Seed Bead and Nugget Necklace

by Judy Larson

Category: Beading
Technique(s): Beading, Stringing
Skill Level: Beginner

I usually take a few photos of a project during construction. The photos are printed on a single page and notes on materials and tools used are added. The page is put into a plastic sleeve in a notebook just in case I want to make the project again.

This necklace was made years back the first time I "found" the boxes of seed beads my daughter used when she was younger. There were turquoise magnesite nuggets on my work table at the time and I got into a groove stringing them with the mixed seed beads. I only took five photos, but this is a simple stringing project and is easy to make following the photos. It turned out so nice that it left my home before I was able to get a photo of the finished piece!

Materials

beading wire .014mm

Lesson Quantity: 57.00 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Sterling Silver Crimp Beads 2x2mm - Pack of 100

K10-22

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.32
Gold Club Price: $9.24

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Sterling Silver Crimp Cover 4mm - Pack of 10

K10-25

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $5.60
Gold Club Price: $4.20

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Silver Filled Oval Lobster Clasp 13mm - Pack of 1

S3-15

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $2.82
Gold Club Price: $2.12

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extender chain

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Variety of seed beads

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

turquoise nugget beads

Lesson Quantity: 18.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 18.00 each

5” or more 5-6mm beads with holes large enough to accommodate three beading wires

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

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Tools

Chain Nose Wire Pliers

G2-508

G2-508
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

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Original Bead Crimper

PLR-585.00

PLR-585.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.97
Gold Club Price: $9.73

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C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches

PLR-487.00

PLR-487.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $16.97
Gold Club Price: $12.73

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Instructions

Step 1

Read through the directions before starting the project.

Cut three 19" lengths of beading wire. Pull out a seed bead mixture. Thread beads on the beading wire strands as shown, with one inch of seed beads between the nuggets. For added dimension, intersperse the seed beads with larger black beads.

Judy Larson's Seed Bead and Nugget Necklace - , Beading, Beads, , seed bead and nugget necklace

Step 2

Add enough seed beads to both ends of each strand, centering the nuggets, to make each strand approximately 10" long. I got crazy adding seed beads and needed to remove some to obtain the length I wanted.

Step 3

Gather the beading wires together and thread them through the 5-6mm beads. Adding approximately 2½" of beads at each end will make about a 16" necklace after adding the closure.

Step 4

Thread the beading wires on one end of the necklace through a crimp tube, a closure part (here an extender chain with closed rings), and then back through crimp tube. Flatten crimp tube with large crimping pliers. Use the crimping pliers to "fold" the crimp tube in half and flatten again. Push several beads over the wire tails before trimming away the excess beading wires. Repeat the process with the beading wires at the other end.

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!