Crystal Drops

Weave Fashion Jewelry Bead

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:42:23 +0000

Finding just the right necklace or earrings to complement an outfit can be time-consuming and frustrating. You can create a custom-made necklace with beads made of glass, metal, bone, precious or semi-precious stones in the colors you choose. Use small beads to serve as spacers between larger beads. You can find beading supplies at craft stores, Fashion Jewelry Bead stores and on the Web.
Sketch design
1 Choose warp-weft style or right-angle weave beading. Warp-weft style places beads on parallel strands of thread and passes horizontal rows of beaded thread across the parallel strands. Right-angle weaving interlaces four beads together at right angles in subsequent rows.
2 Sketch your design on graph paper. Use colored pencils to help direct your color pattern.
3 Measure the length of the body part for the project—for example, the wrist for a bracelet. Measure the desired project width. Sketch the template with these dimensions on graph paper.
4 Transfer your markings to cardstock or poster board and cut it out. Take the template with you when selecting your beads to determine the number of beads you will need. (If you know the dimensions of the beads you plan to use, divide the area of the template by the bead sizes.)
5 Purchase enough beads and beading thread or wire for the project. Make sure you chose the correct thread/wire size for the smallest beads that you will be working with.
Warp-Weft Weave Beading
6 Place the number of required strands of thread (based on your design) parallel to one another. Make a knot near the bottom of the threads and attach the threads to a secure surface. Make another knot in each of the threads a few inches up from the knot previously made.
7 Slide a Crystal Jewelry Bead on each strand and push them down to the bottom knots. Tie another long strand of thread to the bottom of the right thread. This will be your shuttle thread. Make sure it is long enough to handle each row of your project.
8 String a bead onto the shuttle thread and bring the shuttle thread over the first vertical thread. String a new bead on the shuttle thread and bring it under the next thread. Repeat this action for each over-under pass of the shuttle thread across the vertical threads.
9 String a final bead on the shuttle thread and bring the shuttle thread around the left side. Working in the opposite direction, continue the method of adding a bead and weaving the shuttle thread over, adding a bead and bringing the shuttle thread and under motion. Do this for each row until the beaded piece is at the desired length.
Flat Right-angle Beading
10 Make a knot a few inches from the end of the thread.
11 Thread four beads and push them down toward the knot. Loop the short end of the thread that is behind the knot around your index finger.
12 Bring the working end of the thread back through the first bead. Pull the thread through, so that the beads are in a diamond configuration.
13 Thread three more beads. Bring the thread back through the last bead worked and through next two beads of the set that you just threaded. You should have two diamonds sharing a mutual point, and your thread should be at the top of the stack.
14 Keep threading three beads at a time and passing the thread through the top of the previous diamond and through the next two beads. To widen your project create a new row by also threading through the beads along the edge of the first full length worked.
Finishing and Adding Clasp
15 Tie knots in the end of each vertical row for warp-weft weave beading. Gather the top and make another knot.
16 Tie off the end with a knot for both types of jewelry bead weaving.
The article comes from Crystal Beads.

String & Finish Jewelry Fashion Bead Beading

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 07:39:31 +0000

Finding just the right necklace or earrings to complement an outfit can be time-consuming and frustrating. You can create a custom-made necklace with Fashion Bead made of glass, metal, bone, precious or semi-precious stones in the colors you choose. Use small beads to serve as spacers between larger beads. You can find beading supplie.
1 Arrange the bead design for your jewelry using a towel or a bead design board. A bead design board and a towel will help keep the beads from rolling away as you create your arrangement. Bead design boards also have measurements printed on the bead channels, but a measuring tape stretched on top of the towel also works as a guide.
2 Cut a length of beading cord–such as silk, hemp, satin, leather or suede–to the desired length of your jewelry.
3 Insert the cord’s end into a drop of liquid jeweler’s glue. Immediately insert the glued end inside the coil section of a spring-coil end component. Press the tip end of the metal coil into the cord with flat head pliers. This finishes one end before you string the beads, so there is no need to knot the cord.
4 String the beads onto the cord and to the coil in the order of your design. Leave enough room open to fit the spring-end finding at the other end of the beading cord.
5 Finish the beading string with a drop of jeweler’s glue and another spring coil end. Press the end into the cord. Let the glue dry.
6 Open two jump rings with flat-head pliers. Fit one over each of the metal rings attached to the coil ends. Fit one section of the Fashion Jewelry Bead clasp over each jump ring. Close the jump rings.
7 Arrange the beads for your jewelry using a design board or a towel and measuring tape.
8 Cut a length of elastic beading cord or soft monofilament line 4 inches longer than the desired jewelry length. Tie 2 inches at the end of either type of cord around the metal circle of an eye pin. Cover the knot with jeweler’s glue.
9 String the beads according to your design over the open end of the cord. Tie the end of the cord around the metal circle of another eye pin. Coat the knot with jeweler’s glue. Cut the excess beading cord.
10 Thread an end cone over each eye pin, large end first. Using round-nose pliers, make a loop in the pin wires exiting each cone. Cut the excess wires.
11 Join one section of clasp to each loop using a jump ring.
The article comes from Crystal Beads.

Choose Jewelry Bead Glass Pearls

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:46:31 +0000

The sparkle, the shine, the beauty: make a Jewelry Bead Glass Pearls to add to your jewelry collection!
Crystal beads are made from either glass or lead crystal, which are higher quality but also more expensive.
Often crystals have a finish called AB or Aurora Borealis on them. This AB finish gives a cloudy finish to several facets or sides of the crystal bead and makes the bead catch the light in different ways for more shine.
Crystal is made in a unique way; the lead is bound into the structure of the glass so that no real danger is presented. Unless you are stacking bracelets up to your elbows and wearing 20 necklaces made of crystal, I think you are safe to bling yourself out. In fact, lead is what gives crystal its weight. Whereas Swarovski has a lead content of about 30%, Chinese crystal beads lead levels are typically in the low-to-mid 20% range.
There are many jewelry lovers discovered that Crystal Jewelry Bead has an exceptional ability to transform an outfit, simple and comfortable becomes classy; formal becomes exceptional. There is another benefit of crystal jewelry, which is its durability and affordability. Crystal jewelry made by crystal beads are affordably priced and therefore easy to replace. At last, i tell you why crystal beads are so shinning and light. The crystals used for creating fabulous sculptures and miniatures, jewelry and couture, home decor and chandeliers owe it luminous shine to 32% lead present in its chemical composition. Lead maximizes the light refraction that makes the crystal glitter. Some variant of this branded crystal are processed with chemicals to give diverse light emergence. How crystal beads come into being and crystal jewelry caring tips Aurora Borealis Swarovski crystal variety emits the rainbow spectrum because it is coated with special metallic chemical. Similarly, different glass crystals are coated differently to give varied appearance. Few other types of coating are crystal transmission, volcano, aurum and dorado.
The article comes from Crystal Drops.

Make Crystal Glass Bead Pineapple

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:10:50 +0000

Crystal Glass Bead are a sparkly addition to any craft project. They come in different sizes, shapes and colors, and there is a crystal bead for any creative project. Kids will like making crafts with the shiny beads. Use larger beads if you are crafting with small children.
1 Measure and cut a piece of beading wire to 27 inches long. String seven 3- or 5-mm orange crystal beads onto the wire and slide them to the middle of the wire.
2 Feed one end of the wire through through three of the beads on the opposite side and pull it all the way through to form a second row of crystal beads. The first row will have three beads and the second row will have four.
3 String five beads onto one side of the wire and feed the end of the other wire through the Fashion Bead on the opposite side. Pull the two ends of the wire to bring the third row against the first two. Add two more rows of five beads each to make the fourth and fifth rows. Add a row of four beads and row of three beads to finish the main part of the pineapple.
4 Twist the two wires twice, tightly and as close to the last row of beads as you can.
5 Feed sixteen green seed beads onto either end of the wire and form a loop with each one to make the leaves at the top of the pineapple. Twist the wires together at the base of the leaves about four times to secure them.
6 Wrap the excess wire around the bottom of a closed metal jump ring and trim off the extra wire at the end. Now you can hang your crystal beaded pineapple pendant from a necklace.
The article comes from Crystal Drops.

Make Fashion Jewelry with Beads

admin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 05:29:02 +0000

Instructions
Necklace
1 Determine what pattern you want the beads to form, if you’re using more than one color or size of Fashion Bead. Lay out the beads on the bead board in the order you will string them onto the beading wire.
2 Cut a piece of wire that’s at least 25 inches long. This includes the necklace length plus five inches on each end for securing the clasp.
3 Slide a crimp bead onto one end of the wire along with one half of the clasp. Pull the wire back through the crimp bead. Use the crimping pliers to compress the crimp bead close to the clasp half. Trim off any excess wire.
4 String the beads on the beading wire according to the pattern you laid out. Slide the first bead over the crimp bead to hide it.
5 Attach the other end of the clasp to the other end of the wire by using a crimp bead, in the same way the first half was attached. Your necklace is now complete.
Earrings
6 Lay out the beads in the order you would like them to appear on the earrings, using spacers to set apart larger Fashion Jewelry Bead.
7 Turn a headpin upside down so the head faces down. Add the beads, keeping in mind that the way you’re holding the headpin is the way it will hang when worn.
8 Leave at least a half inch of unbeaded length at the other end of the headpin. Use the round-nose pliers to hold the headpin about a quarter inch away from the last bead you added. Grip the headpin about a third of the length from the end of the round-nose pliers.
Turn your wrist away from you to bend the headpin into a right angle. Hold the wire with the round-nose pliers.
Using the needle-nose pliers with your other hand, wrap the headpin end around the round-nose pliers until it crosses itself. Slide the looped end of a French earwire onto the headpin. Wrap the end of the headpin around itself at least twice, below the loop you made with the round-nose pliers. Trim any excess wire from the headpin. Use the needle-nose pliers to ensure that the headpin end is not sticking out.
Repeat this process for the other earring.
The article comes from Crystal Beads.

Make Wire Jewelry Bead Glass Pearls Cages

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 02:54:52 +0000

Wire is a medium often used in jewelry making because it’s not only versatile, but it showcases the gemstones used in the piece. Making a wire cage can be as simple as forming spirals, which are pulled apart to make a space for a Jewelry Bead Glass Pearls. The wire-encased gemstone then can be used as a pendant or drop earring, or as a bracelet by linking several together
1 Cut a long piece of wire from the spool and straighten it by sliding between your thumb and the outside of the needle-nose pliers’ jaws. Cut a length at least 10 times the bead’s diameter to give yourself extra length to work with.
2 Create a loop in one end of the wire by gripping the very tip in your cone-nose pliers, then wrapping the wire around the cone to form a circle. This will be used for hanging the finished cage as a pendant.
3 Insert the wire in the bead. Line up the bead with the loop end so that the rest of the wire’s length protrudes from the other side.
4 Use the tip of your needle-nose pliers to form a small spiral at the base of the bead, extending just out from the hole. Press the spiral so that it conforms to the shape of the Crystal Jewelry Bead.
5 Wrap the wire around the bead in a spiral using your fingers. Wrap by pressing the wire down against the bead as you move upward, feeding in more wire as you go. Keep as much of the wrapped wire pressed in place with your fingers as possible while you wrap more. Keep a consistent distance between each new coil and the last. Use more, tighter coils with fine wire and larger beads.
6 Tighten the wrap. Smooth your finger over the wire spiral from bottom to top a couple of times, working out as much of the slack and twisting the wire more tightly around the bead as you go. If you like, make the wire even tighter by adding small twists to its length using the cone-nosed pliers; this will change the style of the wrap.
7 Test the wrap for strength. Hold up the wrap by the loop you made in Step 2 to see if the cage attached to it is strong enough to hold the bead. Ideally, the wire should not bounce or stretch out and loose its bend when being handled in this manner. If it does, try a new wrap with thicker wire or use a cyanoacrylate adhesive to glue the cage in place at the bottom and top.
The article comes from Crystal Drops.

Make A Crystal Curtains Designs

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:07:10 +0000

Moving into a new home is an exciting experience, but also one that involves quick decision. Since you don’t want to leave your windows uncovered, choosing window dressings will be one of the first purchases you make. Not only do window dressings offer privacy during the day and night, but certain styles are designed to shield out the cold or block the sun’s rays. Choosing drapery means that you will need something to hold it up, which is why Crystal Curtains poles become a new homeowner’s best friend. Although these rods date back to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it hasn’t been until recently that manufacturers have offered plenty of styles, materials and sizes to choose from.
1 Select the size, style and color of the beads you plan to use to make your curtain. Beads range in size from 4 to 10 millimeters and larger in a variety of cuts, colors and materials. You’ll need to measure the height of the space you are covering with your bead curtain so you can get an idea of how many beads you’ll need for the project. For example, to make one 6-foot strand of 6-millimeter round beads, you will need approximately 234 beads. Different shapes and sizes will also affect how many beads you need to make your curtain designs. Look for online retailers like ibead.com that sell beads by the strand, usually 8 inches, so you can determine how many beads you will need to make your curtain. Incorporating large beads into your designs will account for more space along the strand.
2 Design a pattern for your strands by laying out the Crystal Glass Bead as you would place them on the strand. Pattern designs are generally repetitive, so you need to only lay out the first section of your pattern, up until the repeat begins. For example, your pattern may be six 6-millimeter red bicones, followed by 12 8-millimeter crystal bicones, followed by one 10-millimeter round hand-painted bead repeated seven times to create your strand. Lay out the red, crystal and hand-painted beads to visualize how the beads look together and to tweak your design, if needed. Once you have your pattern as you like it, write down the sequence to make stringing easier.
3 Cut a length of fishing or monofilament line 7 inches longer than the length of one strand of your bead curtain. Make a loop and tie a strong knot 3 inches from one end of your line. This is the top of your bead strand and will slide over the curtain rod.
4 Thread the beads onto the line according to your design plan, leaving about 3 inches at the bottom to tie a strong knot. Make as many strands as you need to fill your doorway or window.
The article comes from Crystal Beads.

Crystal Curtain Making And Fringe

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:53:34 +0000

The use of Crystal Curtain dates back hundreds of years ago and was actually a big part of Asian history. During the 1960′s, through the influence of movies filmed in places like Asia and North Africa, beaded curtains attracted the interest of westerners. At present, these intricate pieces are back to add impression in every interior design; stylish and innovative than ever.
Beaded curtains are made from beads individually affixed to the cord. From simple to complex designs, factory made to do-it-yourself, these curtains should be appreciated for the material they are made of, unusual detailing and good workmanship.
These curtains also offer a great reflection of style. These statement pieces can spruce up a boring interior. Curtains that are beaded with crystals and gemstones sift through the light that enters the room and give dramatic effects. They also come in different sizes, shapes, cuts, themes and designs.
Making a Beaded Curtain
To make a full-length Crystal Beaded Curtain for your window or a doorway, you’ll need to measure the length, top to bottom, of the opening where you plan to hang the curtain. You’ll be making individual strands of beads to fill the opening, as separated or as close together as you like. Fishing line works well to hold the weight of the beads on the strands; it’s also easy to knot. Select your beads based on the décor of your room and on your budget. Swarovski crystal beads make a dazzling curtain for your window, but the beads are pricey and you’ll need quite a few. Wooden beads or other types of glass beads make a nice beaded curtain for your doorway. Check with online retailers for bulk pricing.
To make individual strands, cut a length of fishing line to fit the opening, plus 10 inches for the knots and the loop at the top. Make a 2-inch loop on one end, and secure it with a triple overhand knot. Thread the beaded design onto the line, and tie another triple overhand knot at the end. It’s also a good idea to secure the knots with a drop of jeweler’s glue or craft glue. Make as many strands as you need, and hook them over a tension rod to hang in your home.
Beaded Curtain Fringe
Adding beaded fringe to the bottom or sides of a curtain is a simple sewing craft project that anyone can do. You’ll need a beading needle and thread along with bugle beads, seed beads and 4-mm crystal beads to create the beaded fringe.
Begin by double-threading the needle, knotting the end and inserting it from the back to the front of the seam of your curtain. Pick up several beads for your fringe design, ending with a seed bead. Your fringe can be as long or as short as you like. Insert the needle back through the bead next to the last seed bead first, then through all of the other beads on the fringe strand. You’ll need to go back through the edge of the curtain fabric before picking up more fringe beads. Always finish your strand with a seed bead, and avoid going back through it with your needle. This is how your fringe stays intact.
The article comes from Crystal Drops.

Crystal Chandelier And Chandelier Parts History

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:03:35 +0000

Have you ever looked at a hanging Chandelier Parts and wondered how it came to be? Crystal chandeliers have long been an iconic symbol of luxury and opulence, as well as a pinnacle of beautiful interior decorating. These dazzling installations enjoy a rich history, not only in terms of their construction and evolution, but also their significance as a social symbol.
As a basic lighting structure, the chandelier dates back to medieval Europe, when simple fixtures were hung in large places of assembly to provide overhead illumination. These early chandeliers consisted of little more than a hanging wooden cross on which candles were attached by stakes.
Over time, the potential for chandeliers as devices of decoration, as well as utility, began to be more fully realized and both wooden and metal structures began to take on more elaborate and aesthetically pleasing shapes. Eventually, glass and crystal ornaments were added to metal frames to take advantage the the near light source, creating breathtaking sparkle.
Crystal chandeliers became the preferred choice in the 17th century, when lead Bi-cone Bead was first developed by a glass maker in England. The addition of lead oxide to rock crystal added shine, sparkle and the ability to refract light. It also became easier to cut and not so brittle that it shattered. The ease of cutting brought on the subsequent artistry we see in Bi-cone Bead chandeliers. Now flickering light bounces off tiers of crystal and flashes all the colors of the rainbow off of dangling pendants and diamond like drops. By the 18th and 19th centuries, ornate crystal chandeliers made a statement of elegance and opulence in the finest homes and palaces in the world.
Chandeliers, particularly Bi-cone Bead chandeliers, have long been considered a sign of wealth and status. This is because the materials used to make them and the skilled labor involved in creating them were once so expensive as to be affordable only by the very rich and royalty. Nowadays, mass industrial production makes it possible for many middle-class homes and moderate business establishments to enjoy creations that are not so very different in appearance from their extravagant predecessors.
The article comes from Crystal Beads.

Make A Crystal Glass Bead Circle Pendant

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:45:22 +0000

Crystal jewellery is very famous and in the fashion, these days. The crystals are loved by almost all of the women, all over the world. Crystal can be used in almost all types of jewellery items like pendants, necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings etc. In this article we will discuss some famous designs of Crystal Pendants.
1 Gather all the required supplies to make the crystal circle pendant. Scatter out all the crystal beads on a cloth to think of a suitable design. Play with the crystal pieces until a nice design is figured out.
2 Use metals of different sizes and colors for the findings like jump rings and split rings. Thread beads on a headpin. Try different designs until a good circular one is achieved.
3 Use flat nose pliers to bend the headpin at a 90-degree angle. Make a Crystal Glass Bead circle in the wire close to the beads by using round nose pliers. Bend the end of the headpin around these pliers. Make a simple loop by crossing this wire in front of the circle.
4 Cut the unnecessary extra wire to get a clean finish using a wire cutter. Make a split ring in the loop. Insert a chain through this ring so that crystal pendants are attached to it. They can be easily interchanged now.
5 Add a jump ring to the loop if split ring is not preferred. Give first priority to split rings as they are more secure.
6 Make more crystal pendants with different crystals and designs using the same procedure.
The article comes from Crystal Beads.