Jewelry Project: Make Your Own Multi-Strand Necklace

You can create your own necklace using only a few beads, some simple tools, and a couple of hours of your time. This graceful necklace would also make a great gift for any occasion or can be made with different beads to add to your own jewelry collection. I called it Fire and Ice because the fiery orange color within the faceted glass beads contrasts so beautifully with the cool silver connector beads.

Size: Primary necklace is approximately 20 inches long including clasp.

Materials and Components

17 - 9-mm glass beads (The model was made with Bead Treasures Color Gallery beads #956821)
19 - 15-mm silver colored connector beads (The model was made with Metal Gallery beads #414862)
17 - 1" silver colored eye pins
38 - 5-mm silver colored jump rings
1 - small silver colored lobster claw clasp

Tools:

2 pair miniature needle nose pliers
1 pair miniature wire cutters

Notes: The model was made with faceted square glass beads, but 9 mm round or bicone beads could be used instead. The beads used in the model are available at Hobby Lobby stores.

Instructions:

Step 1: (Make 17) Slide glass bead on eye pin, trim eye pin to 3/8 inch, form loop (see Photo 2). Note: Be sure loops line up with one another. Twist loop if necessary.

Step 2: Open jump ring, slide loop of one glass bead from Step 1, then one end loop of connector bead onto jump ring. Close jump ring. (See Photo 3). (Note: Be sure to open jump rings sideways. Pulling them apart causes them to deform and lose their round shape.)

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 to create another bead-connector pair. Open a jump ring and attach free end of glass bead from Step 2 to free end of connector bead. Close jump ring. Repeat Step 3 until there are a total of 11 glass beads and 11 connectors on the chain.

Step 4: Open jump ring, attach free end of last glass bead on bead chain to one connector bead. There should now be a connector bead at each end of the chain. (See Photo 1)

Step 5: Open jump ring, slide free end of connector bead at one end of chain, add lobster claw, close jump ring. Repeat on opposite end to attach catchplate or jump ring.

Second Strand:

Step 6: Repeat Steps 2, 3 and 4 to create a bead chain with 6 glass beads and 7 connector beads.

Step 7: Open jump ring, attach free end of final connector bead, attach to jump ring between 4th connector bead and 4th glass bead on primary chain, close jump ring. Repeat at other end of primary chain.