Lava bead jewelry is all the rage, whilst combining them with essential oils. Learn about basic essential oil healing properties and create an easy DIY lava bracelets using lava beads from Dakota Stones.

Essential Oils Healing Properties

The aromatic scent of essential oils add extra healing and therapeutic property to calm your mind and your soul. While essential oils are used in aromatherapy, it’s even trending for medicinal uses.

Here are some healing properties of 5 basic essential oils. 

1. Lavender
   Healing Properties: calming and relaxing, stress reliever
2. Peppermint
   Healing Properties: uplifting and invigorating, energy booster
3. Eucalyptus
   Healing Properties: clarifying, enhance concentration
4. Tea Tree
   Healing Properties: cleansing and clarifying
5. Lemon
   Healing Properties: moon enhancer, cleansing, freshening, improves concentration

One way to use essential oils is adding a drop or two to jewelry made with lava beads. Let lava beads absorb the essential oils for a few minutes before wearing your jewelry!

DIY Lava Bracelets

An easy DIY you can make are stretchy bracelets! Pair lava beads with wood beads for a natural look. And we couldn’t resist these dyed lava beads! What we did to make this bracelet was pre-stretching a 9″ piece of elastic. String on your beads and make a surgeon’s knot. (Check out previous Stretch Bracelet blog for surgeon’s knot).

Item used in bracelet: LVA6RD-TQS, WD-BYG6RD, Z002570, A021634

We made this bracelet using wavy disc and the popular gray lava beads. Cut a 9″ soft flex wire. Slide on 9 lava beads. Slide on 10 wavy discs by sliding one bead concave out and slide another concave in so that the two discs cup together. Repeat for the rest. Then slide on 9 more lava beads. You can add more lava beads to either sides to customize your wrist size. Slide on a crimp tube to one end and loop of your clasp. Loop flex wire back through the crimp tube and crimp your tube. Cut flex wire with a 1/4″ tail. Repeat to other end but adding a jump ring.

Items used in bracelet: LVA8RD, Z018418, TC01896 (2), A012353, A011517, Z011537

Who doesn’t love a simple gemstone cuff? We made this Gemstone Coin Cuff using Dakota Stones’ coin-shaped gemstones and Nunn Design Thin Cuffs. Watch this short video and learn how easy it is to wire wrap gemstones onto a cuff.

What you’ll need:

• Nunn Design Thin Hammer Cuff (Z016227/Z016228/Z016229/Z016230)
• 24 Gauge Artistic Wire
• 8mm or 12mm Coin Gemstone Beads

Video Tutorial

Watch Video Here on our Facebook Videos.

1. Cut a 30″ piece of wire.
2. Wrap an inch of wire end to the bangle.
3. String 6 gemstone coins onto the wire.
4. Coil the wire a couple of times around the other side of the bangle. It is alright if the beads sit loosely on the cuff.
5. Make sure to center the beads on your bangle.
6. Coil wire three times around in between each bead, across the bangle. Make sure to adjust the beads so that they sit flushed on top of the bangle.
7. Coil wire end around bangle to secure the wire. Cut off excess wire.

Item/Components used in video:

• Blue Crazy Lace: BCL8DC-8, Z016230, AW00050
• Matte Blue/Gold Amazonite: BGA8DC-M-8, Z016228, AW00052

We had so much fun at the Twin Cities Bead Bazaar last weekend. Besides the yummy Wild Rice Soup at the Cafe, the hourly Make & Takes were very popular! Here is a fun Make & Take project that was offered during Candie Cooper’s Coffee with Candie event using large-hole gemstones and 1mm leather cord.

What you will need are:

• 60 Inches of 1mm leather cord (Brown or Black)
• 3 – Wrap Twist Bead (Y001142)
• 8mm Large-Hole Round Gemstones
• 10mm Large-Hole Round Gemstones
• Pair of scissors.

Instructions

1. Fold 2 pieces of 1mm Leather cord in half – 30 Inches each.
2. String the 10mm Large Hole gemstone bead onto the middle of 2 leather cords and tie an overhand knot under the bead.
3. String on your beads. String silver bead onto all 4 cords, string 8mm gemstone bead onto 2 strands, string silver bead on all 4 strands, string 2nd 8mm gemstone onto the other 2 leather cords you didn’t string the first one onto, and string the last silver bead onto all 4 strands.
4. Arrange beads to be in the “middle” of the bracelet and tie overhand knots on either side of beads.
5. Measure bracelet on your wrist and tie and overhand knot where you would like the loop of the clasp to start, tie another over hand knot a half an inch from the other one to make loop for the clasp.
6. Trim leather ends.

Download PDF Tutorial file here.

Knotted necklace are fun to make with or for friends. Once you get into a rhythm, you can whip one out in no time. Plus, we have a quick video tutorial on how to use the Easy Knotter Tool to help make knots between beads.

Make sure to check out our previous post on the Easy Knotter and How to Use Silk Cord for information on the tool and Griffin Silk Cord.

Knotted necklaces are super easy to make.  You will need Griffin Silk Cord and an assortment of your favorite beads like gemstones, Chinese crystals, metal beads, seed beads, etc. We love using Griffin Silk Cord because you get about 6 1/2 feet of twisted silk cord with a twisted needle. This will give you a 32″ necklace, give or take. In the examples below, we use size No.8 Griffin Cord.

Tutorial Video

Hazy Turquoise Necklace

We used glossy rondelle Chinese crystals and triangle brass beads to create this necklace.

Items used: A022196, Z007027, A019209

Star-Crossed Gemstone Necklace

We love the texture of these Star Cut gemstones. We knotted this necklace with antique gold beads in an organic way without a pattern sequence, paired with black silk cord to pop out the Carnelian color.

Items used: CRN6RD-SC, A019202, Z001478

From our Trends We Love: February Birthstone Amethyst, learn to make this cute hoop earrings wire-wrapped with Amethyst rondelles and Czech Fire-Polished beads.

Materials

1. 26-Gauge Wire – WR00035
2. 8mm Amethyst Rondelles – DTA8RL-F-8
3. 4mm Amethyst Czech Fire-Polish – A003359
4. 50mm Hoop Earrings – A014110

Video

Tutorial Steps

1. Cut a 4 feet piece of 26-Gauge wire.
2. Wrap the end of the wire to the hoop. Use pliers to make a tighter wrap. Push wrapped coils together.
3. Pick up an Amethyst rondelle, loop wire towards middle of hoop and wrap two times. Make sure to push the wrapped coils together.
4. Pick up a Czech bead and repeat.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, going around the hoop earrings.
6. Make your coils at the end and cut off excess wire. Use pliers to make tighter coil wraps.
7. Repeat all steps for other earring.

We supply a large selection of gemstone beads from Dakota Stones.  One of the most popular stone to add to your bead collection is the White African Opal. Learn what kind of gemstone it is and its meditating properties.

Dakota Stones is a company based in Minnesota that provides a huge selection of semi-precious gemstones in a variety of cuts, sizes and finishes. Jeff Elvin, Dakota Stones President, travels all over the world to mine stones and specially cuts them into beads, pendants, cabochons and more!

One of our favorites is the White African Opal. According to their wholesale website, “White African Opal is a white to cream to light tan stone with veining of black or gray. Like all Opals, it is a form of hydrated amorphous silica, however it does not exhibit the play of color seen in precious Opal. Common Opals such as White African Opal are believed to provide gentle, nurturing emotional support.”

We love the creamy neutral in White African Opal, which makes it easy to pair with all kinds of gemstones. Here are some of our suggestions: Blue Crazy Lace, African Turquoise, Apple Jasper, Aqua (Dyed) Impression Jasper, Labradorite or Smoky Quartz.

We were able to sponsor this make & take class along with Dakota Stones during the 2018 Bead & Button Show with Candie Cooper. See how easy it is to create this Seaside Flora Leather Bracelet.

Perfect for a beachside getaway and catching some rays, this bracelet is made with black gold Amazonite and White African Opal gemstones from Dakota Stones, 1mm leather cord and silver beads.

Items used for bracelet:

A022071, WAF10RDLH-8, BGA8RDLH-8, Z009385 (12)

Bracelet Tutorial

1. Cut leather in half or about 24″ each.
2. Slide both strands of leather through large gemstone bead (WAF10RDLH-8) and make an overhand knot with all 4 strands.
3. Separate and fan out the four strands.
4. With the middle two strands, slide on a small black gold Amazonite gemstone. Next, with the bottom two strands, slide on a metal bead. And with the top two strands, slide on a metal bead.
   
5. Repeat Step 4 sequence, five more times. End with a small gemstone to the middle two strands.
6. Evenly space out the beads to fit your wrist size. Make and overhand knot with all four strands. Make another knot about 3/4″ from previous knot.
   
7. Cut excess leather ends.

Download PDF file HERE.

Tory Vezina and So Vang just got back from the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee this past weekend. Here are some photos to recap what happened!

Caught up with some of our vendors.

Took a stroll to TierraCast to see what was brewing! Their recent launches of Botanical Birds and Caravan were stunning! Plus, their NEW Worlds Away collection has versatile hoop components and charms you just want to run away with, literally.

The Swarovski Create Your Style booth had prize drawings for these show stopping piece. So Vang would’ve love the bag and Tory Vezina was eyeing the necklace.

So Vang did two demos at the Swarovski Create Your Style booth using Swarovski two-hole spike beads with beadable cuffs and rings AND hoop links using Beadalon Memory Wire. You can see her demos on the Facebook page. Plus, Sara from Soft Flex Company was there while So was doing her first demo and we caught up with her and her demo.

So Vang found some inspiring peyote stitch tubes at the Miyuki booth.

Tory Vezina hung out with the ladies participating in Candie Cooper’s Coffee with Candie event on Saturday. Her Make & Take class was this a simple wrap bracelet with leather from LeatherCordUSA, memory wire from Beadalon and gemstones from Dakota Stones.

And we assisted Candie Cooper with her Make & Take on the showroom floor, creating this leather and gemstone bracelet.

Thank you everyone who sponsored our demos and Make & Takes. We had so much fun and can’t wait to do it again!

Celebrate fathers everywhere with gifts he can proudly wear and still be fashionable! Check out these easy DIY gift ideas to prepare for Father’s Day.

Leather Keychain

Keychains are a smart gift to give Dad! Make it a memorable accessory that he can hang his keys from! From our Facebook Live show, we showed how easy it is to make braided leather keychains. And from a previous Father’s Day post, we did a tutorial on riveting flat leather for a simplistic keychain with a stamped dogtag charm.

Components from left picture to right:

1. CH00474 & Z010962, CH00156 & Z010962, CH00475 & A022075
2. MCKR0002, Z009650, A001530, CH00185, TC01679,  TC01812,  TL00191

Leather Bracelets

Create a modern leather bracelet with round and Regaliz® leather. From our Men’s Bracelet trend, these leather bracelets will never go out of style. Leather bracelets with a touch of silver makes accessorizing with men’s fashion easily from casual denim to a neat blazer.

Bracelet components from left to right:

1. A015313 & A019014
2. CH00475 & Z001235
3. CH00126, Z003438, Z002073, A014254
4. CH00125, Y002136, Z003438
5. CH00157, A003853, A022061

Gemstone Stretch Bracelets

From rock stars to movie stars, you see more men wearing stretch bracelets everywhere. We especially love a bracelet of all Gemstones like these dark Sardonyx or mix it up some gemstones with silver spacers or beads. Check our Easy Elastic Bracelet Tutorial to learn how to make a stretch bracelet with a surgeon’s knot. Or use the Elastic Cord Needle and watch how Beadalon® finishes off their stretch bracelet in this Vendor Video Post.

Bracelet bead components from left to right:

1. SDW10RD-8
2. TGE8RDLH-F-8 , BCL8RD-8 , (2) TC00340, (6) TC00032

We are excited about Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year: Ultra Violet. Here’s some jewelry inspired by this deep hue!

Ultra Violet is a beautiful deep hue that ‘communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.’ Ultra Violet pops next to silver findings. What will you create with this luscious color?

Purple Pearly Pendant Earrings

To make this pair of earrings, you will need to learn how to create a wrapped loop. Read our previous post HERE for more information.

1. Cut a 4” wire. Make a wrapped loop at one end, making sure to slide on your sun pendant before completely wrapping your loop.
2. Slide on a seed bead, pearl and seed bead on your wire and make another wrap loop.
3. Open loop of earwire, slide on pearl dangle and close loop.
4. Repeat all steps for other earring.

Products used: SB00422, SW01055 (2), SW01056, AW00055, TCZ0077 or TCZ0078

Purple Agate Slice Leather Necklace

Products used: A021688 and A022079

Purple Crazy Lace Stretch Bracelet

Products used: SW00387 (8), A007019, PCA8RL-F-8, Z002570, A021634

Violets Tassel Earrings

Products used: A010156, Z019287, Z001286(2), A002225, AW00031/WR00033

Believe it or not, 2017 is coming to a close. So get ready for 2018 with new beading adventures, projects, supplies and you! Get pumped with these Inspirational Bars, where you can make a snazzy fabric bracelet or lovely key charm.

Inspired Lycra Bracelet

This bracelet uses Italian Lycra Cord, which sells as a flat wide 30mm piece. Measure your wrist and add 5 inches. Cut your Lycra Cord at that length. Stretch your cord and see that the sides will curl in. Insert your cord through the two side holes of your inspirational bar. Make a knot with your cord ends but not into a tight knot. Wrap the bracelet around your wrist twice and adjust the knot to a comfortable band. Your bracelet should stretch and hug your wrist, not dangle loosely. Tighten up your knots and you are ready to rock out the new year.

Items used for bracelet: A017779 & Z013317.

Inspired Leather Key Chain

For this project, we are adding 1mm leather cord and a large-hole gemstone to this keychain. Cut a 6 inch piece of 1mm leather cord. Slide leather cord through one hole of your inspirational bar. Take the two leather ends and slide your large-hole gemstone through. Make an overhand knot with your leather ends close to your gemstone. Make sure when knotting your leather that the leather loop is loose and dangles off your bar. Cut your leather ends at an angle as a leather fringe tassel. Add your keyring and you are set. This make a cute stocking stuffer idea for a friend or for yourself.

Items used for keychain: Z013306, A020543, GAV8RDLH-8, MCKR0002