How to Make Beaded Necklaces

Rolled Bead NecklaceWith a little time, some simple tools, and colorful paper, you can make this stunning rolled bead necklace. Remember that mothers and grandmothers would be proud to wear creative, handmade beaded jewelry, too.Step 1: Measure a 6-1/2x11-inch rectangle of the orange paper. Along a 6-1/2-inch side, make a mark 3/4 inch from the right-hand corner of the paper. Make a mark 1/4 inch from the first mark and another mark 3/4 inch from the second mark. Continue measuring and making marks alternately 3/4 inch and 1/4 inch apart until you have 12 marks along the edge of the paper.Step 2: Along the other 6-1/2-inch side, make a mark 1/4 inch from the right-hand corner of the rectangle. Make a mark 1/4 inch from the first mark. Continue measuring and making marks alternately 1/4 inch and 3/4 inch apart until you have 13 marks along the line. Use the ruler to draw a cutting line from the right-hand bottom corner of the paper to the first mark at the top. Draw lines between the other marks at both ends of the rectangle.Step 3: Using scissors, cut along the lines to make 12 tapered strips.Step 4: From the magenta paper, make six tapered strips, 11 inches long, following steps 1 through 3. (For 6 strips, you'll make six marks along the bottom of the paper and seven marks at the top.)Step 5: Place the dowel over the wide end of one strip of paper. Wrap the paper once around the dowel and secure with a small amount of glue. Continue wrapping, taking care to keep the strip centered. Add glue to the end of the strip to secure bead. Remove the bead. Repeat with the other strips.Step 6: On the orange paper, measure and mark 13 strips, 3/8x10 inches. (These strips are not tapered.) Cut the strips. Following the instructions in Step 5, roll the strips into beads. On the gold paper, measure and mark 13 strips, 3/8x1-1/2 inches. Cut out. Squirt a small amount of glue on the back of a gold strip and wrap it around a cylindrical orange bead. Cover the remaining cylindrical beads with gold paper.Step 7: Trace a heart pattern that you like onto tracing paper and cut them out. Trace the smallest heart on gold paper and cut out. Cut the medium-size heart from magenta paper and the largest heart from orange paper. Trim the magenta heart slightly and make small snips all around it. Glue the gold heart to the magenta heart, then glue the magenta heart to the orange one.Step 8: Make a hanging loop for the heart pendant by cutting a 1/2-inch strip of orange paper 11 inches long. Roll the paper into a bead (see Step 5), leaving the last inch of the strip free. Glue end of the strip to the back of the heart.Step 9: String the beads on the elastic, placing the pendant in the middle and positioning the beads on either side of it (check the photo above for the pattern). Pull the ends of the elastic slightly, then tie with a square knot. Trim the excess elastic and hide the knot inside one of the gold beads.About the Craft DesignersNative Necklace by Lisa Lerner and Kersten HamiltonRadical Rickrack Necklace by Janelle Hayes and Kim SolgaRolled Beaded Necklace by Sharon Broutzas, Rice Freeman-Zachery, Connie Matricardi, Susan Milord, Lynette Schuepbach, Kim Solga, Florence Temko