How to Make a Beaded Snowflake Necklace

Beaded snowflake necklaces are fun and adaptable. They make sparkly and festive jewelry and gifts. And you can create them yourself, for very little expense. Why not make beaded snowflakes for necklaces (or ornaments) in white, blue or any color you like, using a simple wire snowflake frame, some crystals and colored fire polish beads.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Beads in assorted sizes
• Wire snowflake form
• Wire, 24 g
• Seed beads
• Elastic thread (optional)
• Chain
• Jump ring
• Round nose pliers

Make a Beaded Snowflake and Hang it on a Chain

1. Design your snowflake pattern, laying out the colors and sizes of beads you want to use. You can make every spoke identical, or every other one identical, or all different. Just place one bead after another on the table in front of you, and move them around until you like the sequence. Then you can bead them on the snowflake form in that sequence. (Of course you could always design it as you go!)

2. 
    
   Beads are close together at the center (hub)

   Bead the hub of the snowflake at the center first. These beads go at the top of each spoke where the spokes are close together, so place them first on all the spokes to make sure they fit in the hub. Then complete beading each individual spoke on the next step.

3. 
    
   One closed loop goes at the end of each spoke

   Complete one spoke of the snowflake according to your pattern, starting from the hub and working down. About 3/8 inch from the end of the spoke wire, use the pliers to bend it to a 90 degree angle, then grasp the end with the pliers and rotate your wrist until you have a round closed circle.

4. 
    
   A round closed loop at the end of each spoke

   Bead and complete the other five spokes of the snowflake according to your design, making closed loops at the end of each spoke.

5. 
    
   You can place the stringer wire lower or higher on the spokes.

   String seed beads on a separate piece of wire. See how many beads you need for the wire to go halfway from one spoke to another, then add one larger bead, and go back to seed beads. It all depends on the distance between spokes wherever you decide to put the stringer wire. You may use 10 seed beads, one big one, then 10 more seed beads between each spoke,for example.

6. 
    
   Bend the wire slightly where the big beads are on the stringer.

   Double wrap one end of the beaded stringer wire on one spoke. Then pull it across to the next spoke and loop the wire around that one. (Don't stretch the wire too tight because you may want to push the wire into a point where the big bead is between spokes.) Go around the whole snowflake like this, looping around each spoke and double wrapping at the end before you snip the wire. Then using your fingers, or the pliers, adjust the wire to make the center points between spokes look uniform, if needed. For a fancier snowflake, make a second beaded stringer wire at a lower point on the spokes.

7. 
    
   Choose a midsize jump ring.

   Use the pliers to pry open a jump ring and attach it a closed loop on the end of one spoke. Then attach a neck chain to the jump ring and close the jump ring with the pliers, to complete the necklace. (Alternately use small beads on elastic thread long enough to make a necklace, and use a short beaded wire string to attach the snowflake to the necklace.)

Tips & Warnings

• Your beading store probably has the wire snowflake forms or you can order one online. Make a brooch of a beaded snowflake by attaching a brooch back to one side of the snowflake with wire. There are other variations you can do with beaded snowflakes, including using them as hanging ornaments.
• When snipping the ends of the wire be sure your eyes are protected.

Resources

• Buy snowflake forms
• Beaded snowflake necklace
• Beading tutorial videos