Beadalon Blog

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. ...

The family of Wooden Table Top Organizers all together Accountability is one of the most important factors in resolution keeping, so this week's Facebook Live was our two week check-in to see how we're coming with our organization resolutions. I keep my office *mostly* organized, but once I brought in one of each of the Beadalon Wooden Organizers, I was pleased with how much better it looked in my office/creative space. Not only did it look better, but objects that I am constantly searching for - like glue and sizing drums - now have dedicated homes. Less time spent looking for things equals more time creating.  That's a resolution that is definitely a quality of life improver! Beading Station The Wooden Organizer that I already had in my office is the Beading Station . I set mine up a little differently than we show in the catalog, and that's a great testament to how versatile of a unit it is. The top rods can be used for storing tools, or wire/wildfir...

This week's Facebook Live Video focused on the ingenious invention by Wyatt White , the Multipliers ! This two-headed pliers cuts the time it takes to make wrapped loops almost in half! I don't know about you, but these days anything that saves me time that I can use to be doing other things is a must have. Wyatt showed how to make a gorgeous wrapped loop bracelet that one lucky viewer will receive as a thank you for joining us live. We have several written instructions for how to use the multipliers, but now that we've been using them for a bit, we've discovered an even better way to use them. To make the wrapped loops, use your choice of Wire - Wyatt uses 18 gauge Silver Filled German Style Wire, but you can also use Precious Metal, Artistic Wire or Craft Wire. Wyatt makes his loops a little differently than I learned, but his loops are always perfect, so I think it's time for me to change up my technique. Start by taking out a length of wire and straighte...

Happy New Year! We are in a whirlwind of getting ready for the upcoming Trade Shows right now. We hope you can visit us at the following shows: Creativation January 20-22, 2018 Phoenix, Arizona To Bead True Blue January 27- February 1, 2018 Tucson, Arizona  Creativeworld January 27- February 1, 2018 Frankfurt, Germany We'll be doing unscheduled Facebook Live Videos from all of the shows debuting our new products, so don't forget to set your notifications!  This year, my resolutions include visiting family and friends near and far - get your spare bedrooms ready! But every year, I resolve to get more organized. By focusing on keeping my work space cleaner and more accessible, I am able to spend more time creating, and less time looking for stuff.  Beadalon offers so many great options for organization , and I featured some of my favorites on last week's Facebook Live Video . Storage Rings - Great for small findings, C...

As a follow up to last week's Facebook Live with Wyatt showing us how to make Beads out of Artistic Wire using the Acrylic Tying Station , this week, I featured the Tying Station again to make ladder stitch wrap bracelets with a twist. When you think about making a wrap bracelet, you probably think about using leather or cording and thread, but I like to make wrap bracelets with Beadalon Bead Stringing Wire. That way, they are waterproof and much more durable. Plus, the Bead Stringing Wire gives it a new, unique, and more grown up look. While the Acrylic Tying Station is a great tool to make it easier to hold the Wires in place while you are weaving, you can certainly do this technique with a clip board or a bead tray. Materials: Acrylic Tying Station and Foam Extender Plate Tacky Mat 19 Strand .024 Bright 19 Strand .018 Bronze (I used these in the Video, but you could use almost any combination of Beadalon Bead Stringing Wires you have in your stash.) Clasp of your ...

Did you know you can use the Acrylic Tying Station with Artistic Wire, too? We've done several cool projects made with Artistic Wire on the Tying Station, and this week's Facebook Live featured Wyatt's Knotted Wire Beads. Leave it to Wyatt to come up with another super creative way to turn small pieces of wire into usable jewelry components. Once you get the basics of the Macrame Knots down, the possibilities are limitless. Use 26 Gauge Artistic Wire for a small, fine design, or 20 Gauge Artistic Wire for a more substantial piece. You could vary the size of the center Wire also, to make a bigger or smaller hole. As always, Wyatt does a great job explaining everything and inspiring us to try out even more materials and techniques. What a great project for a last minute gift! Materials: 16-26 Gauge Artistic Wire Acrylic Tying Station Headpins Instructions: Set up the tying station with a 16 Gauge Wire as the base. Use 20-26 Gauge Artistic Wire to tie a varie...

The holidays are right around the corner, and we've got you covered for gifts for the special ladies on your list (and go ahead, make some for yourself, too!). With just a few feet of Artistic Wire and the Kleshna Ring Weaver Tool, you can whip up a pair of Holiday Wreath Earrings in a jiffy! In a bigger rush? Make a Pendant and attach it to a pre-made Chain and you're off. Materials: 18" of 26 Gauge Green Artistic Wire 18" of 26 Gauge Red Artistic Wire 1 foot of  22 Gauge Silver Filled Wire Tools: Kleshna Ring Weaver Tool   Findings Forms S Hook Findings Forms Swoop Earwire Jig Instructions: Assemble the Kleshna Weaver Tool to the ring size of your choosing. Twist the ends of one 18" piece of Red Artistic Wire and one 18" piece of Green Artistic Wire (or colors of your choosing) together. Start at the hash mark, and weave around the tool (Check out this great video by Kleshna and this one by Wyatt for more detail on how to use the Kleshn...