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How to make a Coin pearl necklace
Coin pearl necklace project:
This coin pearl necklace is very stylish, elegant and versatile. I made one for myself that I wear on many occasions, and I always get compliments! Coin pearls are available in various colors, and you also get square shaped coin pearls.
Buy chain with a ready fitted clasp for this project. The best chains for beading projects are belcher, curb, figaro and trace chain. I’ve used belcher chain with links of 2mm for this coin pearl necklace. The headpin must go through the links, therefore chain with links smaller than 2mm won’t be suitable. You will need to cut off a few links of the chain to use in the project, so it will be wise to buy a chain necklace one size bigger than your normal size. See the necklace size guide for necklace sizes.What you need:
- 3 coin pearls
- chain necklace with a ready fitted clasp (links must be at least 2mm)
- jump ring (3mm or 4mm)
- 22g wire (the holes of coin pearls are small)
- chain nose pliers
- round nose pliers
- wire or side cutters
- safety glasses (optional)
Step 1:
One end of your chain necklace has a clasp, and the other end a hook or eye. Cut the 2nd link of the chain next to the eye, so the hook comes off (always protect your eyes when cutting wire). If the necklace has a jump ring, then open the jump ring and take off the hook. Count on eight links and cut link no. 8.
You will now have a short chain of 7 links that you will use later on in the project, so put it aside for now. Take the rest of the chain that is left and fit it around your neck to see if it’s the right size. You might need to cut off more links if the necklace is too long. When you have the right length of chain for your necklace, open the jump ring and slide the end of the chain necklace as well as the eye/hook back on. Close the jump ring. Click on the link to see how to open and close jump rings.
Step 2:
Slide one coin pearl onto the headpin. Click on the link to follow the techniques formaking a loop on a headpin. In step 1 you’ve cut off 7 links of chain. Take that chain and cut the link in the middle (fourth link) to leave you with two short chains of 3 links each. Open the loop of your headpin slightly and slide 3 links onto the loop. Close the loop completely. Try not to open the loop too big otherwise the round shape of the loop might be distorted.
Step 3:
Cut off approx. 4 inches of 22g wire. Slide one coin pearl onto the middle of the wire.
Step 4:
Grip the wire with your round nose pliers 5mm above the pearl. Bend the wire 90 degrees by moving your pliers away from you. Use your free hand to bend the tip of the wire clockwise around the nose of your pliers. You might have to reposition your pliers once or twice. Bend the wire until it makes a complete loop. Release your pliers.
Step 5:
Slide the last link of the chain attached to the headpin (made in step 2) onto the loop. Grip the loop with your chain nose pliers. Use your free hand to wrap the wire 2½ to 3 times around the neck of the eye pin. Use your wire or side cutters to cut off the extra wire as close to the pearl as possible. Press the end down with your chain nose pliers. Well done, you're well on your way to making a beautiful coin pearl necklace.
Your piece will now look like this:
Step 6:
Grip the wire 5mm above the second pearl with your round nose pliers. Bend it 90 degrees by moving your pliers away from you. Use your free hand and bend the wire clockwise to make a loop. Release your pliers.
Step 7:
Slide the other 3 links of chain onto the loop. Grip the loop with your chain nose pliers and again use your free hand to wrap the wire 2½ to 3 times around the neck of the eye pin. Cut off the extra wire.
Step 8:
Almost done, this is the last step to finish off your coin pearl necklace. Add another wrapped coin pearl by repeating steps 3 and 4. Now you will have three coin pearls in place, with a loop above the last coin pearl. Take your chain necklace and find the center point. Take the central link and slide it onto the loop. Grip the loop with your chain nose pliers and wrap the wire around the neckl of the eye pin to make a wrapped loop. Cut off the extra wire, and press the end down with your chain nose pliers. That's it! Congratulations, you’ve just made a beautiful coin pearl necklace!
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How to make a Glass pendant necklace
Glass pendant necklace project:
The glass pendant that I used for this pendant necklace is either called a dichroic glass pendant, or a silver foil glass pendant. These glass beads and pendants are highly fashionable. You can buy any shape or color pendant, as long as the hole is vertically and not horizontally drilled. The holes of these beads and pendants are too big to hold a headpin, therefore you will need small beads at the top and bottom to hold the wire in place. I’ve used waxed linen cord and a ribbon as stringing materials. You can use both or either one of them. If you decide on ribbons, then use at least three ribbons to hold the weight of the pendant. What about using different colors of cord and ribbon? It’s all up to you. Waxed cord comes in many different colors. Personalize your pendant necklace with your own style.What you need:
- waxed linen cord (3x the length of your necklace)
- ribbon (1x the length of your necklace)
- glass pendant
- 4mm or 5mm glass bead
- 5mm crystal or glass bead
- 4 inches of 20g (0.8mm) or 22g wire (0.6mm)
- 2 coil crimps
- 5mm jump ring
- lobster clasp
- round nose pliers
- chain nose pliers
- wire or side cutters
- safety glasses (optional)
Step 1:
Decide how long you would like to make your necklace. If you need more info, click here necklace size guide. Your waxed cord must be 3x the size of your necklace, and the ribbon the size of your necklace. Take the ends of your waxed cord, and put it onto your ribbon.
Step 2:
Insert the end of the cord and ribbon into the coil end. Make sure no parts are sticking out. Use your chain nose pliers to flatten the first coil/ring as described on the page how to use coil crimps.
Do exactly the same for the other end of your necklace. Open the loops of the coil ends on both sides. Use your round nose pliers and slide a jump ring onto one end, and the lobster clasp onto the other end. Close the loops of the coil crimps completely.
Step 3:
Follow the steps for making an eyepin as described on the page eye pin.You will need your wire, round nose pliers and wire cutters. When your eye pin is ready, slide the glass bead onto the eye pin.
Step 4:
Slide your glass pendant and crystal or glass bead onto the wire. Grip the wire 5mm above the crystal bead with your round nose pliers and bend it approx. 80 degrees by moving your pliers away from you.
Step 5:
Use your free hand to bend the tip of the wire clockwise around the nose of your pliers to form a loop. You might have to reposition your pliers once or twice.
Step 6:
Release your pliers and use your hands to pull the loop slightly open. Try not to open it too wide. Insert the cord and ribbon one at a time. Close the loop once your stringing material is in place.
Step 7:
Now it’s time for the wrapping process. Grip the loop with your chain nose pliers and with the other hand, wrap the wire around until it touches the crystal bead. Use your wire cutters and cut off the extra wire. If you need more help to make a wrapped loop, then see steps 4 to 6 of this page
making a wrapped loop. Congratulations, you've made a beautiful glass pendant necklace.
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How to make a Lariat necklace
Lariat necklace:
A Lariat necklace refers to a long necklace that is tied or wrapped around the neck without a clasp. I’ve used soft suede that drapes well around the neck as well as bone beads and pearls for this project. Suede is not only available in brown, but also in bright colors. Use natural beads if you want to create an earthy or ethnic feel. I bought these bone beads at the Bead Shop in London, Covent Garden. You will be able to find bone beads at online bead stores or bead shops in your area.What you need:
- suede cord (lariat necklaces can range anything from 30 to 50 inches in length, depending on your body frame and how you wear it)
- 2 large patterned bone beads
- 2 small white bone beads
- 4 pearls or other beads (matching the colors of the bone beads)
- 2 coil crimps
- 22g silver wire
- 2 round silver spacer beads (3mm)
- round nose pliers
- chain nose pliers
- wire or side cutters
Step 1:
It is sometimes difficult to find the perfect size for a lariat necklace, because lariats can range anything from 30 to 50 inches in length.
Take the suede cord and drape it around your neck like the lariat necklace shown in the graphic above. Decide how long you would like to make yours. Keep in mind that you still have to attach the beads that will add to the length. Cut both ends of the cord once you have the desired length.
If you are not 100% sure, rather make it a bit longer. It is easy to make the necklace shorter, but you won’t be able to make it longer once it’s finished.
When you have the right length of suede cord for your necklace, click on the link to see how to attach coil crimps to the ends of the suede cord. You will use the cord again in step 7.Step 2:
Cut two pieces of wire, 4 inches each. Grip the end of the wire with your round nose pliers and click on the link to follow the steps for making aspiral. Do not make a loop at the end of the spiral. Bend the wire so that the spiral is central to the wire as shown in the graphic.
Step 3:
Slide the large bone bead onto the wire. Put it aside for step 5.
Step 4:
Cut two pieces of wire, 4 inches each. String two pearls on either side of the white bone bead onto the wire. Do that for both pieces of wire. Click on the link to follow the steps for making a wrapped bead link. You don’t have to slide anything onto the loops while making it. Your wrapped link should look like this:
Step 5:
Now you know how to make a wrapped loop. Take the large bone bead with the spiral and make a loop with the same technique as in step 4. Before wrapping it, slide the pearl and white bone wrapped link onto the loop.
Step 6:
Grip the loop with your round nose pliers and wrap the wire 2½ to 3 times around the neck of the loop. The graphic is showing the first wrap. Cut off the extra wire with your wire cutters. Always protect your eyes when cutting wire.
Step 7:
Open the loop of the coil crimps with your round nose pliers and slide the wrapped link onto the loop. Close the loop completely.
Both ends of your suede cord will now look like this. Congratulations, you’ve made a beautiful lariat necklace.
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How to make a beadalon necklace
How to make a beadalon necklace:
I’ve used Beadalon 19 strand wire to make this beautiful, blue beadalon necklace. You can also use beading wires such as Soft Flex or Accu-Flex. Click on the link if you need more information about stringing materials. Feel free to use bead and color choices of your own. You can even replace the large blue lampwork bead with a crystal bead or pearl. There are so many variations you can make on the design of this beadalon necklace!What you need:
- 19 strand bright or silver Beadalon wire .018” (0.46mm) diameter
- 2” headpin
- crimp beads
- 4 calottes (in case one breaks)
- small crystal beads of your choice: 4mm and 5mm
- large 10mm bead
- 2mm silver ball spacer beads
- lobster clasp
- 5mm jump ring
- measuring stick or some sort of measurement
- round nose pliers
- crimping pliers
- chain nose pliers
- wire or side cutters
- safety glasses (optional)
Step 1:
Cut off a piece of Beadalon wire, 2” longer than your necklace size. Click on the necklace size guide if you need more info.Step 2:
In the graphic the X indicates the center of the wire. Take a non-permanent marker to make a little mark on the center of your wire. Slide a crimp bead onto your Beadalon wire. Use your crimping pliers to press the crimp bead into a tiny ball next to the mark that you’ve made. Click on the link to see how to use crimp beads and crimping pliers. Slide your beads in the following order onto the wire: 4mm crystal bead, round spacer bead, 5mm crystal bead, spacer bead, 4mm crystal bead. Slide another crimp bead onto the wire when the beads are in place. Compress the crimp bead into a tiny ball.
Step 3:
Now you are going to do the same on the other side of the beadalon necklace. Slide your crimp bead onto the wire 1mm apart from the other crimp bead, next to the centre point of the necklace, and compress the crimp bead. The reason for this is that you’re going to hang the headpin in this space. Slide your beads in the same order as step 2 onto the wire. Slide a crimp bead onto the end and compress it. Your necklace will now look like the one shown in the graphic below.
Step 4:
Measure 1 inch from the end of the last crimp bead and make a little mark on the wire. Insert a crimp bead and compress it. Slide your beads onto the wire, still using the same order. Compress another crimp bead at the end of it. Do exactly the same on the other side of your necklace.
Step 5:
It’s up to you how you would like to string the beads onto the rest of the necklace. I’ve strung 5mm crystal beads one at a time, and put them 1 inch apart until I’ve reached the desired length of the necklace.
Now it’s time to measure your necklace to see where you have to string the last beads, but don’t cut off the extra pieces yet (just keep in mind that the calottes and clasp will add approx. 1 inch to your necklace). I like to string a bead at the end of the necklace before attaching the calotte next to it. It gives a more professional finish.Step 6:
When you have strung the last bead onto your necklace, slide one calotte as shown in the first graphic, followed by a crimp bead onto the wire. The space is too tight for crimping pliers, therefore you will need to compress the crimp bead with chain nose pliers. Make sure the crimp bead is securely in place after pressing it.
Use your wire cutters to cut off the extra wire next to the crimp bead. Always protect your eyes when cutting wire.
Use your chain nose pliers to close the shells of the calotte.
Step 7:
Slide the lobster clasp onto the loop of the calotte, and close the loop completely. Follow the same steps for attaching a calotte to the other end of the necklace, and slide a jump ring onto the calotte.
Step 8:
Slide the beads for your focal point onto the headpin. Follow the steps for making a loop on a headpin as described on the page ‘headpin loop’. Once your loop is made, open it slightly with your round nose pliers as shown in the graphic below.
Step 9:
Finally attach the loop to the center of your beadalon necklace, and close the loop completely. Congratulations, you've just made a beautiful beadalon necklace!
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