How to Make a Twisted Bead Necklace

Several sizes and shapes of red beads twisted together

Has the beading bug bitten you? Why not make your next project a fashionable twisted bead necklace. You may want to use an assortment of the beads you have, or head off to the bead store for a new collection of bead shapes and sizes for your necklace. What will it be: A mixture of bugle beads, and triangle beads, seed beads and crystals? One very dramatic combination for a twisted bead necklace is to assemble all shapes and sizes of beads in the same color family. This adds texture and depth to your necklace.

Things You'll Need

• Nylon Assorted beads Beading needle Jewelry glue Jewelry clasp Jump ring Bead stoppers

Instructions

A New Twist on a Beaded Necklace

1. Design the pattern for each strand, and decide how many strands you want. For instance, you can do one strand alternating two colors of seed beads, one strand with half triangle beads in red and the next half in purple, and a third strand alternating bugle bead colors. You can also do a strand with 10 or 12 multicolor beads, then one crystal bead, then the multicolor beads, then one crystal, and so forth.

2. Thread the beads you've chosen in continuous strands. For each strand, cut a 100-inch length of nylon, thread through a beading needle and connect the strands with a knot.

3. Bring beginning and ending thread ends together, knot securely and dot the knot with a drop of jewelry cement. When the cement is dry, trim the ends.

4. Open the clasp. Loop one end of all strands over the opened clasp. Loop the other ends of the strands over one finger, and twist several times.

5. Wrap the twisted strands around your neck, place the clasp through the ends that are around your finger, then close the clasp. Now you are wearing your beautiful new beaded necklace.

Tips & Warnings

• Alternate way to twist your necklace: Lay the continuous strand out flat. Loop one end inside the clasp. Pick up the other end and loop it inside the clasp. Now you have one long-looped strand. Weave the sides over and under one another until you get to the nonclasp end. Then put your finger in that end loop and twist. When twisted to your liking, move the loop now on your finger onto the clasp. Measure the necklace length. If you want it shorter, loop the center around your finger, twist again, then move that loop to the clasp and close it. Another alternate: Do not join the strands together, but use bead stoppers to keep the beads on. Put each completed strand through a jump ring. If there are three strands, take the first two and weave them over and under one another. Then take the third strand and loop it around the woven one in spirals.

• Most important is to keep the beads from coming off the strands, either with bead stoppers or knots secured by glue. As long as they stay on the strands, you can experiment with twisting, braiding and weaving until you like the effect and the length.

Resources

• Twisted bead necklaces
• More twisting tips
• Twisting how-tos