly jewelry.  This piece can be a bracelet or a choker, it depends on how long you make it.  For a fun twist, you can do a mix of pearls and crystals instead of just crystals.

Start about an inch into the chain.  Take your pin, put on a crystal, put a piece of chain on (about one inch into your chain), and then another crystal, then next piece of chain (about one inch in), then crystal, then last piece of chain (about one inch in) and then crystal.  Then using your round nose pliers you create a loop at the end.  (see video).  Then repeat this process about one inch down the chain.  You should be able to do this 17 times until you reach the desired length.  Then, using connectors, attach a piece of the toggle clasp to each side.

How To Make Your Own Paper Beads

Summer is here and I am sure all the parents out there are looking for ways to keep their kids busy (we sure are!) here is a fun and easy tutorial on how to make your own beads. You can then watch some of our other videos for ideas on what to do with the beads.

Material needed:

Old magazines
Ruler
Pencil
Glue
Modge podge (varnish)
Styrofoam
Toothpicks
Paint brush

Instructions:

First lay your paper flat. Measure 1 inch intervals on one side and draw lines 1 inch apart. Then angle your ruler and draw a line cutting each interval into half and turning each inch interval into two triangles.

You can experiment with different shapes of paper cutting; this will result in beads of different shapes.

Once you have a size of paper strip you like, use a small paintbrush and coat the top side with white glue. Starting with the widest end of the paper, roll it tightly around a toothpick.

Roll the last bit and press down on it for a few seconds to hold the bead in place.

Leave each bead on the toothpick and stick each toothpick into the piece of styrofoam.

Start varnishing. Use a brush and give them at least 2 coats of varnish. Leave to dry for 2-3 days.

Festive Holiday Jewelry - Swarovski Drop Earrings

The holiday season is approaching which means it is time to add some sparkle to your jewelry. These super easy to make earrings will add just the right amount of shine to any outfit and are also the perfect gift for any special ladies in your life.

Material:

2 ball headpins
2 10mm Swarovski crystals in jet black
2 sterling silver french ear wires
2 4mm sterling silver round beads

Tools:

Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Side cutter pliers

Take one of your headpins and thread on one of the 10mm jet black crystals and then one of the 4mm sterling silver round beads. Then, using your round nose pliers make a simple loop. Completely close the loop. Then take one of your sterling silver french ear wires, open up the loop at the bottom of the ear wire, take the pin with the beads on it that you just created and place on the opened loop at the bottom of the ear wire and close.

TIP: If you love jewellery, you can use this technique to make hundreds of different earrings, just use a different size and shape of bead each time.

Memory wire bracelets a perfect after school project

A new school year is fast approaching and the Beading Buds are so excited about our brand new 8 week after school program that we will be running at several schools in Richmond Hill, Oakville and Mississauga and other parts of the Greater Toronto Area.

And to continue with the "back to school" theme, we are sharing this article about the developmental benefits of beading with children.

http://www.ourkids.net/blog/the-value-of-beading-for-children-12900/

One of the projects we will be teaching at the after school program is a memory wire bracelet which can also be worn as a necklace, below is a tutorial showing how to make this memory wire bracelet.



Materials:
Memory Wire
Beads

Tools:
Wire cutters
Needle nosed pliers

Take your memory wire and measure so that it loops around your wrist two times and then cut using your wire cutters. Taking your needle nosed pliers, make a loop at one end of the wire. Using your bead board, make your pattern, it is usually best to use 4 beads and keep repeating them, or just make it totally random. String your beads until you have about about 1/2 an inch of wire left and then make another loop using your needle nosed pliers.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we look forward to bringing you lots of fun beading projects for the fall and winter season.

Beaded Wire Looped Necklace

Materials:
24 gage wire
6 large beads
14 small beads
1 lobster clasp
1 jump ring
2 crimp beads

Tools:
Flat nosed pliers


Take one of your large beads and thread onto your wire, move bead
about 4 inches in from one end of the wire, that will be your starting
point. Take one end of your wire (the working wire) and pull back
through the bead (see video). Pull the wire tight to hold the bead in
place. Now thread one of the small beads, move it along the wire
until it is the desired distance from your large bead (approximately
one inch) and do what you did with the large bead, feed the working
wire back through and pull tight to hold the bead in place. Continue
doing this for the remainder of your necklace, spacing all the beads
about 1 inch apart, doing the pattern of two small beads, one large
bead, two small beads, etc. Attach the clasp to one end of the wire
using the crimp bead. Attach the jump ring to the other end of the
wire using the remaining crimp bead.

Mother's Day Crystal Bead Bracelet

I was asked to attend at a Mother's Day event this year to teach mothers and daughters to make bracelets. This is a simple yet beautiful bracelet that every mother and daughter would love to wear.

Tools:
Round nose pliers

Materials:
12 - 14 headpins
12 - 14 6 mm beads (I like something sparkly, like a 6mm crystal bead)
1 jump ring
1 lobster clasp

Open up the jump ring and attach to the clasp. Next, put a bead onto a headpin and then using the pliers make a loop on the other side of the pin. Continue doing this for all 14 pins and beads. Then, take one of the beaded headpins that you just created and link onto the jump ring that is connected to the clasp, close the jump ring. Then take another beaded headpin and hook it just before the bead in the previous pin (see video). Use pliers to close the loop of the pin that you have just added on. Repeat the last two steps using up all of your beaded headpins until the bracelet is long enough to fit around your entire wrist. To close the bracelet, just attach the lobster clasp to the loop that you made on the last beaded headpin on your bracelet (see video). If you want to make a necklace, do the exact same thing, just use 30 headpins and 30 beads.