Beadalon Blog

  Have you spent hours in the rabbit hole that is Tik Tok, yet? We've been having so much fun adding videos to the  Beadalon Tik Tok , and if you haven't already, I definitely recommend checking it out! It's a great way for us to quickly showcase some of our favorite techniques, and hopefully give some beading inspiration, too.  Some of our favorite techniques that are popping up include wire wrapping like in this Rainbow Wire Wrapped Bracelet by Sara Lovecraft. The Stepped Bail Making Pliers  are the perfect tool for making all kinds of wire shapes. Wire Wrapped Rings are popping up all over Tic Tok, and this flower ring is a great beginner project to start with. Another great beginner project is wrapped loop earrings - which are made using the same technique as this  Twisted Wire Bracelet . The  Bead Spinner Family  is one of our favorites to demonstrate in a Tic Tok (we have a great YouTube Video on the Spinners , too!). Watching those little beads climb up the curved

The beach is my happy place, and my favorite place to be! Making these designs should make you feel the sand in your toes, feel the wind in your hair and hear the waves crashing on the shore! Try these  Fringe Earrings  strung on Beadalon Bead Stringing Wire and crimped for extra security. Use the Tying Station to knot up the ultimate  Aloha Bracelet . The blue beads in these Blue Opal Beach Glass Earrings with chain look just like beach glass. A strand of  Knotted Pearls  a perfect compliment to sun kissed skin with a little black dress or blue jeans. And this macrame bracelet reminds me of a mermaid's tail - check out the Michaels Community Classroom to sign up for this class on June 16 ! Hopefully, you have a trip to the beach in your future, but if not, make some jewelry, close your eyes and listen for the seagulls! Show us what you've made in the  Jewelry Making with Beadalon Facebook Group , and on your socials, use #beadalon and follow and tag @beadalon so we can see wh

  In these crazy times we're living in, we could all use a moment of zen. My zen can almost always be found in crafting. I love losing myself in a project and hours later, I feel calm, productive and ready to tackle life with a positive attitude. Looking for some inspiration to spark a feeling of zen? Try one of these projects from the Beadalon Learning Center , and while you're there, poke around and see what else inspires you!  These  Champagne Dreams Earrings  will be taught during an upcoming FREE Beadalon class in the Michaels Community Classroom . Sign up now to reserve your spot! I can almost hear the waves thinking about this  Beachy Vibes Macrame Bracelet . I love the soothing colors of this Graduated Bead Pendant Necklace . The repetitive wire working of the  Tree of Life Pendant  can bring you into a meditative state of mind, and you can add your own spiritual talisman to this  Pearl and Stone Bracelet .  How are you finding your zen? Show us in the  Jewelry Making w

With so many people working from home and having meetings on-line, Zoom Jewelry - or jewelry that makes a big statement that can be seen on screen (usually from the neck up) - has become a big trend.  No one will care that you're wearing pajama pants on the bottom if your jewelry is fierce and fantastic on the top, right? The  Beadalon Learning Center  and Facebook Live Archive  are full of inspiration and instruction to make your own zoomtastic jewelry. The Pantone Colors of the Year look great in these fringe earrings .  Make your own twirly cones out of MultiColor Artistic Wire  using the Conetastic Tool . Try these  Zoom Earrings  by Sara Ellis, and check out the replay of her Michaels Community Classroom Tutorial  where she demonstrates step by step how to make two styles.  This  Multi-Strand Pearl Necklace  sits right on the collarbone and is a new twist on a classic look. Make a bold pendant with Artistic Wire and use the Stepped Bail Making Pliers to create loops in all s

It's been a design flurry in the Beadalon satellite studio this week! Good thing my creative juices were flowing and I was able to meet all of my designing deadlines. Sometimes I'm not so lucky, and creative block stops me in my tracks. Even when I'm not working towards a deadline, designing jewelry is my happy place, and if I'm not able to create, it can be super frustrating. Here are my go-to strategies for overcoming creative block and getting my head back in the game: 1. Get your hands moving by making one of your go-to projects. 2. Clean (and by clean, I mean organize and move stuff around) your workspace. You will likely find something that sparks an idea for making. 3. Check out Pinterest or other designers, but try not to get overwhelmed with visual stimulation. 4. Walk through a bead store or a craft store - walk the whole store, not just the beading section. 5. Work with a creative buddy to bounce ideas off of. 6. Choose a color palette to focus on - maybe col

Spring is finally just around the corner, and these Netted Easter Eggs are the perfect project to get in the spirit! This technique was born (get it) from a similar project covering a holiday ornament that you can find instructions for here  and here . Starting with a simple 6 pointed star, I increased each netted row by one bead until I reached the largest part of the egg. I stayed with that count until the egg started to get smaller, then decreased as necessary. There was a little trial and error involved, but not as much as you might think! Play around with your counts if you find a different size egg to bead around. Find the printable instructions (and lots more!) for the original Goose Sized egg free here in the Beadalon Learning Center . I included two alternative row counts for a medium and small egg, too. You can also watch the class that I taught for the Michaels Community Classroom and follow along. Materials • Beadalon® WildFire™ Bead Weaving Thread, 008” • Wood Goose Egg b