Beading Hints and Tips, Bead Happily Ever After

~ Hints and Tips ~

How many beads will I need for my necklace?

When planning a necklace or bracelet, there are many things to consider such as style, color, and cost. One of the most important aspects of jewelry designing, however, is to determine the number of beads required for the length you desire. Although there may be occasions when you create a necklace using beads that are all the same size, most of your designs will probably include a mixture of sizes! Whether you're selecting large focal beads, medium accent beads, or small spacer beads, here's a handy chart to help you figure how many of each size you'll need to complete your finished project. Remember that the clasp you choose will also add length to your piece, so be sure to include that measurement in your calculations!

Approximate Number of Beads Required

Necklace Length

Bead	16"	20"	24"	28"	32"
Size
3 mm	136	170	204	237	272
4 mm	102	127	153	178	204
5 mm	82	102	125	143	164
6 mm	68	84	101	118	136
7 mm	58	70	86	101	116
8 mm	51	64	76	89	102
10 mm	41	51	61	71	82
12 mm	34	42	51	59	68
14 mm	29	36	43	50	58
16 mm	25	32	38	44	50
18 mm	23	28	34	39	46

What size crimps should I use for the beading wire I've selected?

Use the following guide for selecting the proper crimp bead:

Beading Wire Crimp Size

.012" beading wire	- 1mm crimp bead
.014" beading wire	- 2mm crimp bead
.019" beading wire	- 2mm crimp bead
.024" beading wire	- 3mm crimp bead

Storage

Organize your beads in easily movable storage containers. In that way, if you want to work on the dining room table in the afternoon, you won?t have to spend a lot of time packing everything up so that the family can have dinner! A sturdy plastic rolling cart with four or five drawers is ideal for this purpose! You can store tools in one drawer, and beads, findings, and current projects can be neatly arranged in the other drawers. When you?re finished beading for the day, just wheel your little bead studio out of the way in no time at all.

Bead Share for Earrings

Often after a project, you will have a few beads of several different types remaining. Sort them into pairs and have a bead share! Everyone brings leftover pairs of beads. The group can then swap to gather a nice collection of new beads, and use them in different combinations to create unique earrings. This is a great way to experiment with beads that you might never have considered using in your designs. It?s amazing to discover how much we can really like something, when given the opportunity to think beyond our usual preferences!

Keeping The Tarnish At Bay . . .

Silver jewelry is gorgeous when it gleams, but there is nothing more disappointing than reaching for a favorite necklace or bracelet and finding that it can?t be worn without a time-consuming cleaning! Many of us use a zip lock bag to store our silver between wearings, but that method is not totally foolproof. If there is even a tiny hole in the bag, tarnish will eventually occur. However, using two zip lock bags will definitely prolong the tarnish-free storage time. Simply place your silver piece in a zip lock bag (Try to eliminate all of the air before sealing!) and then place that bag in a second zip lock! You will be amazed at how well this works.

What's your Birthstone? :-)

January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Aquamarine
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Pearl, Moonstone
July: Ruby
August: Peridot
September: Sapphire
October: Opal, Tourmaline
November: Topaz
December: Turquoise, Zircon