How to Make a Butterfly in a Plastic Beaded Necklace
Making a butterfly in a plastic beaded necklace provides a creative challenge for a child's art activity. You can craft the necklace with the child and the assistance of a few household tools as an after-school endeavor or a weekend pursuit. Incorporate pony beads into your necklace to give you and your child control over how you will shape the necklace and what beads to use. Pony beads are ideal, due to their hollow center, making them effortless to slide on or off the necklace wire.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- 5-mm craft wire
- Abrasive sanding pad
- Needle nose pliers
- Pony beads (multiple)
- Lobster clasp
Instructions
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1
Measure the circumference of the child's neck. Add 5 inches to the initial measurement to increase the width of the necklace body.
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2
Cut a piece of 5-mm craft wire to match the adjusted measurement. Cut a second 5-inch piece of 5-mm wire. Dull the ends of each piece of wire with an abrasive sanding pad.
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3
Form the 5-inch piece of wire into the shape of a butterfly. Slide colorful pony beads onto the wire until only 1/8-inch of wire is left exposed at both ends. Bend each 1/8-inch into a letter "J" shape. Loop one "J" around another. Press the "J" shapes shut with the pliers to secure the shape of the butterfly.
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4
Slide 1/4-inch of one end on the long wire around the left butterfly wing. Wrap the 1/4-inch tightly around the wire with the pliers. Slide 1/4-inch of the opposite end of wire around the right butterfly wing. Wrap the 1/4-inch tightly around the wire with the pliers.
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5
Cut the necklace wire in half at the center. Slide colorful pony beads onto each part of the necklace wire until only 1/4-inch of wire is exposed on each end.
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6
Secure one half of a lobster clasp to the right end of wire using the pliers. Secure the opposite half of the clasp to the left end of the wire.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
