Today is very special! It's the day I'm posting my first non-cooking tutorial on the lizz delicious blog! Yay! I've been wanting to branch out into other types of posts for some time now. When I saw these lamp work beads in the store last month I knew they would be the star of my first "vegan crafts" post.
But did you notice something else in the picture? Why, what a fancy little plate! Hee hee! That's actually a glass plate I bought at Goodwill decoupaged with scrapbooking paper and attached to a cup colored with frosted paint (see below). I made a couple decopauged plates a couple months ago for the blog but haven't had a reason to showcase them yet. Ta-da! What do you think? I even dressed up the photos with a different, frillier font for the watermark.
Anyway, I have to tell you that I am in no way a professional crafter. This is, in fact, the first piece of jewelry I've made where using pliers and multiple jump rings was necessary. It's entirely possible that someone else has a better tutorial for something like this out there, but you know what? I love this necklace and I hope that it inspires you to go out and make your first lamp work bead necklace, too.
But did you notice something else in the picture? Why, what a fancy little plate! Hee hee! That's actually a glass plate I bought at Goodwill decoupaged with scrapbooking paper and attached to a cup colored with frosted paint (see below). I made a couple decopauged plates a couple months ago for the blog but haven't had a reason to showcase them yet. Ta-da! What do you think? I even dressed up the photos with a different, frillier font for the watermark.
Anyway, I have to tell you that I am in no way a professional crafter. This is, in fact, the first piece of jewelry I've made where using pliers and multiple jump rings was necessary. It's entirely possible that someone else has a better tutorial for something like this out there, but you know what? I love this necklace and I hope that it inspires you to go out and make your first lamp work bead necklace, too.
In order to make this necklace (or one like it) you will need the following supplies.
See the image below for a visual representation of the needed tools and equipment (except picture the right kinds of pliers. Lol!). This is really just a showing of what I used. It is actually up to you what you choose. I found this strand of lamp work beads at Joann Fabrics (same with the artichoke and eggplant ones shown below), but you can use whatever ones you can find. They also had ones with cupcakes, pizza, citrus, and more. I picked up the right kinds of jewelry pliers at Michael's for $10. It has five types of pliers and a ruler. Handy!
- Round and long nose pliers (not pictured), for bending your eye pins
- Seven eye pins
- One lobster clasp
- Five small opaque beads in corresponding colors (I used brown)
- One flat acrylic bead that matches your glass ones
- A 24+ inch chain (similar to the one pictured)
- A "side cutter" or wire cutter for trimming eye pins and trimming your chain
- Your strand of lamp work beads (I used 2 pea shaped beads, 2 "orange" shaped beads, and 2 carrot shaped beads from mine, plus the small clear beads that went between them on the strand)
- Seven small clear beads (if your lamp work bead strand does not include them)
- Twelve jump rings
See the image below for a visual representation of the needed tools and equipment (except picture the right kinds of pliers. Lol!). This is really just a showing of what I used. It is actually up to you what you choose. I found this strand of lamp work beads at Joann Fabrics (same with the artichoke and eggplant ones shown below), but you can use whatever ones you can find. They also had ones with cupcakes, pizza, citrus, and more. I picked up the right kinds of jewelry pliers at Michael's for $10. It has five types of pliers and a ruler. Handy!
Start by assembling your first carrot. I placed the first one on an eye pin by itself, leafy greens toward the eye. Hold the open end with your long nose pliers, then shape a loop to close the pin using your round nose pliers. Trim the excess with your cutters.
On your second carrot, slide a clear bead on first, your carrot, leafy greens toward the eye, and then another clear bead. Close using the same method. For the little decorative bit between the two carrots, place a clear bead, your flat acrylic bead, and a tiny brown bead on the eye pin. Close.
Use the same method on the oranges using a brown bead, the orange, and another brown bead making sure you make a nice loop on the end of the pin so as to attach your chain to it. Make two. For the peas, do the same, but use a clear bead, pea shaped bead, and another bead. Close with a nice loop, too! See the example above.
To assemble, take approximately 8 rings from one end of your chain. You can either open the rungs on your chain and separate them or you can trim them off, which I found was quicker and easier. Then find the middle of the original chain. Use your fingers or ordinary pliers to open a jump ring. Slide it through the ring in the middle of your chain, add your first carrot and the bit of chain you just trimmed, and close the ring. Put your second carrot on a jump ring and attach it to the end of the chain you just added to the necklace. Put the acrylic bead trio on a jump ring and attach it to the small chain two links below the first carrot. You're done with your carrots!
Use the same process to add one "orange" on each side of the necklace, between 8 and 10 rungs from the middle of the necklace and the peas 6 to 8 rungs after each "orange." Determine how long you want the necklace and use the same process to add your lobster clasp.
And you're done! I hope that made enough sense, everyone! If you're confused, it's best to just examine the pictures, especially the one below. I'll be making the artichoke and eggplant necklace differently, so be on the look out for my next tutorial. Maybe I'll make a video for it... Hmm!
On your second carrot, slide a clear bead on first, your carrot, leafy greens toward the eye, and then another clear bead. Close using the same method. For the little decorative bit between the two carrots, place a clear bead, your flat acrylic bead, and a tiny brown bead on the eye pin. Close.
Use the same method on the oranges using a brown bead, the orange, and another brown bead making sure you make a nice loop on the end of the pin so as to attach your chain to it. Make two. For the peas, do the same, but use a clear bead, pea shaped bead, and another bead. Close with a nice loop, too! See the example above.
To assemble, take approximately 8 rings from one end of your chain. You can either open the rungs on your chain and separate them or you can trim them off, which I found was quicker and easier. Then find the middle of the original chain. Use your fingers or ordinary pliers to open a jump ring. Slide it through the ring in the middle of your chain, add your first carrot and the bit of chain you just trimmed, and close the ring. Put your second carrot on a jump ring and attach it to the end of the chain you just added to the necklace. Put the acrylic bead trio on a jump ring and attach it to the small chain two links below the first carrot. You're done with your carrots!
Use the same process to add one "orange" on each side of the necklace, between 8 and 10 rungs from the middle of the necklace and the peas 6 to 8 rungs after each "orange." Determine how long you want the necklace and use the same process to add your lobster clasp.
And you're done! I hope that made enough sense, everyone! If you're confused, it's best to just examine the pictures, especially the one below. I'll be making the artichoke and eggplant necklace differently, so be on the look out for my next tutorial. Maybe I'll make a video for it... Hmm!
Hey! You might like these other posts and pages...
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