I've been saving back several hanks of coral-colored Czech seed beads in various sizes for a rainy day. Today it didn't rain, but it was a quiet day at the office and I decided to give the bead spinner a go and put together this chunky necklace. Awhile ago, Danielle Fox and I tried the bead spinner out for the first time and found that it takes practice to use efficiently. So I decided to start with the bigger beads until I got the hang of it.
I placed a bead stop on one end of 3' of thread, strung 24" of beads, then placed a bead stop on the other end of the thread. I ended up stringing 4 strands of large beads (size 8/0) and 10 strands of small beads (small 9/0). Then I tied one end of the strands together in groups to make the strands more manageable.
Next, I tied one end of all the strands together with an overhand knot; then I strung the loop of 1 eye pin and tied another overhand knot that attaches to the loop (and repeated on the other end of the strands). I dabbed the knot with clear jewelry cement and let it dry.
Then I finished each end with a cord end and wrapped loop, and attached jump rings and the clasp. Voila! To wear, twist the necklace to create a spiral before clasping the closure.
Bead chic!
Kate Wilson
Project Editor
Filed under: Stringing, Bead Making, Wire Jewelry, Chain Maille, Beading Tools, How to Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead Crafts, Beads, Necklace Making, Beading Daily