Making beads from natural stones with your own hands is a very interesting and exciting job. But here it will take a lot of time, knowledge of some subtleties, manual dexterity, since it will be necessary to first draw up a design, then order a lot of materials and tools for each of the beads, and decide on the chain. And then, when everything you need is collected in a box, it will take a lot of time to assemble beauty into one product.
Today we will deal with all the stages of making beads with our own hands. If you are interested, then stay with us, we promise that it will not be boring, because we know many secrets associated with beads and beads.
Components of beads
The most commonly used materials / tools when making beads from pomegranates, amber, turquoise and other natural stones with your own hands:
- beads;
- base (silk thread, jewelry cable, fishing line, etc.);
- needle;
- scissors;
- nippers;
- clasp.
Now let's take a closer look at the most important points of the list, so that you understand which materials and accessories are better to buy and what not to take.
Lock options
Most simple and popular types of fasteners:
- carbine;
- screw;
- latches;
- hook;
- toggle;
- magnetic lock.
Reliable and convenient carbine perfect for beads of any style and design. A good needlewoman always has a small set of locks-carabiners of different colors (silver, gold, red brass, antique copper, white rhodium), shapes (round, teardrop-shaped, barrel-shaped, etc.) and sizes in stock. Carabiners made of brass with environmentally friendly chrome plating work best for wear, so they do not fade over time and have beautiful shades. Having such locks at hand, you will always collect any beads, and later you can exchange the carbine for a more interesting lock that better matches your decoration.
В screw clasp one part of the lock is screwed into the other. Since the parts are held together by threads, such fasteners are extremely reliable and strong.
In a very heavy product made of large minerals, the screw should not be used, as the lock can "cut" into the body under the weight of the jewelry and cause unpleasant sensations.
In light products made from small beads, the screws look neat and inconspicuous. If you want to emphasize the beauty of the beads and make the lock as invisible as possible, choose a screw barrel lock or a classic grooved cylinder.
Locks-latches are also well known to all. One part has a hole and the other is a serrated plate that fits into a groove. You can open such a lock only by pressing the plate, so it keeps the beads tightly closed. Due to its reliability, the latch can withstand a lot of weight and is most suitable for jewelry made of heavy natural stones.
The simplest is the lock-hook... Such fasteners are of two types: double-sided, where two hooks cling to each other; and a ring hook, where the foot clings to the ring. Obviously, the hooks are held in place only by the tension that a rather heavy piece can have. Hook locks look simple and laconic, so they fit perfectly into ethnic necklaces, various beads made from natural materials, paper, the design of which does not require excess and pretentiousness.
Toggle castle consists of two parts. One is the ring, and the other is the bar that fits into the ring. Despite the simplicity of the mechanism, the toggle is a reliable lock, so feel free to choose it for heavy jewelry. As a rule, the toggle is made quite large, so it is used not only as a fastener, but also as an additional pretty decorative element.
Magnetic lock consists of two halves, on each of which a magnet is fixed. Such a lock is easiest to fasten from the back, since it can be done even by touch, without looking in the mirror. Although the magnet is strong enough, take into account the weight of the product when assembling so that the halves of the lock do not open under the weight of the jewelry. The larger the surface of the magnet, the stronger the lock. Typically, this lock looks like a bead or cylinder: copper, brass, or two gold caps.
How to choose the right bead elements
To make the beads look beautiful, try to draw a sketch of the future product. So you can immediately think through all the nuances. But if you do not know how to draw, then you can at least imagine in detail what you want to get ideally.
Beads should be chosen from one seller from the same batch, since they may differ from different merchants in color, texture, finishing method and any other subtleties of appearance.
Metal jumpers for natural beads should be heavy enough to hold their shape and not break on the first pair of socks.
The stone for assembly must be selected not only depending on whether you like it or not, but also in terms of energy.
If you not sure about some beads or that you will definitely like them, it is better to take several options at once so that you do not have to wait long until one delivery arrives, and then after a while the second. But the best thing, of course, is to go to the store and see with your own eyes all the accessories. So you can decide on the spot what you like and what not.
What thread to collect beads from natural stones
As a basis for beads, as a rule, one of several options is chosen:
- fishing line;
- nylon / nylon thread;
- silk or cotton thread;
- elastic thread;
- waxed cord;
- the cord is illusory;
- copper or aluminum wire;
- jewelry lanka or string;
- memory wire;
- leather or suede cords.
For clarity, we will briefly give you a description of each of these materials and describe their advantages and disadvantages.
Fishing line Is the most commonly used bead base. It is a single transparent thread. There is a huge variety of diameters on sale for the most demanding and capricious customers. The line is made of synthetic material, which is very durable and flexible.
The advantages of the lines:
- does not react with various chemicals that are around us;
- it is easy to string beads on the fishing line;
- the material is easily cut with scissors;
- invisible.
The disadvantages of the lines are that the final product turns out to be quite tough and not elastic; the beads will need to be stored very carefully, since the fishing line bends quite easily and remembers its shape; if the beads are worn for a long time, they will stretch.
Nylon - This is an extremely strong synthetic thread that is suitable for products that do not need to maintain a rigid shape. To increase the strength, you can fold the thread several times.
Disadvantages:
- it is inconvenient to knit knots;
- for the strength of the structure, it is imperative to use glue.
Silk base Is an extremely thin thread that is usually used to make pearl jewelry. Silk is soft and durable enough that it does not stretch over time and is easy to knot. The disadvantage of this material is that it has less strength than the line.
Pearl beads should be strung on a silk thread, as it does not injure the natural mother-of-pearl material.
Elastic thread usually used for either light stones such as amber or plastic items. Heavy natural stone this base will not withstand.
Non-ferrous wires are usually used to create natural beads with components of various sizes and composition, which are strung on rings or bails.
Jewelry rope consists of several very thin wires twisted or twisted together and covered with a smooth polymer layer of plastic or nylon. Available in different colors and diameters. Disadvantages: easily frayed in places of bending, rather rigid structure.
How to collect beads from natural stones: master class
So, we figured out the ingredients. Now let's go directly to the procedure itself.
1. Preparation of the workspace.
Choose the largest and widest table in your home. It will be best where there is a lot of light. Lack of lighting can be satisfied with a table lamp. But it must be placed on top in front of the face so that the head does not block the photon flux and does not create a shadow in the working area.
Place all beads and tools on a surface within reach of you.
You can put a thin tablecloth or a sheet of white paper directly on the workspace, but so that it does not fidget on the table, and you do not catch it when you get up from the table.
The tool for work should not be limited to scissors alone. It is better to pick up a few options for a start that you liked. It is difficult to immediately guess what will be more convenient to use.
The edges of the table can be limited by books or some other "border" so that the beads cannot jump over the obstacle while escaping.
2. Job.
Measure the base for the beads. If you want to make a long piece of jewelry, then you can not cut the base skein itself. When making a product with a fastener, it is advisable to add 40 ... 60 cm to the planned length. This is necessary in order to have a stock of the base.
- Attach a piece of the clasp to one end of the base. The fastening procedure itself will depend on the type of lock that you have chosen for yourself.
- Next, if the inner diameter of the beads allows, put a needle on the base.
- Start stringing the beads onto the base one at a time. The main thing here is not to rush.
- Remove the needle.
- Next, secure the other end of the clasp.
- Check the integrity of the product and the fastening of the fasteners.
- Polish the beads with a soft cloth.
- Can be worn.
3. Nuances.
As a rule, each assembly has its own secrets:
- beads are strung one at a time. After each next element, a knot is tied if a thread is used in the work. This is done for reliability;
- the base of the jewelry should not be shaggy when rubbed. Better to use a special line. You can inexpensively order a jewelry cable in a store.
- the thread should not be very thin. The thicker, the better the beads will fit;
- if the elements of the beads are very large, then it is advisable to lay small parts between them, which will prevent the contact and friction of large elements with each other;
- beads made of natural stones usually have a fairly large weight, so you need to choose something very reliable as a fastener.
Knowing all the rules, you can make a quality product even from old beads. If you have ugly granny accessories, take them apart and you can create a trendy modern piece of jewelry for yourself.
How to make pearl beads
Beads from pearls they look classic, feminine and attractive, so many people want to have such a miracle of jewelry. But for an openwork flawless store option, there is not always enough money or something else. For example, the constant repetition of the same design is often not happy. Therefore, girls take beads from river pearls to make on their own.
We will not go into details, since a brief technique for creating beads has already been given above, but we will tell you a little nuance.
Beads from natural delicate stones usually done through a knot... Pearls have a rather delicate surface, scratches and abrasions can appear on it, so the classic safe assembly is the most suitable idea.
A knot is tied on a thread after each beadso that they do not touch each other. But not everyone likes these knots. You can also intersperse with beads, spacers or other decorative elements, but this will noticeably change the look of the thing. So, if you wish, you can leave only the pearls.
There is a little trick to tying the knot.... It is necessary that not a millimeter of free thread remains, and the knots fit very tightly. Coping with this task is easy: hold the loop with a needle, hold it and the bead in place, and pull the thread gently towards you. This will slide the knot to the desired position. Until you are sure that the knot fits snugly against the bead, do not tighten it tightly.
Pearls for a single strand should always be obtained from the same seller. Since the color of mother-of-pearl can be very different and the product will not work out perfect.
We hope that it was interesting for you with us, and now you have in your arsenal hand-made natural stones beads. As a rule, no one stops at one or several options for jewelry, because new ideas, accessories, solutions appear. Therefore, we want to wish you inspiration for new achievements and the presence of interesting and most outstanding ideas.
