How to Make a Beaded Lanyard
Do you have to wear an ID card to work? Make a beaded lanyard or two to match your outfits, and you'll look stylish while toiling away. Match the beads for your beaded lanyard to certain outfits or make a generic, neutral beaded lanyard that you can grab any day of the week.
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Things You'll Need
- Jewelry wire
- 4 crimp beads
- Beads
- Split ring (key ring) or toggle clasp (just the round end, not the bar)
- Wire cutters
- Flat nose pliers
Instructions
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1
Determine how long you'd like the beaded lanyard to be. An easy way to do this is to drape a piece of jewelry wire or a string around your neck. Adjust it to simulate how the lanyard will hang with the ID card attached. Measure a piece of jewelry wire to this length but add 3 inches to the total length. Use the jewelry wire cutter to cut the wire. A standard length is around 32 to 36 inches of jewelry wire but each person will vary according to her size, height, and where she wants the ID card to rest.
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2
Make one end of the lanyard. Start by stringing two crimp tubes or beads on one end of the jewelry wire. String the split ring or toggle clasp on the same end of the wire keeping the tubes above the clasp or ring on the wire. Adjust the crimp tubes and the clasp on the wire an inch or two, and loop this same end of the jewelry wire over the clasp and up through the crimp tubes. Flatten or crimp the crimp beads securely. This will hold the clasp onto the wire.
Leave a small loop next to the split ring or clasp with enough slack so the wire can move freely. You do not want the wire to be tight against the clasp or the lanyard will be stiff and not move freely.
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3
Create your bead pattern by laying out various beads to see what design appeals to you. Create a design before you begin stringing. Next, string the beads on the wire. Use beads that have a large enough hole so you can string the tail of the jewelry wire back into beads (large enough holes are needed for double wire to fit through on the ends of the lanyard).
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4
Add more seed beads until you reach the other side of the lanyard and are ready for the three larger glass beads. Double the jewelry wire over to simulate the finished lanyard as it will be worn. Eyeball a good place to string larger beads.
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5
Finish the second end of the lanyard. String two more crimp beads on to the second end of the wire. Move the free end of the wire back up through both crimp tubes as you did on the first end to secure the wire to the toggle clasp (or split ring). Make sure at this end, the wire is taunt with just a bit of slack. String the tail up through the beads before you crimp these crimp tubes. Take your time to get this right and hold the wire securely with your fingers.
When it feels right, not too loose or tight, crimp the tubes to close off the second end of the lanyard. Trim the wire that extends out the side of the beads.
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Tips & Warnings
Ensure the beaded lanyard is the right length before closing off the second end. Carefully drape it around your neck.
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