Gather your supplies.

You will need beads and wire, of course. A good way to get started on your first necklace is by using a kit that comes with everything you need to make your own jewelry. You can also use regular beads and fashion them into necklaces yourself.

To make this project even easier, we’re going to talk about the most common supplies used when making a beaded necklace:

• Beads—the colorful gems or stones that are strung on the cord creating the necklace design
• Wire—the metal stringing material that holds together all of the other components in a piece of jewelry (obviously!)
• Pliers—used for pulling loops through holes in various pieces of jewelry and cutting off excess length from wire pieces; may also include one end which rotates 90 degrees so it can easily loop through tiny openings such as those found near clasp mechanisms at either end of most traditional necklaces (also called “clasps”)

How to choose a design.

You can start with a pattern, or you can experiment with different designs.

The first thing to consider is the length of your necklace. This will determine how many beads you need, so if you’re not sure how long to make it, check out this handy guide on How to Choose a Length For Your Beaded Necklace.

Then choose the type of beads and fastening type that you want (see Choosing Your Beads). You should also decide on which thread color works best for your design (see Choosing Threads). Finally, pick a colour scheme and/or design (see Designing Your Necklace).

How to make the necklace.

Now that you have an idea of what type of beads to use, it’s time to start putting them on the wire. As you add each bead, make sure that it is secure. If your necklace is coming apart when you wear it, then something isn’t right with the way that you put everything together. You’ll probably want to take everything off and start over again so that no beads are missing or loose in any way.

There are a few things to keep in mind as you go through this process:

• Make sure that the beads aren’t too large or small for their spot on the necklace (i.e., don’t put a giant cylinder of glass where there’s supposed to be a simple round bead).
• Don’t add too many or too few beads per row (i.e., if your pattern calls for three rows but only two fit comfortably side by side, choose another pattern instead).
• Keep track of your progress by marking where each new type begins (e.g., if I’m making 10 rows total with my seedbeads I might mark out which rows contain 6mm rounds and which ones contain 3mm rounds). This will help later when it comes time for finishing touches like adding crimp tubes!

How to finish the necklace.

To finish the necklace, attach the clasp. I used a lobster claw clasp, but any type of clasp will do (just make sure it’s strong enough to support the weight of your beads).

Before attaching the clasp, add crimp beads onto each end of your cord: one at each end of your cord and another between each pair of jump rings on both ends.

Crimping tools are available in many craft stores, but if you don’t have one handy you can use pliers or even just fold over both ends as tightly as possible and then use super glue to secure them together. Test out your fastening before gluing it down!

How to make a fancy fastening.

You can make your own fancy fastening, whether you’re using leftover beads or a fancy cord. Here’s how:

• If you want to use leftover beads, simply string the beads onto a piece of wire (or other stiff material). The more complex the pattern is, the more interesting your necklace will be. If possible, use different colors for each row of beads so that when they’re layered together it looks nice and bright!
• To make a fancy fastening with a fancy cord instead of leftover beads, do this: Cut two pieces of wire that are about twice as long as the length between where you’d like your clasp to sit. Use these pieces as “stems” by sliding them through holes at either end of another piece of wire (this “stem” should be long enough so when it’s balanced on both sides by two sets of stems/beads). Securely wrap one set around each stem several times—you can even twist them together if you want! Now take four additional pieces from #1 above (total six) and thread them through all three sets already in place on top; once again secure these tightly with twists or knots so they won’t slip off later on down there in between layers etcetera…Once satisfied with their placement give yourself something else fun to do for awhile until dry before proceeding further.”

You will have a beautiful necklace that you made yourself!

You will have a beautiful necklace that you made yourself! Your creation will be unique to you and your style, so wear it with pride. You can even pass the project on as a gift for someone special in your life.

If you get bored with the necklace or want to experiment with different materials and shapes, try making something else entirely. The possibilities are endless!