Tutorial Time!

This is a tutorial of my bridesmaids gifts. So, if you are a bridesmaid... DO NOT READ!!!

OK everyone remember these.

These were the first pieces of jewelery I ever made. I'm just really lucky I picked up a book at Joann's when I was buying supplies that talked about crimping beads. Anyways, I thought I would pass along some tips.

Supplies

-Pearls (12 strands of white and light pink)

-Jewelry wire

-Jewelry pliers

-Jewelry design board

-Crimping beads

-Clasps

-Ribbon

-Charms

Jewelry pliers

I just wanted to clearly outline their three purposes.

1. The inside area (closest to the handles) is for cutting. You will use it mostly for cutting jewelry wire.

2. The middle part is for crimping. It may be easier to use the dipped part to do the initial crimp, but make sure to use one of the flat areas to really smash and close the bead.

3. The outside part is used to bend wire. I used this on the thick wire that is holding the beads on all the earrings.

Instructions

(Using this feather necklace as the example)

1. Decide the length needed for the necklace and use the outside grove of the design board to measure the length of the inside strand. The necklace in the design board pic looks like it is 22 inches long, but the inside strand will actually only be about 18 inches. (I initially measured the inside strand in the inside design board grove, and I had to redo the first necklace because it came out too short.)

2. Put clasps and any charms on the design board in the places you want them to be on the necklace. I wanted the feather to be off-centered, so I put it between 1 and 4 inches from the center.

3. Measure the length of wire you will need and cut it.

4. Put a crimping bead on the wire. String wire through holes at the clasp. String wire through crimping bead again so that a loop goes around the hole in the clasp.

5. Get the crimping bead as close to the clasp and use the middle of the pliers to crimp (smash) the bead. Make sure the crimping bead is fully smashed so the wire will not slip out.

6. String beads on wire until you get about a beads length away from the feather or a clasp.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 for all three strands

8. String all three strand wires through one crimping bead. String through hole in the feather and repeat the rest of steps 4 and 5.

9. Repeat steps 3-8 for the other side of the necklace on the other side of the feather.

And there you have it. A pearl necklace with an off-centered charm. All supplies besides the pearls were bought at Joann's or Michael's.

Add the Jewelry with the clutches just for fun.