How to Make Cool Designs With Beads
Beads are one of the more versatile craft materials that you can work with. You can make everything from jewelry to garden and home decor with a few beads and a bit of string or wire. A rainbow door curtain or wall hanging is one cool design project you can make with beads in an afternoon. This waterfall of color is simple to construct, but it does require an abundance of sparkling crystal beads. You can find bulk crystal beads from online bead suppliers.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- 8-mm top-drilled crystal beads
- 8-mm crystal beads in rainbow colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet
- Fishing line
- Scissors
- Clear craft glue
- Mosaic glass tiles
- Curtain rod
Instructions
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1
Measure the distance from the top of the door frame to the floor and the width of the door frame, or the wall-space you wish to cover.
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2
Cut a strand of fishing line twice as long as your measurement, plus 10 inches. You'll be doubling the strand for strength; the extra 10-inches is to allow you to tie the strand to the curtain rod.
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3
Thread one top-drilled crystal bead onto the line and center it on the length of your fishing line. Hold the ends of both strands evenly together and measure 10-inches from the top. Make a mark on the lines.
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4
Thread 10-inches of beads over both strands, to the top of the top-drilled crystal bead.
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5
Center two mosaic glass tiles back to back on the double strand, just above the last bead you threaded. Glue the tiles together with clear craft glue. Place the strand on a flat surface so that the glue can dry. You can continue to add beads before the glue dries, just be careful not to move the strands.
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6
Thread another 10 inches of beads over both strands. Glue two more mosaic tiles to the strands, just above the last bead. Continue adding sections of beads separated by mosaic glass tiles until you reach the marks on your fishing line.
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7
Tie a triple overhand knot to secure the beads on the strands. Add a drop of glue to the knot and let it dry. When the glue is dry, tie the strand onto the curtain rod.
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8
Repeat Steps two through seven to make as many strands as you need to cover the doorway. Hang the curtain rod from the doorway. If you are making a rainbow, switch colors every three or four strands, depending on the width of the doorway. The mosaic tiles are approximately an inch square. If you allow for spacing, to fill a standard 30-inch doorway, you will need about 21 strands of beads. This works perfectly for a rainbow curtain -- three strands of each color in the rainbow.
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Tips & Warnings
This cool bead design looks best against a white painted wall. You can alter the bead and tile spacing on each strand for added design interest.
Try your wall hanging above a fireplace for an eye-catching display.
Crystal beads can be very expensive. For a lower-cost alternative substitute plain glass beads or even glass-look plastic pony beads.
