10 Steps to Making a Beaded Necklace

A great way to add flair to any outfit, beaded necklaces are also easy to create at home, making them a unique and budget-friendly alternative to traditional store-bought jewelry. If you’re interested in creating your own beaded necklace, here’s the process in ten easy steps.

To get started, gather the following:

• Scissors
• Clear dying glue
• A pin or large needle
• Two cords, no less than 20″, made of nylon or beading wire
• Wire cutters (if you go with the second option)
• At least 50-100 beads no larger than 8mm each, depending on the intended size and length of your necklace. You’ll probably want to stick with crystal, glass or ceramic beads for your first creation; you can upgrade to trickier materials like gemstones once you’ve gotten the hang of the jewelry making.

To create your necklace:

10: Measure your neck. This needs to be your first step, before touching any of the other materials, because you need to know exactly how long to cut your cord. Be sure to give yourself a few extra inches in case of mistakes.

9: Begin by tying a overhead knot at the end of your newly-shortened cord, leaving six to eight inches of free thread at the end. These are in addition to your “just in case” inches, so you should have plenty of extra cord on the other end of your knot. Remember, it’s easier to cut excess at the end than spontaneously materialize more cord if you’re short.

Make sure the lump is big enough to cover the entirety of the bead holes; you don’t want your beads slipping over your knots. If you’re using wire, you can twist and bend it a little to approximate natural movement and see if it holds.

8: String your first bead onto the cord, slipping it all the way to the knot.

7: Tie another knot immediately after your first bead. This is a critical step! Without periodic knots in your cord, you run the risk of your beads slipping off as you string them. You’ll also invite wear and surface damage to your beads if they’re left to constantly clink together.

You can choose how often to knot your cord – once after every three beads, once after every five, et cetera – and how big you want the knots to be. You can even incorporate it into your design as seen in the picture above. Regardless of your aesthetic choices, however, it’s essential to include one knot after the first bead at each end of the cord:

This is the foundation of your necklace’s security.

6: Stick your pin/needle into the knot to avoid creating a noticeable lump in your necklace. You can also use the pin to “slide” your knot across the cord if your first attempt wasn’t precisely aligned.

5: Remove the pin, then continue stringing your beads as desired. If this is your first necklace, you’ll probably want to go for something simple, but if you’re skilled or just ambitious enough you can experiment with different shapes and colors.

4: Before you call it quits, make sure both sides of your necklace are symmetrical. An easy shortcut is to choose a bead that looks like the center point of your necklace, then count the number of beads on each side of it.

3: You should now be looking at the untied end of the cord. We’ll call that End #2. Don’t knot it like you did at the beginning with End #1! Instead, create a loose, open knot held open by your trusty pin.

2: Slip End #1 into the knot of End #2. Remember the six to eight inches of cord you left free? Use them now. Slip the pin out of the first knot, then create another to successfully tie both ends together. You can add another bead if the lump is too noticeable or unsightly.

1: Cut any remaining cord. Don’t snip it too close to the knots; leave about half an inch remaining and use your clear-drying glue to secure it to the last bead.

Your necklace is now complete. Gently tug the cord to make sure it’s sturdy enough to wear and that your knots won’t be slipping out of the bead holes. Then comes the important step of all: Throwing it on and enjoying the fruits of your labor!

Tutorial / instructions by FeelingInspired, Australian beading supplies shop.