Make your next jewelry POP with some lampwork beads. Our selection of these glass beads are quality handmade, which makes each bead uniquely one-of-a-kind. Check out our three simple designs that utilizes these stunning, focal beads.
Glass Menagerie Bracelet
Designed by Tory Vezina
Mix up different glass lampwork and Bali style beads for this sandy and colorful bracelet.
What you will need:
(1) A013548 – 20mm Spiral with Spots Glass Disc Beads
Slide on your crimp tube and beads. Refer to image to slide on the bead sequence. End with a crimp tube. (Click on image for a larger view)
Crimp both sides to the toggle clasp loops. Cut excess wire with flex wire cutters.
Place a crimp cover over the crimped tube. Use a flat-nose plier or serrated pliers to gently close the cover over the crimped tube. And you are done.
Coastal Ripples Bracelet
Designed by Tory Vezina
Sail away with beautiful thoughts of the ocean wearing our Coastal Ripples Bracelet. Our ocean waves disc bead is dressed with sparkling Swarovski® crystals and elongated with Bali style tube beads.
Compile your beads and tools. (List of components below.)
Slide a blue bicone crystal on headpin and make a simple loop. Make 4 bead dangles.
Slide a darker blue bicone crystal on headpin and make a simple loop. Make 4 bead dangles.
Slide a pearl on headpin and make a simple loop. Make 4 bead dangles.
Cut chain link to have 5 links.
Open eyepin and slip on chain link.
Attach two different bead dangles to each link and eyepin loop.
Slide these beads onto the eyepin and make a wrapped loop: pearl, bead cap, lampwork bead, bead cap, pearl.
Open earring loop and slide on eyepin dangle.
Repeat to other earring.
Christmas in July: Easy DIY Necklaces
Here in GoodyBeads land, we can’t wait for Christmas. We love everything from the decorated trees, freshly fallen snowflakes, holiday music to the aroma of peppermint candy canes. Get your gift shopping done early by making some easy DIY necklaces. Fulfill all of your gifts and still have time to enjoy the holidays, even if it is six months away.
Chain
Choose your chain from larger links or dainty links, silver-plated or gold-plated, beaded chain or bar chain. One of the easiest necklace to wear is an extra-long style, like a 30” length is easy to slip over your bead or double for a different look. Though a shorter necklace length is doable, by adding your own clasp findings with jump rings. Check out our image below to determine your necklace preference.
Pendants
An stunning focal piece you can use to make an easy necklace are slice pendants or gemstone pendants. We are loving this quartz pendant as it comes with a bail that you can slip a chain through for easy making and wearing.
Another easy addition to a necklace are charms and links. Choose a favorite charm or link and attach it to your necklace with a jump ring. Check out our bar connectors for a trendy boho look, alphabetcharms for a personalized touch, or quirky TierraCast® or metal charm for a quirky personality.
Invented by Maureen “Reenie” Oliveto, the EasyKnotter® tool was created to help beaders make perfect knots in their beaded jewelry designs. Whether you plan to stagger knotted sections throughout your jewelry piece or want knots to sit closely next to beads, this easy-to-use tool allows you to make evenly-spaced, clean knots wherever you want. Learning how to use this fantastic tool is easy too and we’re here to show you how. Let’s get started!
Beading Thread
We will be using Griffin bead cord in our tutorial. We love the Griffin cord because of its 100% silk quality, the flexibility of the cord and it comes twisted with an attached needle. Silk cords come in many different sizes to accommodate the bead’s hole size. Size is very important when making knots. You want beads to fit snugly on the cord so that they don’t glide over the knot.
As the cord comes spooled around a card, you will need to prepare the silk for use by stretching and smoothing out dents and kinks. Check out this blog post we did on how to smooth out silk cords.
EasyKnotter® Tutorial
Now that you know how to use The EasyKnotter®, see this cool technique in action. Check out this previous blog post featuring knotted jewelry designs.
Every EasyKnotter® tool comes with complete instructions for reference.
When making knots, pull the silk cord upwards after you’ve looped the knot on the peg of the tool. When you pull the cord in a perpendicular angle, it will create a closer knot when you lift it off the peg.
When you lift the knot up, use flat nose pliers to pull the knot closer to your bead clusters. Open your pliers slightly and wedge the cord closest to the knot. Do not clamp on the cord. Pull the knot towards you slowly to tighten the knot and help it sit close to your bead clusters.
Maureen Oliveto has a neat way to create a tighter and closer knot. Check out her video on how to.
To make evenly-spaced knots between your bead clusters, use the measurement lines on the tool. Proceed with making your loop knot and placing it on the metal peg. Hold the last knot you’ve made at your preferred measurement line. Pull on the cord end until tight and lift off. Pull on the cord to tighten and secure the knot. Proceed with adding beads and making your closed off knot.
How to Use Silk Cord in Jewelry Making
Silk cord has been used as a stringing material in jewelry-making for centuries. No other beading cord offers the softness that natural silk provides. Jewelry designs made with 100% silk bead cord drape beautifully and the cord itself can become a feature with knotting techniques. Whether you’re looking to create a simple strand of beads or incorporate knotted bead clusters into your designs, GoodyBeads.com is here to show you how easy and versatile this timeless stringing material can be.
One of our favorite silk bead cord brands is Griffin. Griffin bead cords are made of 100% natural silk and come in a rainbow of colors and a variety of thread sizes.
Griffin bead cords are sold 2-meters per card. Two strands of twisted silk are wrapped around a cardboard backer. Each cord comes with its own needle for easy threading.
Choosing Silk Cord
Thread thickness is very important, especially if you plan on incorporating knots into your designs. Beads can slide over a knot if the cord is too thin for the bead hole you are working with. Griffin bead cords has its own numeric system for categorizing thread cord sizes: No. 0 – No. 12.
Each thread number has an associated millimeter size. Below is a quick reference guide for each number:
No. 0 = 0.30mm
No. 2 = 0.45mm
No. 4 = 0.60mm
No. 6 = 0.70mm
No. 8 = 0.80mm
No. 12 = 0.98mm
Smooth Out Silk Cord
Since silk bead cords come spooled on a card, you must prepare your new cord for use by smoothing out the kinks first.
To smooth out your cord, unravel the whole cord from the card. Starting from one end, dip your fingers in water and run your damp fingers through a section of the cord. Run your fingers over the section a few times to help straighten them out. Once that section is straight, continue on down to the next section of the cord with damp fingers until you’ve straightened the whole piece. Next, run a paper towel over the entire cord and gently squeeze to remove any residual water from the cord. That’s all you need to do. The cord will still be a bit damp but you can certainly use it right away. You can also wait a few minutes until it’s fully dried.
NOTE: You can use the same cord for multiple projects if you plan to keep using the needle that is attached to the cord. String bead(s) through the needle and utilize the end section of the cord.
Using Clamshell Bead Tip with Silk Cord
A way to attach your silk cord to jump rings or clasps is to attach clamshell bead tips.
Start by making a knot at the end of your prepared silk cord. Cut any excess cord close to the knot. Add a dab of Super New Glue or fast-drying glue to the knot. Place the knot inside the clamshell center and fold the clamshell over the knot. The glue will keep the knot from unraveling and to adhere the silk cord to the inside of the clamshell bead tip. Once the glue is dry, it’s ready to use.
Need a little inspiration? Here are some ways we used Griffin silk bead cord in our jewelry designs. Plus, quick tips on how you can create these designs yourself!
Crystal Cluster Knotted Silk Cord Necklace
Designed by So Vang
Make a necklace with knotting in-between clusters of beads. Choose from Swarovski® crystals, Chinese crystals, seed beads or your favorite gemstones. For our necklace, we used the entire 2-meter cord and strung on clusters of one gold seed bead, three dainty round Chinese crystals and one gold seed bead, that were knotted with an inch gap between clusters. This version makes a 60” necklace that you can wrap around two or three times.
Here you can see how the clamshell bead tips are used in conjunction with jump rings and a lobster clasp.
Pearl beads and silk cord are a match made in heaven. Not only do they look great together, the silk cord also helps prolong the life of your pearl jewelry by preventing the beads from rubbing up against each other, which can breakdown the bead’s finish. Making this elegant necklace is super easy.
First, make a knot and clamp a clamshell over the knot. Make another knot close to the clamshell. String on a pearl. Make a knot close to that pearl. Repeat until a preferred length. Make two knots at the end and clamp a clamshell over the last knot. Finish with a lobster clasp and you’re done!
If you have a worn-out pearl necklace, you can undo all the pearls and restring on silk cord to extend its jewelry life.
Minimalist jewelry is a huge fashion trend right now. Dainty jewelry components shine alone or together in multiple strands like our layered silk cord necklace. For this necklace, we focused on the sleek simplicity of gold tube beads and the lightness of silk cord.
Step 1: String on 25 gold tube beads on white silk cord. With the beads strung on, cut 20” off the end of the silk cord. Make 2.
Step 2: String on 25 gold tube beads on white silk cord. With the beads strung on, cut 22” off the end of the silk cord. Make 2.
Step 3: Gather the four cord strands and make a knot. Repeat to the other end.
Step 4: Dab some Super New Glue to both knots. Clamp a clamshell over the knots.
Step 5: Add a jump ring to one of the clamshell tip ends.
Step 6: Add a jump ring and a lobster clasp to the other clamshell tip ends. Done.
This style of necklace is perfect for small dainty beads or seed beads or even some NEW 3mm or 2mm Czech round beads.
For this bracelet, we twisted groups of silk cord with size 11/0 Miyuki seed beads and gold plated chain.
Step 1: String on seed bead to 8” and cut 10” silk cord strands with seed bead on. Make twelve strands. Tip: You can use the Bead Spinner to help to string on seed beads.
Step 2: Gather three seed bead strands and knot all three strands at both ends as close as you can to the seed beads. Clamp a clamshell over the knots. Make four group of seed bead strands.
Step 3: Cut two chain links at 8” and attach oval jump rings to each end of the chains.
Step 4: Also cut a few links of chain for your bracelet chain extender.
Step 5: Open an oval jump ring and slide on your lobster clasp.
Step 6: Open a larger jump ring and slide on these:
chain extender piece, two seed bead groups, chain extender piece, two seed bead groups.
Step 7: Close Jump ring.
Step 8: Leaving the chain extender along, separate the strands into two sections of chain and two seed bead grouped strands. Make a “flemish twist” with the two sections.
Step 9: Open a large jump ring and slide on the other ends of the chain and grouped seed beads and lobster clasp jump ring.
Step 9: Close jump ring and you are done.
(Close-up shot of jump ring with grouped seed beads and chain links.)
We hope enjoyed these tips and tutorials. Check our next blog post where we show you how to create evenly spaced knots in your jewelry designs using The EasyKnotter® tool. Happy Beading!
What kind of summer will you have? Whether it’s on the beach, surfing, roaming an outdoor mall or lounging on your back patio, be ready with our easy project using expandable wire bracelets and adjustable rings.
Stack multiple adjustable bracelets together. Or make a cluster of rings and wear them scattered around the base of your fingers or as knuckle rings. However you style it, remember to make it about you by personalizing and customizing them with simple charms and dangles with a quick open of a jump ring.
Expandable Bracelets
Designed by So Vang
What makes these bracelets expandable is the way you can slip them on and off any wrist size without altering the shape. You can get an antique silver finish or gold finish bracelet and complement them with gold or antique silver charms. Or mix up the colors. Create a theme or select your favorite charms. Attach charms with a jump ring and you are ready for summer fun!
Adjustable Rings
Designed by So Vang
We are loving the versatility of these rings. They come in three different sizes to give you options to place them on your knuckles, thumbs or simply at the base of your fingers. We’ve added simple charms to our rings, as well as a cute pearl dangle to tie in a beachside look.
(2) Z003520 – Sterling Silver Adjustable Ring – Size 5-7
(2) Z003521 – Sterling Silver Adjustable Ring – Size 6-8
(1) Z003522 – Sterling Silver Adjustable Ring – Size 8-10
Boho Ring-Chain Bracelet
Designed by So Vang
Of course you can use these rings to help achieve a popular ring-chain bracelet. First, we made a simple chain bracelet with a lobster clasp. Then we put the ring on and measured a loose length of our chevron chain across the back of the hand. To finish, we connected the chevron chain to the ring and to the middle of the chain bracelet with two linked jump rings. It’s perfect for wearing with other selections of expandable bracelets and adjustable rings for a groovy summer!
