Recycling paper: Paper bead "how to"

Making paper bead tutrial

Crafty jewelry: recycling art

Circuit Breaker necklace

Over the summer, I helped a friend clean out a storage unit.  Everything had to go, except for the few small items that caught my eye for future use.  Two boxes of different colored fuses?  Why not...I'll think of something to do with them!

Materials and Tools

Fuses of different colors
28 gauge colored craft wire
Seed beads, sizes 11/0 and 8/0
Beading wire
4 crimps
4-5 mm round beads
Magnetic clasp

Wire cutters
Flat nose pliers

1. Cut off a 5 to 6 foot piece of colored craft wire.  In the center of the wire, wrap the first fuse and twist the wire tightly to secure.  

2. Add an 8/0 seed bead over both wires.  Bend one wire out of the way and work from the center outward with one wire at a time.  On the first wire, add another 8/0 seed bead, 6 11/0 seed beads, and 2 more 8/0 seed beads.  Wrap the wire around the next fuse, take the wire down through the top 8/0 seed bead, and wrap the wire around 3 or 4 times to anchor the fuse.

3. Add an 8/0 seed bead, 6 11/0 seed beads, and 2 more 8/0 seed beads.  Repeat from step 2 until near the end of the wire, leaving about 4 to 5 inches after wrapping the last fuse.

4. Repeat from the center outward using the other wire.  Create several more strands.  I made 4 in total, 2 with larger fuses and 2 with smaller fuses.  Twist the strands together.

5. Using 1 of the wires, wrap the ends together on one side.  Slide size 8/0 seed beads over all the rest of the wires.

6. Make a loop, wrapping the loose wires to anchor.

7. Cut 2 pieces of beading wire.  Use a crimp to make a small seed bead loop through one of the loops you created in step 6.  String on beads to finish the strand, crimping it to one half of the clasp.  Repeat on the other side of the necklace.

8. The finished necklace.     

Copyright 2010 Cyndi Lavin.

Crafty jewelry:

 wire and ribbon necklace

Blue Bells has no clasp, so make sure that you string the necklace long enough to fit comfortably over your head. I used some terrific multi-colored ribbon-style yarn to make this necklace, but feel free to experiment with the fabulous array of fibers that are available these days!

Materials:
Ribbon yarn
28 gauge wire
Czech crystals or other beads
Beading wire
2 crimps
2 dozen Indian bells
2 large-holed silver beads
Small beads, approximately 4 mm

Tools:
Large crochet hook
Scissors
Wire cutters
Chain nose pliers

1. String 50 Czech crystals onto 28 gauge wire. I used dark blue. Leaving a 4 inch tail, crochet the wire together with multicolored flat ribbon "yarn". Slide a crystal into place every few stitches. I crocheted a long enough length to be able to fold it into quarters. Vary this section to suit yourself. When you've finished crocheting, leave another 4 inch tail.

2. Fold the long strand up and use the tails to wrap around and secure them together. Cut another piece of wire for the other end if needed. Twist the wire ends together so that you can hide them inside the beads in the next step.

Makeing round from beads and fearther

Makeing round from beads and fearther

Makeing round from beads and fearther

Makeing round from beads and fearther