How to Make a Beaded Purse From Pony Beads

Pony beads can be used for a lot of fun projects. Making a purse out of them is time-consuming but not particularly difficult. This is a project that anyone can do, and the resulting purse will be quite the conversation piece when you take it out in public.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small-gauge wire
• Pony beads in a variety of colors
• Small craft pliers
• Wire cutters

1. Select the colors of the beads you want to use and figure out the pattern you wish to arrange them in. Simply draw the pattern on a sheet of lined paper. (You can also find patterns by following the link in the Resources section.) You will need a low-gauge wire that is easily bendable for this project. Choose a wire that is either gold or silver in color, as colored wire will likely flake off when woven.

2. Loop the wire around the first bead and lock it into place around that bead. Then proceed to place a long line of beads on the wire. In order to do this, you will need to cut off a length of wire from the coil. The amount of beads is determined by how large you want your purse to be.

3. Add a second row of beads one at a time by looping the wire through the holes in the beads and weaving the wire around the individual beads in the first row. Stick the wire through the farthest side of the first bead in the first row; pull it out the other end, loop it back through the new bead again and pull it tight. You have just woven your first bead.

4. Weave each new bead the same way, using whatever colors you need to create your chosen pattern. Always make sure that you pull the wire as tightly as possible to ensure that the beads are pulled close to each other and the wire is neatly looped around each bead. Having wires stick out at odd angles is not attractive.

5. Start a new length of wire by looping it through the last woven bead and securing it on the other side, then continuing the weave through the length of the purse. Build a simple purse strap by looping the wire around each bead in a single-file pattern, so that the strap is only one bead wide. Loop the end of the strap wire around one of the beads at the top end of the purse, opposite from where you started weaving the strap.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the ends of all wires are well hidden, preferably on the inside of the beads themselves.
• Sew a fabric liner for your beaded purse if you want to protect your hands from loose wires when you reach inside.
• Use care when cutting your wires, as the cutters can easily slip and cut you instead.

Resources

• Pony bead patterns