Should you got here right here right this moment hoping to see some lovely, freshly painted eggplant-color doorways within the again entry of my studio, I’ve to apologize. Maybe you’ll see these tomorrow or the following day. I didn’t have a lot free time this previous weekend to do work anyway, however the few hours that I did have, I spent on my newest obsession — making beaded necklaces.
I do know this appears utterly out of left subject, am I proper? Yeah, it does. It got here out of left subject for me, too. And this newest interest/obsession is barely about two weeks outdated. It began as a result of I used to be purchasing the entire on-line Black Friday and Cyber Monday gross sales for jewellery. I needed three very particular items of knickknack — a gold necklace with a “Ok” appeal on it, a gold necklace with a tiny (microscopic 😀 ) diamond, and a gold necklace with a tiny puffy coronary heart.
I discovered all of these, however within the means of looking for and discovering the necklaces I used to be searching for, I additionally got here throughout a phenomenal pink beaded necklace that I actually needed. It was a easy necklace — all pink stone beads of the identical measurement with barely variegated shade. That’s it. There was no gold, no combination of various sorts of beads, nothing that appeared to require a substantial amount of expertise or craftsmanship. However that easy pink stone bead necklace as $88, and that was a sale worth.
As my thoughts does after I see issues like that, I instantly thought, “My goodness, I could make that! And there’s no manner it could price something near $88!” So per week in the past Sunday, I headed to Michael’s after lunch with my household to purchase some beads to make myself a pink stone bead necklace.
And OH MY GOSH. My eyes had been opened to a wholly new world of creativity that I had by no means actually paid consideration to. I had by no means spent hardly any time in any respect within the bead aisle on the craft retailer. However there I used to be, going there particularly with the concept of beaded necklaces in thoughts, and I used to be amazed on the choice! Not solely did they’ve hundreds of choices, however I occurred to go there on a day that the beads had been 60% off.
Y’all, I went slightly loopy. I had by no means made a beaded necklace in my total life, so I had no actual clue what I used to be truly doing. I imply, stringing beads onto beading wire appeared apparent and easy to me, however what do you placed on the ends of the wire to carry the beads on? How do you join the clasp? I used to be utterly out of my factor, however I needed to be taught. So I stood there in Michael’s, watching these rows and rows of beautiful beads, whereas wanting up “the best way to” fundamentals of beaded jewellery on YouTube. 😀
I grabbed some issues that I assumed I wanted, together with all types of beads, and headed house to see if I may determine this factor out. And nearly instantly, I used to be hooked.
I did discover my fairly pink stone beads with barely variegated coloring.
I haven’t connected the clasp on that one but as a result of on my first purchasing journey at Michael’s that day, I ended up shopping for the unsuitable issues. So I needed to wait till yesterday after I had time to make one other journey to Michael’s to get the best issues, however by then, I used to be neck deep so many different beads, inventive concepts flooding my thoughts, and inspiration pictures filling my cellphone.
I’ve by no means had a lot enjoyable engaged on a inventive factor that isn’t associated to homes in my life. Even my artwork initiatives, whereas I completely get pleasure from them, aren’t as satisfying as making beaded necklaces to me. Right here’s one other quite simple one I made with three barely completely different beads of very comparable colours. This was my first one to do begin to end, and I truly wore this one final week.
In attempting to pinpoint precisely what it’s about making beaded necklaces that’s so satisfying to me, I’ve concluded that it’s two issues. First, it’s a method to be inventive, nevertheless it’s additionally very enjoyable. I don’t must climb up and down ladders. It takes nearly no bodily exertion. I can sit at my desk, hearken to a podcast, and do one thing enjoyable, enjoyable, and artistic. Right here’s certainly one of my favorites. I imply, do these beads not have my identify written throughout them?
However the second purpose I feel this shortly grew to become my favourite previous time is due to the fast gratification! I sat on the desk at my studio final evening and made six beaded necklaces, begin to end, and able to put on. Right here’s one which I completed, however I feel I’d restring them in order that the purple and orange aren’t proper subsequent to one another.
However there’s just about nothing that I try this’s home-related the place I get this type of fast gratification. My house initiatives take days, or weeks, and even months. How lengthy have I been engaged on my studio now? It’s been months! And I’m solely about midway completed. However these necklaces take about quarter-hour from begin to end for the quite simple ones, like this inexperienced crackled glass beaded necklace with the gold accents. A quite simple design like that is so quick and simple.
Typically they take slightly longer simply because I can’t fairly determine how I would like the beads organized. However even when I’ve to redo a number of instances earlier than I discover the best order, I can nonetheless begin and end the necklace in a single night. Heck, I even obtained up this morning and made this iridescent beaded necklace earlier than I began on the issues I actually wanted to get completed. 😀 As soon as I discovered the order I preferred, it took me about 20 minutes from begin to end.
That is certainly one of my favourite ones. I had supposed for it to be a turquoise, purple, and gold necklace, however in the long run, I made a decision that I most popular the purple and gold with out the turquoise. So my unique plans don’t all the time work out. However that simply signifies that I now have turquoise beads that I can use on a separate necklace!
And typically, the beads come from the shop strung in a manner that will make a phenomenal necklace, so the design work is just about completed for you. That was the case with this black and white necklace. These beads had been already strung identical to this, together with the gold (though I swapped out the gold that got here with them with a gold I preferred extra). So I simply restrung them, added a butterfly pendant within the center, added a clasp, and I had a cute little necklace!
That is certainly one of my absolute favourite ones, and I’m simply ready for the chance to put on it. I really like these large crackled glass beads!
I made this one final evening proper earlier than I went to mattress. Matt was prepared for me to shut up, so I sort of obtained in a rush and clearly miscounted the white beads as a result of they’re not equal on either side. I’ll have to redo this and add a couple of extra white beads on the best facet, however I really like these gentle pastel, irregular reduce stones.
Together with shopping for new beads, I additionally redid some jewellery that I already had however by no means wore. These beads got here from some earrings that I’ve had for years, however I had stopped sporting them years in the past as a result of they had been too heavy and damage my ears. So I took them aside, and reused the stones on a necklace.
That is one other one that also wants a clasp, however these beads got here from the shop identical to this. I assumed they had been so lovely on their very own that they didn’t want any additional elaborations, so I simply strung all of them collectively, and with a complete of about 10 minutes of labor, I’ll have a phenomenal pure stone necklace.
One other factor I really like about this entire course of is discovering new and artistic methods to make use of the leftover beads from earlier necklaces. I had these few navy blue beads left over from the navy blue necklace above, so I used these on a very completely different design.
And I did the identical factor with these few left over colourful beads from the colourful necklace a couple of photos up.
And eventually, that is one other necklace that I already had, however I by no means wore as a result of it simply actually wasn’t me. It was a multi-strand necklace, with with a number of gold chain and doodads in between the white and clear beads. And the longest strand was fairly lengthy. I choose a a lot less complicated design, so I took the necklace aside, and restrung it with this all white and clear (and far less complicated) design with out all of the chains and gold doodads.
I’m having a lot enjoyable with this! However don’t fear. This received’t flip into a jewellery weblog. I received’t be pulling a bait-and-switch on y’all. 😀 I’ll be portray the studio doorways right this moment, and hopefully I’ll have some progress to share with you in that area tomorrow. However I’m having fun with this new inventive outlet a lot that I needed to share it with my fellow creatives. Should you’re searching for a inventive outlet that’s straightforward, enjoyable, and oh-so-satisfying, this might be it!
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and beautify the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.
