Beadalon Blog

This easy Bird's Nest pendant works up so quickly and can be customized to your heart's content. In last week's Facebook Live, I showed using 3 different types of wires to use to achieve 3 different looks using the same technique: 1)  22 Gauge Artisic Wire 2) 22 Gauge  Twisted Artistic Wire 3) Wire twisted with the Beadalon Wire Twister or the Professional Coiling Gizmo Instructions for a basic Bird's Nest: Straighten about 24 inches of wire with either Nylon Jaw Pliers or the Artistic Wire Straightener .  Thread beads of your choosing (I like 3 best) onto the end of the wire leaving about a 3 inch tail. Turn the beads into a triangle and twist the wire to secure. Hold the beads in one hand and turn them around so the wire circles around the beads in a nest shape. When your nest is as thick as you'd like, wrap the end of the Wire around it in 3 or 4 places to secure it. Use the end of the Wire to make a wrapped loop on the top. Download step by...

Our last Facebook Live for the celebration of Craft Month featured one of my favorite go-to designs when I need to get my creative juices flowing again. It brings me back to my childhood crafting days, but with a grown up twist. In fact, the Beadalon Acrylic Tying Station came about because I was making macrame bracelets in the office using a clip board, and the product development team (that I eventually became a part of) knew that we could develop a tool to make making knotted bracelets easier! Top reasons that I love the Tying Station: It allows for hands-free macrame knotting. It holds your design tight without crushing your stringing material. You can use it for other techniques - like this braided wire bracelet  and this ladder stitch wrap bracelet .  The ruler printed on the side gives you a measuring device at the ready and helps you space out your beads in your design. The included foam insert allows for making a longer piece like a necklace or wrap bracelet...

If you need to make curves, bends, loops or rings in different sizes, the Stepped Bail Making Pliers are for you! In this episode of Facebook Live, Wyatt White showed how to make a gorgeous bail, several different shapes of connectors, hooks, and rings out of both Round and Flat Artistic Wire. Stepped Bail Making Pliers   make 6 different loop sizes: 9 mm (0.35 in), 8 mm (0.31 in), 6 mm (0.23 in), 5 mm (0.2 in), 3 mm (0.12), and 2 mm (0.08 in).   By just moving your wire to a different size on the jaw, you can vary your design and create all kinds of components. Join them together with Jump Rings made on one of the larger sizes for custom chains! As always, Wyatt's video is filled with tips and great advice for working with Wire. For example, when he uses thicker Artistic Wire, he recommends the 12 and 14 Gauge Cup Burr attachment for the Battery Operated Bead Reamer as a great tool to round off those sharp ends. Wyatt broke down two amazing projects...

Sarah James from Jesse James Beads joined us on Facebook Live this week to launch their newest Goddess Beads collection. I had planned something else for our Facebook Live, but once I saw the beads Sarah brought, I just new it was going to have to be an earrings extravaganza! Sarah had made a gorgeous pair of earrings at the Beadalon and TierraCast Designer Battle Royale at Bead & Button in June, but she had lost one (sad face). So, we used some TierraCast Components, some Jesse James beads and Artistic Wire to whip up some new ones in no time! I grabbed some of the Artistic Wire Findings Forms to make matching earwires. We had so much fun designing, now I can't stop making earrings! Sarah was kind enough to leave some bead goodies behind, so I used her design as my inspiration for today's project! 22 Gauge Silver Filled Wire  (used in the video) or 22 Gauge Tarnish Resistant Brass Artistic Wire Memory Wire Finishing Pliers or Round Nose Pliers Findings Form Qu...

I had the honor of welcoming Sandra Lupo, designer extraordinaire and inventor of the Conetastic Tool , to the Beadalon Facebook Live this week. We made this gorgeous up-cycled necklace together. I love how she took a scarf, added some hand-crafted components, and turned it into a really fun and fashionable necklace! Materials and Tools: Conetastic and Mandrels Tassel Maker Coiling Gizmo 16 Gauge Hexagonal Artistic Wire 20 Gauge Artistic Wire Jump Ring B-Lon Tex 210 Beading Thread Scarf Happy Beading! Meredith

I was so excited to be able to show some of the new Swarovski Innovations and new TierraCast beads and charms in this week's Facebook Live Video . I couldn't believe that it was over a year ago that we first debuted the Elastic Cord Needle ! Over the course of the year, we made a major improvement to the Elastic Cord Needle, and released a shorter version . This shorter Elastic Cord Needle retains all of the functionality of the original needle, but it merchandises and stores better. The shorter Elastic Cord Needle  works exactly the same as the larger one. You string your design onto the needle, then grab your Elacticity or Elonga with the hooked end. Gently push your beads from the needle onto the hook, then knot your Elastic Material. If you go back to the original Facebook Live that I did on the Elastic Cord, you can watch a discussion of the differences between Elasticity and Elonga . It took me a few days, but I finally got the double drilled Swarovski 5061 ...

This week's Beadalon Facebook Live Video focused on getting back to the basics - how to make professional, quality jewelry that lasts. Beadalon has a great graphic on the website with 5 important reminders of things you should never do when making jewelry. This was a great session for me because I sometimes take the basics for granted, but they are the most important things to remember! I demonstrated all of the what NOT to dos, and showed how to turn a jewelry making DON'T into a jewelry making DO. And of course, once I get talking, I get talking, so I gave a few extra bonus DON'Ts and DOs as well! This is a great video to watch both if you are just getting started, as well as if you need to brush up on your crimping skills. The most important takeaway message: The right beading wire  + the right crimp bead/tube  + the right Crimp Tool = the best jewelry! 1. Don't use a chain nose or flat nose pliers to flatten the crimp. Always use a crimp tool instead. ...

Make your own earrings, even if you don't have those premade hooks! Last week during our Facebook Live , Wyatt demonstrated how simple it is to make consistent ear wires using Artistic Wire Findings Forms . They are fixed peg jigs that allow you to make your own findings. It is recommended to used 20-24 gauge Artistic Wire , Beadalon German Style or any other soft-medium tempered wire. Variety of Artistic Wire Findings Forms in ear wire shapes.  Another essential tool when making ear wires is to use the Wire Rounder Tips with the Battery Operated Bead Reamer to make sure those ends don't poke too hard! Use the Wire Rounder Tip attachments for smooth wire ends!  Artistic Wire Findings Forms are also available in different shapes to make different components like toggle clasps, connectors, ear wires and even holiday shapes (perfect for Halloween since we're officially in Fall season). These are some creative jewelry pieces Sara Ellis did to get in the spirit!...

This week's Facebook Live Video showcased one of our newest colors of Artistic Wire - Iron Color. Available in gauges from 14-28, this Wire has a special finish that gives it a funky, industrial look that I think is perfect for heading into the Fall. I wanted to make a fun, fast project, so I used the 3D Bracelet Jig with all of the additional sizes of pegs. Did you know that you can buy not only an additional set of 30 pegs in the size that comes with the Tool, but we also have pegs in 2 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm and 5 mm ? A few of our lovely viewers commented that they had the tool, but hadn't played around with it much. I can totally relate to that sentiment as a professional level hoarder of craft supplies! I hope that today's project inspires you to dust off that 3D Bracelet Jig and start winding some wire. The Cascade Bracelet, designed by Wyatt White, is the perfect jumping off point for all kinds of designs. That's one of the reasons that I love the 3D Bracelet ...

Artistic Wire Knitter Tool and Knitter/Kumihimo Weight Fun techniques always seem to come back around again, and knitting with Wire is no exception. The Artistic Wire Knitter Tools make it fun and easy to make gorgeous Wire ropes to adorn and embellish to your heart's content! In this week's Beadalon Facebook Live Video , I go step by step through everything that you need to know to make a simple knitted rope, add beads, and finish off the ends. It can be a little fiddley at first, but once you've got it down, it works up quickly and effortlessly. One of the challenges that I always have when finishing any kind of beadwork other than Crimping, is how to finish it off to add a clasp. My favorite technique for finishing off the ends is to use a Necklace Cone, and of course I'll make my own cone whenever I get the chance! Sandra Lupo's Conetastic Tool makes it easy to make your own Necklace Cones with any Wire you want to match your design. In preparing for the ...