What I'm going to demonstrate for you today is an easy version that makes the GREATEST earrings. Here's a pair I have in my Etsy shop, "Prophecy." Start making some and let me know what you come up with!
Okay, so here are the supplies:
2 tubes of Size 11 Miyuki or Toho seed beads, a base color (A) and an accent color (B)
1 Nymo Size B beading spool of thread in a corresponding color
1 pack of beading needles
1 piece of wax
scissors
NOTE: Miyuki and Toho are the best for these, because they are uniform and have large holes, perfect for multiple thread passes. You can use normal Size 11s, as I have in this demo, but you may have trouble fitting the thread through more than once and a bead may break if the hole is too small. "Prophecy" is made with Miyuki, while the demo below is made with plain ole Size 11s.
Thread the needle, wax well and thread on 18 beads in base color A.
Insert your needle at the beginning again and pull through a second time, making a circle with your thread.
Tie a square knot (left over right, right over left) securely.
Go through a couple of beads and pull just a little - you want the knot to go into a bead and disappear, but not so tightly that you can't get through the bead again.
Pick up 5 beads, 2 in accent color B, 1 in base color A, 2 more in accent color B. Skip 2 beads in the circle, and sew through the 3rd circle bead, making a loop.
Repeat all around the circle, making a total of 6 loops.
Make a second knot, and go through a couple more beads, tug tight.
Go through the first loop again, but only go through the accent color Bs, skipping the base color A one altogether. Continue around following your previous path, skipping the A beads in the loops, tug and see your loops go from roundish to pointy. Repeat with the other 6 loops.
Knot the threads again, go thru a couple more beads, tug tight, and trim.
You can then open a jump ring and put it in the top bead, to hang onto earwires, chain, leather or a beaded strand. It's up to you!
Try this with different kinds of beads or crystals, vary the colors, use tubes instead of the B accent beads, let me see what you make! You can also join the stars together for bracelets, kippahs, necklace assemblies, pendants. I would think the sky is the limit!
2 comments:
Thanks for the demo :)!
It was great!
Nice demo.
Here's a beading tip for multiple passes, not to mention those of us for whom threading a regular needle has become a challenge: go to the toothbrush section in any pharmacy or even grocery store, and buy a box or 2 of Butler GUM floss threaders. These are loops of blue nylon apparently meant to lead floss through dentures, but they are also the world's best bead needles for everything but sewing. Give it a try.
Post a Comment