How to Make Beautiful Jewelry with Recycled Glass
Help the environment and make something beautiful by designing a necklace with recycled glass beads. Some jewelry designers prefer making their own beads out of recycled glass, but for the novice it is facile to purchase recycled glass beads at the crafting store. Glass pendants can also be attached to chains for a stunning, eco-friendly look. Create earrings that make friends envious by using glamorous recycled glass beads. The benefit of using recycled glass to make jewelry is creating an upscale look without spending a fortune.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Bead board
- Ruler
- Package of recycled glass beads
- Beading floss
- Scissors
- Necklace chain
- Recycled glass pendant
- Pendant bail
- Jewelry pliers
- Package of 5-mm recycled glass beads
- Head pins
- French hooks
- Needle-nose jewelry pliers
Instructions
-
Necklace with Recycled Glass Beads
-
1
Use a bead board to design a pattern for the necklace. Create a simple pattern with alternating colors of recycled glass beads.
-
2
Measure out a 20-inch length of beading floss for the necklace. Cut and make a secure knot of one end of the floss. Add the first bead to the necklace.
-
-
3
Continue adding beads to the necklace until the last one is strung. Knot both ends of the necklace together, and cut off any beading floss hanging from the end of the knot.
Necklace with a Recycle Glass Pendant
-
4
Select the desired length of the chain -- such as 16 inches -- for this project.
-
5
Find a recycled glass pendant with a hole at the top. Use jewelry pliers insert a pendant bail through the hole on the pendant.
-
6
Use the jewelry pliers to attach and secure the pendant bail to the chain, allowing the pendant to hang from the necklace.
Earrings with Recycled Glass
-
7
Use the bead board to arrange a pattern with three 5-mm recycled glass beads for each earring.
-
8
Place three beads on each head pin. Use the needle nose pliers to make a loop at the top, and to wrap wire around the base of the loop to secure it. Cut off excess wire from the end of the loop.
-
9
Use needle-nose jewelry pliers to open up the loop on the bottom of each French hook. Place the loop at the top of each head pin through the open loop on the French hook. Close the loops on the French hooks with needle-nose pliers, and make sure the earrings are secure before wearing.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Making earrings and necklaces with small findings is hobby for older children and adults as the minuscule pieces can be accidentally swallowed by young children.
References
- The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget; Kate L. Harrison; 2008
- "1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew" ; Garth Johnson; 2009
- "Create Gorgeous Chain Mail Jewelry One Ring at a Time"; Rebeca Mojica; 2010
- A Year in Earrings: 365 Designs and Variations; Editors of Beadstyle Magazine; 2009
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
