Multi-Strand Bracelet

I've been into wearing bracelets lately, and usually I wear small single-strand bracelets.  These pieces are really easy to throw together, and you can string one onto stretch cord in just a few minutes--no findings and no tools needed!  This time I thought I might experiment with something a little different:

This bracelet was fun to make.  I enjoyed experimenting with beads of different sizes, colors, materials, and opacity.  The final piece ended up with a combination of glass, metal, and semi-precious stones that I have accumulated over the years.  Usually everything I make is matchy-matchy in monochromatic colors, but this time I went with purposefully unmatched beads. 

I used a sterling silver multi-strand clasp and crimp beads to attach the four strands of beads.  It took me about an hour total to put this together.

 

 I love the feel of this bracelet when I wear it.  It has a good weight to it, and the variety of colors mean that it will match a lot of different outfits.  Now I just need to make some matching earrings!

Statement Necklace

I bought some really beautiful beads from JoAnn a while ago and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them.  I really liked the colors and the textures together.  Instead of making something myself, I actually handed them over to my 13-year-old daughter and asked if she would design a statement necklace with them.  I'm so happy with the result!

She used seven of the larger beads as focal points and put together an interesting combination of Indian silver spacer beads, Czech fire-polished beads, and metalized plastic.  Once she decided on the design, it was fairly easy to string the necklace onto Soft Flex and add a clasp. 

I really enjoy beading with kids--they have a freedom and creativity that I just don't have.  They are always willing to try out different ideas.  And now I have a new piece of jewelry to wear the next time I go out!

 

 

Stella & Dot Inspired Necklace

I really love Stella & Dot jewelry....the bright colors, the creative combinations of different textures, and the use of interesting materials.  So pretty and gorgeous!  I especially like the Aileen necklace.   It's got cheerful colors, a little bit of sparkle, and it is a versatile piece that can be worn with lots of different outfits.  Since I'm always on a budget, I decided to try to make my own using the Stella and Dot version as inspiration.  

The S & D necklace uses faceted semi-precious stones interspersed with gold nuggets.  I went through my stash and made a trip to Michael's to find the beads to use in this piece.  I ended up using a variety of glass beads.  While not an exact match, I tried to look for beads that were similar in shape and color to the Aileen necklace.

 

Originally, I thought that the necklace was made from links using eye pins and gold beads on either side of the colored bead.  When I looked closer, I realized that the necklace was actually made of wire wraps and gold wire.  Since I had already started, I just went ahead with finished with the links.  Putting together the necklace went more quickly this way anyway. ;)

I was happy with the way it turned out.  The necklace is long enough to be worn as a single strand or as a double strand choker.  The colors are springtime and cheery, and the necklace has more sparkle than is showing up in the photos.  Hope that you find some inspiration with my Stella & Dot inspired necklace!

Benefit Beading Party

A couple of weeks ago, we hosted a kids' beading party to benefit K and M's school.  Seats were sold at a dinner auction, and we ended up selling out!  Since we've never really done something like this before, we limited the number of kids to six and set the ticket price at $20.00.  The party lasted two hours and light snacks were offered. 

It was one of the easiest and most fun kid parties we've ever hosted!  We set out several trays of beads on our dining room table, along with several sample projects from which the kids could choose.  K, MHH, and I helped the kids with starting and finishing projects.  M helped with explaining how to make a particular necklace or bracelet.  A had impeccable timing and slept through the entire party. 

 

The girls had a great time.  After an hour and a half, I had to coax them away from the table to get them to eat snacks and play Bingo (we gave out bags of beads as prizes).  I think they could have kept beading for another two hours!!  Afterwards, we passed out little goodie bags of beads and stretch cord so they could make a bracelet at home.

The feedback was positive with one parent even suggesting that we raise the price for next year.  Given how this year's party went, I think we could even offer more seats.  Even better than hosting a successful fundraiser for the school, K and M made new friends with some kids that they didn't know. 

 

Beaded "Charm" Bracelet

I got the inspiration for this bracelet from two places....M has been asking for a charm bracelet for a while.  When we went to Michael's, we were sort of disappointed to find out that it would be pretty expensive to buy enough charms to fill up a whole bracelet.  So we settled on buying one charm that she liked and then making the rest out of beads and other trinkets we had at home.  I also saw a beautiful charm bracelet on Anthropology's website that sort of provided some inspiration as well.  It was super full of charms and winter-themed.  Gorgeous!

Anyways, I didn't take very many photos of the process (I'm never sure if my projects is going to turn out and I forget to take pics).  The idea and the materials needed are simple.  Basically, I measured chain long enough to fit around my wrist and made a bunch of "charms" using whatever random beads I had in my stash and headpins.  Then I just opened up the chain links and put the charms on.  I used a toggle clasp to finish off the bracelet.

I ended up making two different versions of the bracelet.  One for K using less charms so you can see more of the chain and one for myself (photo) which is a fuller bracelet with more beads.  It's just a matter of preference.  I think I will have to try another in a different color scheme!