Imran ali asked:


Designing own jewellery is extremely appreciating. Feeling which comes after designing and making own jewellery is unique. However, numbers of decisions are needed to make which are important for the outcome of designed jewellery. Beaded jewellery is an example, which can be quoted, because this jewellery is based on handmade techniques. So while making this jewellery some important decisions are needed to make. Selection of beads is an important thing because the selection of beads would decide the shape of the finished item which may be surprising or may be disappointing. Following are the few tips which may be useful for avoiding frustrations.

Material to be used is the most important decision. Wide variety of materials is used to make beads. Few materials like metal and gems should be carefully looked out. If these materials are really looked after carefully, they will keep with you for the whole life. Other beads might not remain the same for the whole life because beads which are dyed can be faded and the paint of the beads that are colored can be flaked off.

Only those beads should be chosen which match with the long term requirements and are complimentary with the other materials used for making jewellery. If the beads are going to be used with metals like gold and silver, then only those beads are best which will not spoil and tarnish the finished item within the short period of time. Even the qualitative beads lose their effects too, if are used with low quality materials.

While making the design of Beaded jewellery, selection of bead which have right size and weight is very significant. If heavy beads are selected they can spoil the shape of neckpiece. Light beads are very selective and perfect for the jewellery making if matches with the other material of the jewellery. The condition that only applied here is that they should be durable, fine and of good quality.

If the jewellery being made requires large beads, then the hollow metal or wooden beads are suitable. With the use of these beads the jewellery would be saved from being too big and heavy. Bali silver beads are light weighted and also look stunning.

If you are going to make and sell your own Beaded jewellery items than the cost of the jewellery should be decided according to the budget. For instance, cost of beads, cost of other materials used, time spent and overheads, etc. If the proportions of finished items are known then the requirements of the beads can be calculated and the end weight of the finished items can be easily estimated.

When the issue regarded picking of beads arises, then all the beads which are selected for designing own jewellery should be poured in a glass vessel. With this act matching of different colored materials with beads would become easy. If it is observed that the beads which would look smaller in the finished items then the bigger size of beads should be selected before the making of the jewellery.



Annie

Hanan Ben Lulu asked:


Introduction

In this installment of How to Make Fimo Beads we will learn, in few simple stages, the process of creating Fimo beads. The arts and design however, are on you.

Fimo beads are handmade beads that originally came from South Africa. They are generally made of polymer clay, but they can be created from nearly any kind of malleable material that anyone can purchase at a hobby or craft store. Once a set of beads have been created, they can be used to make many different kinds of jewelry, including necklaces and bracelets.

Ingredients

To make Fimo beads, it is important to assemble all of your materials before you begin. You will need polymer clay (or any other type of malleable clay-like material that may be available to you. You will also need some sort of device to help you make shapes other than a sphere (you can make a sphere with just your hands). A knitting or crochet needle will also be needed in order to make the holes in the center of the beads. Finally, a high temperature oven will be required to allow the beads to harden. Varnish and paint will also be necessary in order to customize your creations. If you have a pasta machine at home which has been collecting dust, a perfect sacrifice is the making of your Fimo beads.

Knead and Balls

First take the clay from the package starting with approximately one ounce. Squeeze and gently warm the clay between your hands rolling it into a long thin snake. Repeat this process until the clay stretches out, without breaking, when pulled apart. Try to manipulate the clay long enough to remove obvious air trapped within the clay. Once the clay is easily malleable, you should divide it into small balls of equal or different sizes. You should make sure that the balls are of equal size in order to create more authentic Fimo beads, but they can be any size that you wish for your own jewelry making purposes. If you managed to get a pasta machine use it to roll your clay out into sheets in your chosen thickness. I usually lay down a sheet of wax paper on my work area for easy cleanup. A sharp cutting blade is required and should be kept separately with your other Fimo bead making supplies. Once your beads have been shaped, you can make a hole through the center of them with the needle you set aside earlier. Simply slide the needle through the center of the bead and then leave it in.

The baking

Now it is time for the baking process. After your beads have been sculpted, hang them in an oven and set the temperature to approximately 265 Fahrenheit. The beads should be hardened in about thirty minutes. Proper baking time is essential to allow the polymer to fuse completely. If you do not bake for the correct length of time your finished pieces will be weak. Once the beads have cooled you can remove the needle safely without jeopardizing the shape of the bead. As a final bit of customization, you can paint and varnish the beads to your specifications.

Some Safety

Never breathe in the fumes while baking and be sure to use an exhaust fan. Store your clay away from direct sunlight and heat in plastic bags or plastic containers. The clay will retain its workability indefinitely if you store properly.

In courtesy of:

* http://www.monsterguide.net/how-to-make-fimo-beads.shtml

* http://www.articleaddition.com/Article/How-to-Make-Fimo-Beads/43586



Jeremy

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


As many people will know, while you can buy your jewelry at various jewelry stores, there is still something very exciting about making your very own jewelry. To make these designer jewelry pieces you will need lots of equipment. For the most part you can find these tools at your home. The main item that you will need to locate is that of the jewelry or “gemstones”. These are usually beads which come in many different types. The best way to get these wholesale beads is from a store that sells quality products like these beads.

When you look at the various wholesale beads you will find that there is quite a variety for you to choose from. These wholesale bead stores will be able to supply you with high quality beads like Cats eye beads, semi-precious gemstone beads, sterling silver beads and many others.

The quality of these beads depends on the place that you bought them from. This means that if you want your jewelry to look fantastic you should buy wholesale beads that are of an exceptional value and look. One of the places where you can buy wholesale beads from is costume jewelry stores or craft stores. At these places you can find a large amount of beads in different styles and shapes.

Before you buy these wholesale beads you should take the time to inspect the beads for good quality. Choosing only the best ones you should see what other items that you can buy to complement these wholesale beads. This is important because you will soon have the chance to make these wholesale beads that you have bought, into glamorous jewelry designs that no one else has.

You can also buy your wholesale beads from various internet wholesale dealers. While you can’t look at these beads in person you can see if the price of these wholesale beads is reasonable. With an affordable price on these wholesale beads you can choose the many different designs that you would like to buy and make into great looking jewelry. The next time around that you need more wholesale beads you will know the best places that you can get them for at affordable prices and high quality products.

All that remains is for you to buy a good book on jewelry making and the various tools that you may need. With some imagination you can transform these wholesale beads into magnificent creations that are distinctly you and something that no one else owns.



Veronica

kim m asked:


I am a new beader, but I think that pins would sell good. Maybe a pink ribbon made with safety pins and beads.

Darrell

Karen Lincoln asked:


Beads have become part of our lives, and these are used in various things such as the jewelry that we wear, or on other decorative things in our homes such as table mats, bed covers etc. The greatest part of using beads, is that you can get creative and create your own beading designs and decorate different things that you use. You can decorate a hand bag with beads, and thus making it really attractive. When you work with beading, you need to have patience, time and creativity. If your doing beading in a professional capacity, you need to be precise, so that your beading designs look neat and intricate.

If you’ve understood the simple basics of beading, you can work on varied beading designs, be it simple designs or more complex such as Peyote designs. Geometric and floral patterns are simple beading designs. Creating, animals or huge table cloths, is a lot more complex.

Majority of bead work is done with thread. However you can get innovative and use different materials with beads. Wires have become increasingly popular, mainly because its so easy and flexible to work with. Attractive hair pins and clips, with bead work is done using metal strips. To do this, you need to bend the metal as by doing this the beads don’t fall out. Create a loop by attaching the two ends of metal. You can use aluminum strips, which are extremely thin and workable to create dangle bead earrings. If you stick both ends of the strips by folding one on top of the other, you can make beautiful pendants.

Beads made of glass or wood, or transparent plastic can be used to make bracelets. Bright colors make jewelry more attractive. You can also use large beads to make a chunky bracelets which are quite popular with teenagers. It’s actually very simple to make a bracelet. Just thread some beads together, add a hook at the two ends of the threads, and you have an attractive bead bracelet. Using rubber instead of thread is also something unique and creative. However one thing that you need to be mindful of, is taking care not to stretch the rubber while your putting in the beads. Only when your wearing the bracelet, can the rubber be stretched. It’s advisable to make a rubber bracelet by using the rubber that fits the size of your wrist.

Floral designs are another common feature amongst beading designs. Various flowers such as daisies, roses etc can be made. Also, you can use smaller beads to create small leaves, adding to the attractiveness of the beading designs. These can be rather complex, and you need to be a little patient while creating these beading designs.

Beading involves creating loops of beads or parallel lines of beads. The square, the peyote and the loom are the patterns that are formed. Designs are made from these patterns, which are then used in a myriad of different forms to create beading designs. These beading designs look rather complex, which is not really the case. If you use a beading kit, you can learn to create various types of beading designs. Or you can also copy existing designs to learn different techniques. While beading is relatively simple, it does require some practice and a whole lot of patience.



Marcia

onecrzeewmn asked:


I made several 60″ necklaces using seed and bugle beads and the string is breaking. I glued at the knot but that stays in place. Any suggestions on a brand of string/thread that is stronger. Or has anyone used fishing line?

Hazel

John asked:


If you look at the history of the stones or beads you will be forced to come to the conclusion that since ancient times all the great kings & richest people in the world were knowing of the immense power (magical and spiritual) beads have. So if you look at their wealth profiles (in today’s lingo “net worth”) you will see that many used different types of beads and gave them different meanings.

 It is having very great influence on the physical health of the person who is wearing that. If you look at the bead named lapis lazuli, it does have a great effect on the health of the person and also has a great religious importance too. There was a time when only people who belongs to royal family were allowed to wear these stones.

 If you just want to categorize different types of beads then definitely you will come to wide variety of beads mainly pearls, gold, diamond studded rings, semiprecious stones, metallic beads, platinum beads. According to the category of the bead manufacturing procedure does vary as the time required too depends on the design of the product.     

  

 Gold bangles studded with diamonds or some other precious stones are the fashion ‘all the time popular’ with Indian ladies. Generally it is preferred by any modern lady to wear a single bangle, sometimes referred as bracelet as it does give an artistic look as well it does serve the purpose of letting their hands free for other work (refer: any Indian lady who wears approximately 20 bangles in a single hand, how she could be able to deal with regular work without bothering about those beads.)

 It is not always that these types of bracelet are used by ladies only, rather male do use large chunk of these beads generally it is called as ‘kadaa’ (use phonetics to pronounce).Although the beads are served in different version as stated above but glass beads are true pious symbol of the matrimony.

If you have noticed the Oscar awards ceremony there you would have found so many celebrities wearing beads of different types of designs. Although for a general person it won’t be possible to just purchase those highly priced beads but surely that look can be achieved with some low cost beads & definitely it will work. If you happen to go through any of the fashion magazine recently including Vogue, Marie Claire, Lucky, Us and so on … you could notice that the fashion can be worked out within our budget without compromising on fashion style, it does require a little more imagination and some efforts on our part to find out the suitable (in terms of physical as well as spiritual) bead for oneself. Try it out. You will be amazed by the praise from your colleagues, friends, and hubby & from the mirror too. Impress the guys with these beads & just tune in to the success raga…





Dorothy

arielstar34 asked:


I’m making beaded critters for a group of students at a local school.The wire keeps on twisting and I get so frustrated because the beads won’t move.I pull but I’m left with cutting the wire which I don’t like to do.

Leonard

Temp asked:


When learning to bead you will realize early on that you need more than just beading needles and some thread. There are hundreds of organizers and tools available for beading, and those tools have a direct impact on the look and style of any beading project. Yet there are five basic tools that will get you started:

Tool 1: Round Nose Pliers

While you can find round nose pliers at any hardware store, it is often better to buy them in a craft or beading store, because these are made especially for beading. Also, you should look for round nose pliers that have a spring in the handle, because they are more comfortable and convenient for beading. The round nose pliers are used for making round or circular pieces of wire.

Tool 2: Flat Nose Pliers

Again, you can find these tools in most hardware stores, as their uses range from beading to auto repair. Yet buying them in a craft or beading store will assure that they are made for jewelry. These pliers should be soft inside the nose, and they will be the primary pair of pliers with a flat nose used in jewelry making.

Tool 3: Wire Cutter

Wire cutters are an essential in jewelry making, because you will be using various kinds of wire. You will want to get a small pair of wire cutters that can cut through things like headpins. They should be small, because the work you will be doing is small. If the wire cutters are too big, you will not be able to cut the wire close to the project.

Tool 4: Glue

Many jewelry projects require that you use glue, but you want to make sure you purchase glue that is specially designed for jewelry making. White or craft glues will not adhere correctly, but beading glue often gets into the delicate details of a project.

Tool 5: Tweezers

As you continue beading, you will find that you are using very small, delicate beads. A pair of tweezers will help you pick up small objects that you just cannot do with your hands.

Tool 6: Scissors

You will need scissors for many beading projects, but be sure you purchase the kind that is specially created for jewelry making.

As you continue beading you will need other tools like Ez-Beaders and hand tube beaders. You will also find yourself in need of organizers for your beads.



Jimmy

Leonard Steward asked:


Warmer weather will be here before you know it. Turn your knack for crafting into a fashion statement. Beaded sandals are all the rage but can be pretty pricey. Why not design and make your own?

The cost of your beaded shoes will depend on the shoes that you select . The rest of the materials and tools are very inexpensive. You might even go shopping in your own closet for dull-looking sandals that could use a pretty update! If you make jewelry for profit, beaded sandals can be a very profitable expansion of your product line.

What You Will Need- Materials for Beaded Sandals





1 pair sandals, synthetic uppers are easiest to work with.





SuppleMax 0.30mm illusion cord





Your choice of beads and charms





Masking tape





Beading Tools





Flexible measuring tape





Sharp sewing needle





Scissors





Needle nose pliers





Bead Board





How to Bead Your Sandals

With flexible measuring tape, measure the length of the area you want to bead. Lay out your design on the bead board. Cut a length of illusion cord equal to two times the length you want plus 2 feet. For example, if the length you beaded is 9 inches then you will need 42 inches of illusion cord (9 x 2 + 24 inches = 42 inches).

Thread the illusion cord onto the needle; from the top, sew through the sandal strap as close to the sole as you can. Sew back through to the top about 3/16″ to one side, exiting as close as possible to the sole.

Pull the cord through so that both lengths are equal. This provides the two strands for the double row design. Double-knot the two lengths together; tape one length to the bottom on the sandal to keep it out of your way while you bead the first row.

Each section of beads in this design is secured in place by sewing through the sandal strap to the back and then back through to the top. For example, string a section of 3-4mm beads; sew the cord through the strap; then sew back up to the top very close to the first hole. The needle nose pliers are used to help pull the needle through the strap.

The larger beads can be individually secured: string a large bead; sew through the strap; sew back through the strap to the top, ready for the next bead(s). Don’t be concerned if the bead or beads don’t lie exactly straight. You can adjust and secure them better when you bead the second row.

When you’ve finished the first row of beads, sew through to the back of the strap; un-tape the other strand of illusion cord; and tape the end of the cord you just completed to the sole of the sandal to keep it out of the way while you string the second strand.

For the second row, you only need to add the small beads. When you come to a large bead, run the needle through the bead and position the holes that you sew to secure and straighten the bead. When you reach the end, sew through to the back. Un-tape the first piece of illusion cord. Double-knot the two strands together.

To hide the ends and prevent them from irritating the wearer’s foot, use the needle to run each strand horizontally into the strap between the layers of strap material and exit at the back. Snip the end flush with the strap. If you can feel the end when you run your finger over the area, the wearer will be able to feel it on her foot and you will need to trim closer. Now you have your lovely footwear masterpiece!



Stephanie