How to "use up" beads

carolee1945 wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 10:36 AM

I would like ideas on how to use all those beads. Every time I find a pattern that could use some of my beads, I end up buying more components and needing some different beads.  Finally, I found a little book on making charms  by Stephanie Burnham.  These are simple, quick ways to use beads to make charms to give as gifts.They have a lobster clasp and she puts them on everything: purses, zipper pulls, key rings, jeans, etc.  I am looking for more ideas on this line.  Bookmarks are a good way to use beads up as well.  Does anyone have any other ideas or books to recommend?  Thank you.

D.M.Z wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 12:40 PM

Carol, our bead group recently finished a challenge...........each member that volunteered got a bag of misc. colored beads (the leftovers from projects just like you mentioned) and was to make one or more projects out of them. One lady made a fabric bowl and bead embroidered it with almost every one of her beads, she made panels of flowers and had enough left over to make two bracelets. I made a treasure bracelet with a lot of the misc beads I also used up the largest quantity of my beads by doing a bead embroidery piece. Bead embroidery if fun and easy and will happily use up a ton of odd beads,  you might look into that. Donna

carolee1945 wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 2:39 PM

Thank you for such great ideas.  I just tried to upload a photo of a charm I made with some of my extra beads.  It did not work. Any hints on uploading photos?

tcwhit wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 2:51 PM

Carolee - that looks like a shortcut to something on your computer. to load an image here, you use the "post" box where you type your message. On the top of the box while you're typing are a string of icons. One of them, towards the middle, looks like a multi colored strip of film with a little green plus sign on the bottom right corner. If you hover your mouse over it, it should tell you "insert media". click on that and just follow the directions on your screen. Hope this helps. (Also hoping our windows appear the same way?

carolee1945 wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 2:58 PM

Yes, I did do that, but nothing happened. Could it be the size of my photo?  I will make it smaller and try again.

carolee1945 wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 3:00 PM

Okay, I think I got it, but the picture got cut off.  Here is another.

tcwhit wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 3:03 PM

You've got it! That is just too sweet. Reminds me of wind chimes. which gives me an idea........ Thank you,

D.M.Z wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 4:04 PM

Carol.................too cool, nice and can be added to purses, phones, bookmarks, dog collars, etc. Those are really nice, pics still a bit largish, but clear and good. OK, you are on your way. This is how I used up a LOT of my orange beads, the photo is before it was done, but you get the idea .... Donna

Valbeads wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 4:57 PM

Carol:

That's so pretty!

I have that Stephanie Burnham book you're talking about on my e-reader.  I also have another one she wrote that yoou might like, simply titles "Necklaces."  It helps use up leftovers.  There is also a book called "Celtic Jewellery," by Amanda Walker.  I downloaded mine on my Blio eReader on my Toshiba.  Don't know if Amazon has these or not; worth a look, I should think.

Val

shanks wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 7:39 PM

Hi Carolee,

When you do the picture post there is a box for width and height.  Type in the numbers like 300 and 500. Your picture will change to be longer than wide. Change the numbers like to 200 x 200 and the picture will be square.

carolee1945 wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 8:00 PM

Using up beads to make a bookmark I did  not know what those numbers meant, this is 300 x 300, is it okay?

carolee1945 wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 8:04 PM

Close up from "beaded bookmark" -- still practicing photos

mommy115 wrote

on Dec 9, 2012 10:45 PM

Carolee...I love both the pieces you show here.  Who would guess you made these lovely things from leftovers!