Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

tysnana — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:26:17 GMT

I love this idea for using leftover chain and beads. I have a ton of chain bits and pieces I've recycled from old necklaces and new pieces. I have a collection of odd/unique beads and I think this would be a good way to use them.

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

Jsmaz — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:27:11 GMT

I love using little bits and pieces of chain for various projects as in most of the above examples. I'm such a packrat, I have to make myself throw things away even if I know it's relatively usless (ie broken). I've been stringing a bunch of necklaces recently, and can't bear to part with all the little 1-2" bits of beading wire-there must be something I can make with it!

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

ArdentTie — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:19:53 GMT

"Waste not - want not."

I've noticed that over the years, my leftover beads have increased quite a bit. This isn't a bad thing. It's a good indicator of my personal style and aesthetic, and clearly lays out the cuts and colors that I'm naturally drawn to. Individually they might seem disconnected, but together, I think, there's a nice string of who I am as a designer. It's fun to see your personal color palettes and even those odd "what was I thinking" beads making sense.

I never throw away the cut links of chain or scrap bits of wire. We cast, so silver can be re-melted down. But I also save it to include in little reliquary bottles or mixed media collage beads. The tangle of different sized links is pretty darn cool.

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

Timaree — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:40:49 GMT

I am saving all my beads I don't use (they are never considered leftovers) to give to my grandchildren someday. They are my legacy to them. Hope one of them will appreciate them. That reasoning lets me buy with abandon, at least till I'm broke!

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

Timaree — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:38:40 GMT

You ask what I do with leftover beads. I save them

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

JamieN@3 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:27:19 GMT

I hate the eating kind of leftovers but I adore the beading kind of leftovers! I do bookmarks as well and another of my favorite leftover projects for crystals and the single 'special' spacers I end up with is a twisted wire cuff style of freeform bracelet - forming the heavier wire and then wrapping and coiling finer wire here and there and picking up those extra coordinating leftovers throughout the piece. I took a class years ago from the imensely talented Tannis Johnson and it has inspired me to do them in silver, copper and even brass - depending on the colors of the leftover beads! It's super fun too and totally liberating because there's no pattern.

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

JanG@25 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:01:23 GMT

I often use leftover beads to make bookmarks. You can buy the forms at many bead shops. They make great gifts and, for those who sell their jewelry, attract those who want just a "little something" at a craft fair or some such.

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

Cllapham — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:13:38 GMT

I've been running the children's Make It Take It table at our yearly Bead Society bead event for several years. The proceeds go to charity. So my orphan, left-over, and "what was I thinking?!" beads get donated to two great causes: children's creativity and charity. I also remind our members periodically to do the same.

Also, our bead society organizes a yearly garage sale, which allows everyone to pass off or sell their extra beads to other who might appreciate them.

Check with your local bead society or beading group, I bet they can help you find homes for those "left-over" and unloved beads.

But this article was great because I never thought about using chain odds and ends for anything but earrings.

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

Kelli@23 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:49:01 GMT

I use my leftover bits of chain several useful ways:

First, if the loops are large enough, one can be stitched or crimped onto the end of a bracelet or necklace as an extender chain--very secure as there are no open loops. If you can bear to waste a link, you can cut off a whole link for a "soldered" ring and stitch or crimp it onto to a piece for a secure closure. If I have a bunch of longish and shortish bits of finer chain, I attach them with small jumprings to a choker-length chain to achieve a tassel of chain dangling down, and I add a few small crystals to the tassel for a modern looking pendant necklace. This looks very pretty if the chains are different from one another as this gives the tassel texture.

With my leftover pearls, I make mixed pearl bracelets, which people love. I make a lot of "station" necklaces using fewer than 20 pearls space out with coordinating delicas, also popular. Once I had saved leftover pearls in a bag for some years and had enough to make a glorious mixed pearl torsade with about 8 strands. Gorgeous!

--Kelli P. Sept. 5, 2008

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

JenniferJ@44 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:40:32 GMT

I love leftovers!! I am a pendant making machine with those singles and bits of chain. Over the weekend, I picked up some vintage pins and bits of chain. I mixed them up with some newer bits and came up with something completely awesome...jenjuddrocks.com is my blog if you want to have a laugh and check them out. Thanks for the motivation!!!!!

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

Nemeton — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:27:23 GMT

I hoard all my leftovers and fully intend to use them - sometimes it's years before I come back to them, but I never like to say that I'll definitely never need a particular sort of bead again!

I like freeform pieces for using up seed bead leftovers, I just mix them together until the colour looks sort of right, then dive in and stitch away with no particular plan in mind until whatever-it-is looks sort of finished. I hadn't thought of treating all my leftover odd findings and bits of chain in the same way, but will be off to have a rummage in the findings box and do some experimenting if I get any free time this weekend!

Some beadmakers sell their 'orphan' lampwork beads singly or in mixed batches - these are the beads that for one reason or another don't have a matching set, maybe they were surplus to requirements or didn't match the others perfectly enough - orphans are often cheaper than full sets and I've acquired lots of lovely beads in this way. 'Odd' lampies come in handy for clasps, embellishments, or that perfect highlight like the one in your featured project.

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

paintmejudy — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:12:57 GMT

Necklace made with leftovers -- I used an 18" length of chain with fairly large loops, attached leftover beads and charms in a gradated pattern starting with the largest in the middle of the chain and going smaller to the end. I used a total of 19 pieces and have had nothing but positive comments on it whenever I wear it.

re: Make a Necklace with Leftover Chain

dee@108 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:33:05 GMT

Reference is made on a ring piece to a "ring mandrel" - what is that?