How to Crochet & Bead Jewelry
Crochet jewelry with beads is made by stringing beads on to the thread before you begin the crochet design. Then as you work the crochet stitches to construct the jewelry, pull a threaded bead up to the hook and work the stitch around it. This holds the bead in place inside the stitch. By varying the type of thread, beads and stitches you use, you can create different designs.
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Things You'll Need
- Size 10 crochet thread
- Size 5, 6 or 7 steel crochet hook
- 75 "E" beads or beads with a hole large enough for the thread
- 2 pairs jewelry pliers (chain nose or needle-nose)
- 4 jump rings
- Yarn needle
- Lobster clasp
Instructions
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1
String 75 beads on the crochet thread.
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2
Leaving a long tail, make a slip knot in the crochet thread and place the loop on your hook. See Resources if you need a refresher on slip knots or basic crochet stitches.
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3
Chain 20 stitches.
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4
Pull a bead up close to the hook and chain again, capturing the bead in the chain stitch.
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5
Chain 1 without a bead.
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6
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until the necklace is as long as you want it to be.
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7
Repeat Step 3, then pull up the last loop to about 6 inches and cut the thread, leaving a long tail for sewing.
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8
Sew a jump ring to each end of the necklace using the yarn needle and the long tails you left in the thread. Weave in all loose ends.
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9
Twist open another jump ring for each end and use it to attach the two halves of the clasp to the sewn-in jump rings on the ends of the crochet.
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Tips & Warnings
Make a crochet bead bracelet the same way as described for the necklace, but stop when the length is approximately 6 to 7 inches so that it fits around your wrist. Create a longer length if you want to wrap the bracelet multiple times around your wrist before joining the clasp.
Create a short length of beaded crochet, then sew both ends to a jump for quick loop earrings you can attach to an earring wire with a jump ring.
Vary the types of beads used on the thread and the number of chain stitches between beads to create unique designs.
Create multiple strands of different lengths and attach them to the same jump ring and clasp for a layered necklace.
Experiment with adding beads to single or double crochet stitches by pulling the bead up to the stitch before the final yarn over that completes the stitch.
Attach random charms or pendants to the crochet necklace with jump rings for a different look.
Use metal cord tips in place of jump rings on the ends of the crochet if you don't want to sew. The tips are placed over the last few chain stitches and squeezed closed with pliers, securing the thread tail so there's no need to weave it in. The tips have a soldered loop on the end for attaching a jump ring or clasp.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Catherine Chant
