How to Make Beaded Necklaces for Christmas Projects
Red and green are popular colors for Christmas. Create beaded necklaces for the holiday season to wear or to give as gifts. An assortment of beads in shades of red and green, along with Christmas-themed charms and tiny holiday ornaments in different shapes, will turn them into festive necklaces for Christmas projects.
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Things You'll Need
- Red and green beads in varying sizes and materials
- Christmas-themed charms
- Tiny holiday ornaments (that can be strung)
- Jewelry wire
- Toggle clasp (2 pieces)
- Wire cutters
- Bead design board
- Round jewelry pliers
- Jewelry crimper
Instructions
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1
Decide what size to make your necklace--18 inches, 24 inches or longer. Lay a bead design board on a work table. Arrange beads, starting from the bottom center on the U-shaped groove on the design board. Work your Christmas-themed charms and tiny ornaments into the necklace's design. Rearrange them as necessary until satisfied with the design. Stop laying beads when you've reached your desired necklace length (marked along the grooves of the design board).
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2
Cut a 26-inch piece of jewelry wire with wire cutters (for a 20-inch necklace). If you're making a longer necklace, cut a longer piece of jewelry wire. It's better to have the wire too long than not long enough. You can cut off the excess later.
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3
Holding one end of the wire, begin stringing the beads and charms, keeping the necklace on the design board in the circular grooves to keep the beads from falling off before attaching the toggle clasp. (In other words, pick up one bead or charm, slip it through the wire, move the bead along and then go on to the next bead or charm, keeping the necklace resting in the groves of the design board as you work).
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When all the beads and charms have been strung, lift one of the necklace wire ends with jewelry pliers. Slip the wire through the small loop of one part of the toggle clasp. Slip the wire through the nearest two beads on the strand. Then pull it back over the second bead and make two or three knots with the wire. Cut off any excess wire with cutters. Secure the wire knots by flattening them with the jewelry crimper.
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5
Do the same on the other end of the necklace, attaching it to the other part of the toggle clasp and making a few knots with the wire. Secure the wire knots as before by flattening them with the crimper.
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Tips & Warnings
A bead design board is a lightweight guide with measurements and circular grooves to help with designing a necklace, bracelet or other jewelry that will be strung. It helps with keeping beads from rolling off a table, provides measurements and makes it easy to string beads. The crimper presses wire knots and flattens them together to keep the necklace from loosening or falling apart. This project lends itself to making other themed necklaces or bracelets, such as Halloween, Valentine's Day, travel, spring, pets or other subjects of interest. For assistance in designing a necklace, look through reference books on making jewelry for ideas.
Only adults should use the wire cutters and crimper.
