Crafts With Beads, Charms & Buttons

Use beads, buttons and charms to make home decor.

Beads, charms and buttons are like little gems waiting for a new home. Use them randomly for colorful, eclectic designs or organize them by color, material and size for more specific patterns. There is an endless variety of things you can make with beads, buttons and charms, including crafts that embellish your home and your hair.

Home Decor

Make napkin rings with spare beds, buttons and charms. Cut thin elastic or stretchable jewelry cord into a 5-inch pieces. Tie a bead or button to one end leaving as short a tail as possible. Thread buttons, beads and charms almost to the other end of the cord. Tie the two ends together and slip over a rolled-up cloth napkin. Apply charms, beads and buttons in random order or coordinate colors for holidays -- red and pink for St. Valentine's Day, green for St. Patrick's Day or silver for a special New Year's Eve dinner.

You can also make curtain tiebacks. Thread buttons on a piece of narrow satin ribbon at random intervals. Pull lightweight curtains back and wrap the ribbon around the bundled curtain. Tack a small nail into the wall beside the door and loop the tieback around it, allowing some of the ribbon to hang.

Personal Items

Keep glasses or keys handy with a beaded lanyard. You can make one for every day use or make a variety of lanyards using different color beads, charms and buttons to match different outfits. Tie a knot at the end of a 32-inch piece of twine or jewelry cord. Leave a 1-inch tail. String beads on the cord randomly or in a pattern. The center point of the cord will rest on the back of your neck when you wear your finished lanyard, so use small, smooth beads and charms in that area. The ends of the cord will hang in front of you; this is where you might want to place your most decorative or special charms. Continue beading until you have 1 inch of cord remaining. Tie both ends in a knot around a keychain ring or 1/2-inch metal loop. Clip your keys or slide one arm of your glasses through this loop while you're wearing your lanyard.

You also can add creative flair to everyday hair ties and clips. Thread a few beads, buttons or charms on to a 3-inch piece of flexible jewelry cord. Tie the beaded cord around an elastic hair tie and style hair as usual. Or, hot glue a cluster of buttons to the wide end of a metal hair clip.

Fun for The Kids

Don't throw mismatched buttons and broken beads into the trash. Make them into something new. Place odd buttons and beads into a clean, dry yogurt or cottage cheese container. Tape on the lid and let your little one use it as a tambourine. Or fill a cardboard paper towel tube with the beads, put tape over both ends and give it a shake. You can paint the tube with acrylic paints or cover it with scraps of fabric.

Use charms, beads, a dowel and a bit of ribbon to make magic wand. Thread charms and beds onto pieces of thin satin ribbon. Tie knots on both sides of the beads to keep them from slipping. Wrap the free ends of the ribbon around the end of a dowel and tie tightly to secure them. A dab of glue will hold them in place.

Gift Wrap

Thread a special charm or a few buttons and beads onto satin or curling ribbon. Tie knots on both sides of the beads to hold them in place. Tie the ribbon around a wrapped gift, allowing the charms, buttons and beads to show on the top of the gift.

References

• Medalye Designs: Beaded Lanyards
• Country Living: All Buttoned Up!

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish