Finding spare time to pursue a hobby is a luxury most of us can’t afford, however if you are fortunate enough to possess both discretional and disposable time such a luxury can provide both a relaxing and therapeutic retreat for the daily grind. The problem is that the spare time, when available, is often sporadic and doesn’t lend itself to things that can’t be condensed to a fixed amount of time. That’s why reading is often the hobby of choice as a book can be put down, stopped and started, and even have multiple choices at one time. However we have another idea that is stimulates one creativity, can provide a sense of accomplishment, and perhaps down the road provide some financial gain as well. Welcome to the world of custom jewelry making.

Creating your own jewelry can be fun for many reasons and in addition to tapping into your creative side like we already mentioned, you also have the chance to make something completely unique that reflects your personal style. Plus, it’s very easy to make a beaded necklace. Read this article to discover helpful tricks on how to make a beautiful, beaded necklace. This is first of a 3-part series that will cover how to make beaded jewelry for yourself and perhaps sell some of your pieces which providing a different type of reward all together. The first step is coming up with an idea in regards to color, stones, and type of item you wish to create.

1. Choose a quiet location where you can be undisturbed. Although making a beaded necklace is quite easy, you’ll have to concentrate on the task at hand. Choose a quiet and comfortable place where you can start and finish your project without many interruptions

2. Gather your beading materials. Make sure to have all of your materials at hand: beads, beading thread, wire cutter, crimp beads, super glue, and closures to properly finish your necklace^[2].

• The best kinds of wire are flexible beading wire and beading thread.
• All of these materials are easily available at your local craft store (Michael’s or Joanne’s, for example).

3. Determine your necklace or bracelet style. When considering which style of necklace you’d like to create, think about factors such as length. If you like shorter necklaces you might consider making a collar or choker. If you like longer necklaces, you might want a lariat length (longer, usually down to your chest) necklace^[3].

• You can also make up your own style and length. These are simple suggestions to give you a rough idea.
• Note that the finished length of your beaded necklace includes the beads you’ve used and the length of the jewelry clasp of your choice.

4. Arrange your beads on a flat surface, like a table or a desk. Play with the beads until you find the design you like best. Try different color variations, perhaps even think of having multiple layers of string. You might want a choker that wraps around your neck a few times, or maybe just one long loop.
5. Place your bead board on your flat surface. A bead board is a tool that greatly facilitates the process of stringing beads, and improves your design skills rapidly. You can use it to measure the length of your necklace, while keeping the beads in place. If you plan on making necklaces regularly, or even occasionally, you should have a board at hand.

• Place your beads in your chosen design at the number zero, and measure the length of your necklace using the numbers and dashes along the sides.
• Use the channels for laying out beads.
• The tray insets are for holding beads and findings.

6. Cut your determined length of beading thread, plus 6 inches. For example, if you’d like to make a choker, cut a total of 22 inches of thread
8. Slide your design onto the string. Once you’re satisfied with your design, carefully remove one bead at a time, and string it onto the thread. Be sure to leave about 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) of stringing material at the end.

• Thread beads onto the stringing material until there are none left on your bead board.

8. Use a clasp section/ jump ring and the bead-crimp-bead combo. Try to push the remaining stringing material into the bead holes below the crimping bead.

• Be careful not to pull the stringing material too tight. Leave a small amount of slack in the necklace (2-4 mm or 1/4 inch). This leaves room for the beads to move and rotate, so they don’t rub on each other or the stringing material too much. If the stringing material is too tight the necklace will be rigid and this can make the design look angular instead of slightly rounded like a necklace should be.

9. Crimp the second end and cut the stringing material with slush cutters. It is not recommended that you cut the wire too close to the crimp bead. 1 inch (2.5 cm) of wire, carefully hidden in the bead holes, is good insurance against breakage.

• Finished.