Chain link is not only great to add length to necklaces or as chain extenders for bracelets, but they are fun to create fringe with. With its popularity in fashion jewelry and accessories, we have some examples of how we’ve created fringed jewelry with chain.
Dangle chain for some crazy, fun fringe. Keep fringes simple or trail it with beaded dangles. Let these examples inspire the next time you create with chain links.
You’ll soon feel the love in the air because Valentine’s Day is coming. Our GoodyBeads Designers have new Valentine’s Day DIY kits to bling out your lovely look.
These kits include all the beads and findings, along with simple step-by-step instructions. They are also easy to make and give away as gifts.
Eat your heart out with a box of chocolates and a beautiful selection of heart earrings.
Czech Honeycomb Jewel Beads with Bracelet Tutorials
With the popularity of the Czech Honeycomb two-hole bead, comes the Honeycomb Jewel bead. Here are two projects where we used these beads to make a bead-stitched bracelet with DiamonDuos and as a wire cuff bracelet with bead wire.
What makes Czech Honeycomb Jewel beads different than other honeycomb beads? Honeycomb jewel beads are faceted on one side, to give depth and dimension, and flat on the other.
Honeycomb Jewel and DiamonDuo Bracelet with Tutorial
Designed by So Vang
We paired the Honeycomb Jewel shape with DiamonDuos, which plays off each others’ faceted look. We took the Chalk Lazure Jewel (Z018620) and gave this bracelet a pop with a bold hue of the Pastel Montana Blue DiamonDuo (SB03347).
Glam up your New Year’s Eve party with your favorite dress, dancing shoes and statement necklace. We have a few fashion trend necklaces sure to turn heads before the ball drops!
Tease your fun side with a statement necklace donned with Jesse James beads from our Dec ’16 trend. Create this statement necklace with the Cabin by the Lake Mix, chain, bib connectorsand feather charms. Finish it up with leather cord and you can get on with the partying!
Designed by So Vang
Check out this waterfall necklace from our June ‘16 Birthstone Trend. This statement necklace has Swarovski® pearls linked together by wire wrapping each dangle and attaching each dangle to the gold-plated necklace with jump rings.
From our July ’16 Birthstone Trend, this statement necklace has the perfect hues for the festive holidays. Headpins are strung with Czech fire polish beads, through Textured Large Oval Links (CH00738/CH00739) and teardrop Chinese crystals.
Designed by So Vang
Let these Dakota Stone Gemstone Pendants (Nov ’16 Trend) create the ultimate focal statement necklace. Simply string one of these pendants with small round beads to separate the stunning sets and add your favorite chain to complete a necklace you can wear year ‘round!
Czech Honeycomb Pendant with Groovy Bead Frame – FREE Tutorial
Here’s a unique way to use popular Czech Honeycomb beads. We have sewn them into a stunning pattern using a Groovy Bead Frame. Groovy Bead Frames are designed to string and decorate from different angles. This easy tutorial will create the perfect focal pendant on a necklace or dangled on a pair of earrings.
Honeycomb Necklace and Earrings
New to GoodyBeads are Tweedy Honeycomb beads that have a two-tone, splattered color finish.
Mia Mosaic Honeycomb Necklace – Golden
Designed by So Vang
Mia Mosaic Honeycomb Earrings – Fuchsia
Designed by So Vang
Czech Honeycomb Pendant with Groovy Bead Frame Tutorial
Step 1: Gather your materials. You will find that the Groovy Bead Frame is designed with 22 holes.
Step 2: Add 5’ of beading thread to your needle. Sew down one hole of the ring and up through the hole next to the first. Make a knot with the strands to anchor your thread.
Step 3: Sew up and down through the two holes to secure thread. Sew up and out of the ring. Pick up a size 11/0 seed bead and sew down through the next hole.
Step 4: Sew up through the hole, pick up a size 11/0 seed bead and down the next hole. Repeat until you’ve finished your way around the frame. You would have added 11 seed beads.
Step 5: Sew up and out one of the holes and through a seed bead. Pick up a honeycomb bead and sew through next seed bead.
Step 6: Repeat by adding a Honeycomb between each seed bead. You will have added 11 honeycomb beads. Tie an overhand knot to secure and tighten your beaded layers.
Step 7: Sew through a honeycomb bead and loop up to the outer hole of the honeycomb bead. Pick up two size 11/0 seed bead and sew through next honeycomb bead. Repeat nine more times. Make sure to keep your threads tight.
Step 8: In the last section, you will pick up one 11/0, one 8/0 and one 11/0 seed bead. Sew through last honeycomb bead.
Step 9: Tie off your thread ends and sew through a few beads before cutting excess thread.
Step 10: Open a size 4mm jump ring and slide through the size 8/0 seed bead and the loop of your ear wire. Close jump ring.
Step 11: Repeat all steps for other earring.
Step 12: For a necklace pendant; at step 10, slide the two ends off a 30” piece of chain link through jump ring. Close jump ring for a complete Czech Honeycomb ring pendant necklace.
(1) TCZ0096 – Sterling Silver Hoop Earring Wires with Loop by Tierracast®
Artistic Wire® Finding Forms – Beaded Holiday Ornament Charms
Make some fun beaded holiday ornament charms with Artistic Wire® Finding Forms. Watch Artistic Wire demonstrate how to create a star, snowman or tree. Hang one from a holiday tree, dangle one from a window or attach one to a neatly wrapped present! Get your finding forms, artistic wire, and seed beads today at GoodyBeads to make some beaded holiday ornaments of your own!
What you will need to create a finding form ornament charm:
Here we created a holiday tree (TL00250) with 22 Gauge Antique Brass Wire (AW00026) and included a Swarovski® star bead to the top. We took 26 Gauge Artistic Wire and wrapped back and forth on the inside of the tree while adding random seed beads. This project is perfect if you have leftover seed beads from previous projects. You can also use our Miyuki Seed Bead Grab Bag (A011619) for a nice variation of color and sizes.
Holiday Star Ornament Charm
Designed By Tory Vezina
Our star (TL00251) is made with Antique Brass Wire (AW00026) with bronze, white, clear and cream hued seed beads crisscrossed in the middle on 26 gauge wire.
Holiday Snowman Ornament Charm
Designed By Tory Vezina
We thinkthis snowman (TL00253) is just darling! We added an 8mm squaredelle (A011435) and 6mm Swarovski cube (SW00309) to depict a top hat for our snowman. We ran some 26 Gauge artistic wire side to side, and layered with seed beads and Czech melon beads for the scarf.
GoodyBeads Gift Kits
Introducing our new gift jewelry kits perfect for gift-giving. Created by our in-house designers, So Vang, Tory Vezina and Heidi Urlaub, these kits are easy to make and versatile to wear to all of your upcoming events and celebrations. Plus, the kits are conveniently packaged inside a plastic pillow-shaped container for easy gift giving to the DIYers in your life!
Thinking of what to give this holiday season or for birthdays or special occasions? Gift kits are the perfect gift to give to your girlfriends, sisters, bridesmaids, work buddies, etc.
Heidi’s kits have an earthy and edgy vibe with her love of leather and gemstones. You can easily wear her jewelry with the intent of going everywhere and still be on trend. Her Tears of Leather Earringsand On the Fringe Leather Earrings are so gorgeous, you’ll long to own one, two or all of her styles! Meditation Stretch Bracelets have a harmonic combination of round gemstones and emerald-cut Swarovski® crystals, while the Boho Belle Tube Necklace is decorated with small gemstones and curved tubes that gently hug your collarbone.
Czech SuperDuo Star Blooms Necklace and Earrings with FREE Tutorial
We have the perfect holiday jewelry set for the fun and stylish fashionista.. Try this free tutorial on how to make these star blooms necklace and earrings using SuperDuos, o-beads and size 10/0 round czech beads. Make it just in time for the holidays!
SuperDuo Star Blooms Poinsettia Necklace and Earrings
Designed by So Vang
Designed by So Vang
Tutorial and Components
Created by our in-house designer So Vang, you can make this holiday theme, star blooms necklace and earrings set with this FREE illustrated tutorial.
Necklace Extra Tip
When you have finished stringing together your five components, we have two options on how to attach your 24” chain.
First, you can sew the chain at the end of the SuperDuo as shown in our photo below. Refer to the illustrated tutorial or image to see that you connect the chain end to the SuperDuo across from the connected SuperDuo of your side poinsettia component.
Or, secondly you can use a small gauge jump ring to slide through theSuperDuo like how we’ve shown here. However, not all SuperDuo holes are large enough for the jump ring to slide through. If it does not, going with the first option will be best to adding your chain.
SuperDuo Southwestern Star Bloom Style
Designed by So Vang
Don’t think you are limited to just a holiday-hued necklace. Try out different combinations of colors and make it your own. We’ve used turquoise and deep coral to create ours above.
EZ DIY Beaded Snowflake Ornament
Cozy up this winter and make these beaded snowflake ornaments. Hang them on your holiday tree, decorate your door frames, dangle them in front of your window pane or use them in place of bows on your gifts! Learn to make snowflake ornaments with our EZ DIY GoodyBeads Series tutorial.
Tutorial
Sample Ornaments
Designed by So Vang
From our Oct 2015 Trends, is our popular tear drop miracle beaded ornament.
Beads used:
(1 pk.) A006241 – 6 Inch Wire Snowflake Ornament Form
(2 pk.) A014921 – 15mm Tear Drop Silver Miracle Beads
(1 pk.) Z016402 – 10mm Preciosa Green Carmen Beads
Boho-Inspired Bib Necklaces with FREE Tutorial
It’s on Pinterest, Tumblr and other social media image viewing boards; boho-inspired bib necklaces. Now with these Bib Connectors at GoodyBeads, you can customize your own statement necklaces with seed beads, Czech beads and daggers, and chain links.
What gives these necklaces a boho flare are the bib connectors. The intricate Bali designs and geometric patterns embellishes the overall look of creating a bib statement necklace.
Malin Fringe
Designed by So Vang
A fun simplistic way to use these Bib Connectors is linking two different connectors together. Show off your customized style with this easy-to-make bib chain necklace.
Step Three: Fold wires up and twist at the top of the dagger bead.
Step Four: Cut excess wire of shorter end.
Step Five: Slide one 6/0 seed bead and one 8/0 seed bead. Make a simple loop with loop facing the side of your dagger bead. (Refer to image.)
Step Six: Open eyepin loop and slide on dagger dangle.
Step Seven: slide on eyepin one 8/0 seed bead, three 6/00 seed beads and one 6/0 seed bead. Make a simple loop. Make sure to have loop facing in the same direction as your eyepin loop. (Refer to image.)
Step Eight: Open a 4mm jump ring, slide through dagger dangle and then slide through loop on bib connector.
Step Nine: Repeat steps 1-8 for every loop on bib connector. A total of 50.
Step Ten: Cut two 6″ chain maille link. Open a 7mm jump ring and slide on one end of your chain link and side hole of bib connector. Close jump ring.
Step Eleven: Repeat to other bib end and second chain link.
Step Twelve: Open another 7mm jump ring and slide on one end of the chain link and lobster clasp. Close jump ring. Open another 7mm jump ring and slide on other chain link end and close jump ring.
Completed Bib Necklace.
Seed Bead and Leather Bead-Weaving Kits
Kids are going back to school and you have tons of time on your hands. Why not get one of our seed bead and leather kits. From our in-house designers, Harper Gray and So Vang, come a wave of bead-weaving kits featuring popular leather wrap bracelets, seed bead peyote stitch earrings and honeycomb beads weaved to add to leather or chain.
Leather Wrap Bracelets designed by So Vang
Be on trend with a three-wrap leather bracelet. Each kit is personally designed with genuine gemstones to Swarovski® crystals or pearls, and from dainty Picasso seed beads to Czech two hole beads. All starting with a theme-matching button closure. These kits can be modified to fit a 6” wrist or use all of the beads and make to fit up to an 8” bracelet.
All beads, leather, and needles are included in the kit. All you need are a pair of scissors, optional glue and time.
Honeycomb Bracelet and Necklace designed by So Vang
Honeycomb beads are hot on the trending list, so no wonder our in-house designer So Vang created these masterpieces. Kit comes with all the beads, thread and a needle plus, detailed illustrated instructions to make each piece.
Harper Gray designed these earrings kits with an array of colors and finishes. Learn to make these earrings using peyote stitching skills. Each kit comes with detailed instructions and illustrations to help you make each pair of earrings. You’ll probably find yourself wanting them all!
Owls are a hoot – I mean a hot motif trend. With their symbolism of knowledge and power, we’ve created two pieces of jewelry to show our love of owls.
It’s a Hoot Beaded Bracelet
Designed by So Vang
Selecting high-quality lampwork glass beads, fiery Czech beads and Swarovski® crystals, we pulled out hues of opaque turquoise, chalky browns and silver accents. Strung on elastic, this bracelet is easy to wear and perfect for an evening hike or bird watching.
Step 6. Loop one elastic end through toggle bar loop and back through crimp tube. Crimp tube with crimping pliers.
Step 7. Loop other elastic end through toggle round loop and back through crimp tube. Crimp tube with crimping pliers.
Step 8. Open jump ring and slide on the three bead dangles and loop of round toggle clasp.
Step 9. Close jump ring.
Owl Be It Necklace
Designed by Tory Vezina
You can just feel autumn with this owl necklace. The gradation of colors in the fairy necklace to the dangling leaf charm entices your senses of seeing the changing colors of treetops to hearing leaves crackling as they brush across the sidewalk.
Step 9. Line your ribbon ends together and make a knot.
Beaded DiamonDuo Licorice Leather Bracelet with Tutorial
Featured in GoodyBeads July 2016 Trends, we are still loving the versatility of DiamonDuos especially when we pair them with licorice leather. Along with a FREE beaded loop tutorial, we will show you how to create DiamonDuo beaded loops and incorporate them in your licorice leather bracelets.
DiamonDuo Beaded Loop Tutorial
Download our DiamonDuo Beaded Loops pattern tutorial to get started. Create different color combinations with DiamonDuos, Czech O-beads and size 8/0 Miyuki round beads. Here are some examples of how we used these DiamonDuo Beaded Loops.
From our July 2016 trend, we featured this stunning bracelet with cork licorice leather. We made three loops with Matte Copper DiamonDuos and 2 with Matte Gold DiamonDuos. After cutting the cork licorice leather to your wrist size, slide on your beaded loops in alternating colors towards the center. We added a black rubber o-ring on both sides of the five loops to keep them in place. Glue on a clasp and let it dry for 24 hours before you wear. Crazy-neat, eh?
Using different colors can create a different look to your licorice leather. We created our DiamonDuo beaded loops using hues of metallic golds and white.
After we made five beaded loops, we cut our licorice leather to size. With some Super-lon Bead Cord (A012987), we wrapped the center section of our licorice leather with gold cord. Glue as needed on back side. Slide on a rubber ring, the 5 beaded loops and another rubber ring. ALL centered on the wrapped gold cord. Glue on a clasp and you have this flashy bracelet.
DiamonDuo™ Pineapple Paradise with FREE Pattern Tutorial
Nothing says summer like some sweet pineapple. Stitched with DiamonDuo, SuperDuo and Pip beads, these pineapples are the ultimate way to showcase how excited we are about summer! Check out our FREE tutorial on how to make these pineapple beads and use them as earring dangles or as the focal point on a tassel necklace.
We are loving this galactic red and white pineapple necklace. Donned with a red tassel and Swarovski® crystals, get ready to fall in love with summer all over again!
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!
