How to make a beaded keychain. A perfect holiday activity for your corporate event.

Required Tools:

Flat nosed pliers

Required Materials:

Keychain ring
Three beads (preferably a large, medium and small size)
Two silver 4 mm beads
Tiger tail about 8 inches long
Two crimp beads

This keychain is very easy and only takes several minutes to complete. It is perfect for corporate events as an icebreaker activity.

Take the tiger tail and put a crimp bead at the bottom. Using the flat nosed pliers squeeze the crimp bead then string on one of the 4 mm beads.

Then string your three beads, put the biggest bead of the three beads at the bottom and your smallest bead at the top. String on the remaining silver 4mm bead and then the remaining crimp bead.

String the top of the wire through the keychain ring and then back through the crimp bead. Using the flat nosed pliers squeeze the crimp bead and cut off the excess wire.

Happy Beading!

Multiple Strand Necklace

This stunning necklace is perfect for fall and looks amazing when made in rich fall coloured beads.

Required Tools:

Flat nosed pliers or
Crimp nosed pliers

Required Materials:

3 mm Crimp beads
3 mm Silver balls
Tiger tail
Beads
Toggle clasp
Previously made necklace which you are using as your base for this project.

Take a single strand necklace that you have previously made. In this video the necklace was made using tiger tail and crimp beads.

The first step is to create the strand that is going to be added to the previously made necklace. To make the new strand, take a piece of tiger tail and measure it around your neck, add about 2 inches on either side to the desired length. These extra four inches will make it easier to finish off your necklace. String the beads that you would like on this strand. As you can see in the video, the necklace in the video consists of several strands using beads in the same colour but using different beads on each strand.

Take the end of the strand that you just finished beading and slip on a 3 mm silver ball and then a crimp bead. Thread the end through the hook of the clasp on the previously made strand and then thread back through the crimp bead and 3 mm silver ball. (see video) Squeeze the crimp bead using your flat nosed pliers. Leave enough wire so that it is not too tight so that the necklace doesn't snap. Take the other side of the necklace and repeat what you just did on the hook of the other clasp. Thread the end through the hook of the other clasp on the previously made strand and then thread back through the crimp bead and 3 mm silver ball. (see video) Squeeze the crimp bead using your flat nosed pliers. Trim off the excess wire on both sides of the strand that you just added to the necklace.

At this point you can leave the necklace with only two strands or you can add more strands using the same technique that you just used. You can make the strands in graduated lengths or you can make them all the same length. If you decide to make them the same length, twist the necklace before putting it on to create a beautiful twisted effect.

Simple Stretch Beaded Bracelet

Required materials:

You will need 7mm stretch cord (about 12 inches per bracelet)
beads
large crimp beads (must be large enough for stretch cord to double through twice)
2 pairs of flat nosed pliers
scissors

This is a great project for beginners and a great way to use up any extra beads that you have left over from other projects.

Take the stretch cord and measure it so that it goes around your wrist twice. This way you have excess cord and it is much easier for finishing the bracelet off. Set something on one end of the cord so that the beads do not fall off of the cord as you are making your bracelet.

Start stringing your beads onto the cord by feeding the cord through the beads. You can either make a pattern or put the beads on randomly, it depends on the look that you want. Keep beading until the bracelet is about 8 inches long. The size will vary depending on the size of your wrist so test it out before putting the crimp bead on to make sure that the bracelet will fit.

Now take the end of the cord and put it through the crimp bead, then take the other end of the cord and put it through the crimp bead as well so both of the ends of the cord are in the same crimp bead.

Pull the cords so that the crimp bead is touching the beads. Do not make it too tight or else the bracelet will snap, but make it tight enough so that there isn't much cord showing.

Take your pliers, go underneath the crimp bead and crimp the bead as hard and tight as you can. Cut off the leftover cord as close to the crimp bead as possible.

These bracelets look best worn in groups of three or more, so make a few in matching colours to really make a statement.

Easy to make Mother's day earrings

Required tools:

Needle nosed pliers
Flat nosed pliers
Crimping pliers

Required materials:

2 - Earring wires
Sterling silver chain
2 - 4 mm beads
2 - 8 mm beads
2 - Headpins (the longest length you can find)


These are simple yet stunning earrings that are easy to make and easy to wear.

How to make the earrings:

Using the needle nosed pliers open up the loop at the bottom of your earring wire. Thread the top link of your chain and close the loop again using the pliers. Cut the chain with your pliers to the exact length that you want your earrings to be. Repeat for the second earring. Lay out the earrings on your beading board.

Take a head pin and thread on the 8 mm bead and then the 4 mm bead. Then, using your flat nose pliers create a bend in the head pin right where the top bead ends, and then using your flat nose pliers make a loop. Watch the video to see exactly how it is done. Then open up the loop that you just made in the headpin and attach to the bottom of the chain and close the loop again. Then start twisting the wire around the base of the loop that you just created. Once you have wrapped the headpin wire around approximately 4 times cut off the remainder of the wire. Clean it up with your crimping pliers.

I made these as a mother's day gift this year and they were a huge hit!