About Bead Critter Patterns
Bead critters are a simple craft projects. The critters are made up of colored beads woven together with a piece of gimp or yarn, and tied to a key chain. At least, that's the most common use for them, although if you can think of a better use for a beaded creature, you are in control.
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Materials
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Bead critters are made out of a type of bead called "pony beads." Pony beads are about 1/2 inch wide, made of brightly colored plastic, and have a large hole in the center. They're available at craft stores, along with the other supplies needed to make bead critters: lanyard, yarn or even paracord, and a keyring or lanyard hook.
Types
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The patterns to make a bead critter come in a huge variety. Most of them are animals, although you can find just about anything to make into a bead critter. You could even make your own pattern, if you wanted to--but new creature-makers should probably start with a defined pattern. Lizards are a very common style, but you can also find a huge variety of dogs and cats, birds, bugs, and even Pokemon characters. See Resources for a variety of patterns sites.
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Process
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The process of making a bead critter starts with laying out the pattern. Laying the beads out in a series of rows is the best way to get started. Stringing the paracord, lanyard or gimp through the rows is the next step. The pieces are usually tied off with a lanyard hook or a key chain.
Time Frame
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A bead critter pattern is a very quick craft project. The most difficult part is finding the right project, followed by finding the right beads. After that, laying out the pattern and stringing it together is relatively quick, taking no more than an hour or two to make one.
Considerations
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A bead critter isn't going to look exactly like the animal it's supposed to imitate. They're closer to representational abstract art than photo-realistic. It's more like a cartoon caricature of the animal. Another concern is the stringing material: all the beads are held on by a single thread, so be careful not to break it or the entire piece will come apart.
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