What you’ll need

• Needle and Thread: You will need a needle and thread, in addition to the beads you have chosen for your necklace. There are many different types of needles available for sewing; some are made specifically for sewing on beads. A good rule of thumb is that if the hole does not go all the way through both sides of your bead (like with glass beads), then you should use an embroidery needle rather than a standard sewing needle. If your bead has a hole that goes all the way through both sides (such as with wood or plastic beads), then you can use either an embroidery or standard sewing needle depending on what works better for you.
• Beads: You will also need some type of bead material to make your necklace out of—this could be anything from seed pearls, cabochon stones or even plastic charms! The most popular type used today includes glass seed beads because they’re cheap and easy to work with—but there’s no reason why other materials couldn’t be used instead (such as metal).

Cut the cord

Cut the cord to the desired length. Try to keep it as close to your wrist as possible, but add a few extra inches for comfort. Cut with scissors and add in a few extra inches for safety.

Thread the needle

Threading the needle is the first step. It’s important to use a large-eyed needle so that you can easily thread it through your beads and cord. Take care not to bend or break your needle when you thread it with cord, as this will make it difficult for you to pass through each bead without breaking any glass. Once threaded, melt the end of your thread with a lighter so that no fraying occurs during use.

Add a clasp

The clasp isn’t essential, but it is helpful. A clasp can make your necklace more secure, especially if you want to wear a necklace that has a lot of beads and isn’t very long. If you choose not to add one, then be sure your beads are firmly attached so they don’t fall off!

There are many different types of clasps: hook-and-eye; lobster clasp (a figure-eight shaped device); magnetic clasp; spring ring or snap hook (which goes through a hole in the beadwork); and toggle (the most difficult type because it must have extra holes drilled into the beadwork). Clasp size will depend on how long your necklace is—if your necklace hangs down to below your waistline, choose a large clasp like this one from Etsy seller luvlyhandmadebeads.*

Tie off your necklace

After your last bead, tie off the necklace with a double knot.

• Use a surgeon’s knot to tie two strands of string together. To do this, cross the two strings and pull one strand under the other (then over) to form a loop that hangs down from the bottom of the crossed strands. Hold on to both strands while you tighten up this first loop by pulling at an angle until it tightens into place against itself and creates a second smaller loop hanging down from its base point on each strand (this second part will look like an upside-down “U”). Pull up on each side of these new loops and voila—a surgeon’s knot!
• A square knot is just like its name implies: two strings crossing over each other in opposite directions, then being pulled tightly together at their intersection point so that they form four loops (two large ones above, and two small ones below). You can either hold onto those four parts or follow them through with another piece of string if you want an extra-secure way to bind things together using rope instead of yarn! Now repeat this process around your whole necklace until all ends have been tied off securely into knots; don’t forget about any dangly bits hanging down from where beads used to be attached as well!

Creating a beautiful necklace using basic beading techniques can be achieved in a few hours.

Creating a beautiful necklace using basic beading techniques can be achieved in a few hours. This is a great project for beginners, kids, friends and families to work on together.

Beaded Necklace Kit

• 1 yard of Fireline Thread (or any other strong monofilament thread)
• Beading Needle: size 12 or 13 (or larger if you are working with very small beads)
• Beads of your choice!