How To Make a Beaded Dragonfly Pin

Beading is beautiful, especially in jewelry. Glass beads, Swarovski beads, faux pearls and more are all waiting at your beading store to be made into sparkling, unique jewelry. There are even brooch beading kits available, complete with beads and directions. So make a pretty dragonfly brooch to wear and watch the compliments flutter in.

Round up these supplies:
Brooch back with holes
Fine beading wire, 20 or 22 gauge
Wire lace mesh
1 Bead, 8 to 12 mm
2 Crystals, two 6mm
8 Crystals, 6 mm r>12 Crystals, 4 mm
Pin back
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire cutters
Craft glue
Scissors
Option: Dragonfly brooch beading kit from Beads Amore

1. First, cut four 11-inch pieces of wire. Gather together and place index finger in center. Bend wire in half making a large loop over your finger.

2. Start making the wings. Hold the four wires together, and make a bend in the looped wires approximately 1 1/2 inches from the end. These are now wing shaped.

3. Use the wing pattern to create bends on the bottoms of the wings with round nose pliers. You'll need four wings for your dragonfly (two pair) and it's easy to do two at a time with the pliers. Adjust the wing shapes by hand to make a pleasing shape.

4. Cut four 9-inch pieces of wire lace. Insert a wire wing into a piece of wire lace, stretching the wire lace opening a bit to get the wing in. (Use a pencil.) Leave excess lace at both ends. Holding or clipping the wire wing and lace together, twist the extra wire lace at the wing tip. You can use clips to hold each end together. Trim off any other excess lace. Repeat for the remaining three wings.

5. Cut a wire 21 inches long. Bend it into a U-shape about 7 inches from one end. Slip the big bead for the dragonfly head on the wire so it sits at the bottom of the U. Use the round nose pliers to grasp the wires on each side of the head and so they meet 3/4-inch above the head. Bend the 7-inch tail to the left and the 14-inch tail to right.

6. Slide a 6-mm antennae crystal onto the left (7-inch) tail, and hold it in place while you wrap the tail wire around the other wire three times, ending on the outside. Repeat with the other (right) antennae wire. Then shape both tails around the outside of the head bead, and wrap the longer tail around the tail of the shorter one. Slide one body bead onto the short wire and push it up close to the wrap.

7. Place a pair of body wings behind the body wire, making sure the little excess wire lace twist is on the backside. Make two tight wraps below the first body bead and around the tail wires of the wings to secure them.

8. Place the remaining pair of wings behind the first pair, slide another body bead onto the body wire, then make another wrap below the last body bead added. Use the chain nose pliers if needed to make the wraps extra tight. Continue sliding body beads onto the body wire, one at a time, making a tight wrap below each bead.You may fit four of the wraps within the pin back holes.

9. Stop before making the wrap below the last bead. Trim excess wire lace, tail wires from the wings and body wire about 1/4 inch below the last body bead, but be careful not to cut the wrapping wire. With the long wire, finish wrapping the last crystal, ending the wrap on the back side. Trim it.

10. Adjust the wings, reshaping if necessary. Bend the lower portion of the body below the pin back. Your dragonfly is ready to wear.

The dragonfly brooch kit is only available through Beads Amore (see Resources). Instructions and design for the dragonfly brooch were adapted from Beads Amore and used by permission here.