Don't be frightened! There is still time to make a handmade piece of spooky jewelry to enhance your Halloween wardrobe. Be the most bewitching specter on your block this season with an inspired and easy to design set of jewelry. We have a bunch of eerie ideas from a gothic band of bead stringers. Halloween earrings are a snap of the fingers and crinkle of the nose. Cast a spell with a scary necklace! We also have some fall ideas that will bowl you over. Let's celebrate the beginning of the chilly months with some warm and earthy jewelry!
We have a monstrous collection of jewelry making videos this week! Sara showed off some new techniques on TikTok and Instagram. We recap our Halloween Trick Or Treat Party that we celebrated with Jesse James Beads. Kristen showed us how to turn a missing earring into a stellar Pantone Beaded Tassel Necklace. Sara unboxed our Woodland Walk Design Kit (Sold Out) and we celebrated an exciting Kit Day! We got some bone chilling Halloween jewelry ideas from Tracy Proctor at TierraCast. Finally, we checked out Joyce Trowbridge from Just Bead It and her latest jewelry design - the Ombre Multi-Strand Bracelet. You are going to have a blast. Join our grim grinning ghosts and let's all make some fun crafts for Halloween!
Woodland Walk Bead Mix! Expand your kit or just enjoy this colorway!
Woodland Walk is a bead mix that was included in our Woodland Walk Design Kit. If you loved this kit, you are going to adore this mix of assorted beads. If you own the kit, this mix is a great way to expand your collection. If you did not purchase the kit, but love the colorway, this is a great way to grab some beads without buying the full kit.
Slender trees are cathedral spires in the autumn wilderness. In the heart of the darkening forest, there is quiet contemplation. The verdant life of summer has faded and the woods are a sleepy hollow. Fallen leaves and twigs creak and snap with a visitor's footfalls. Every step is a beat in a crunching rhythm that echoes across the empty thicket. The flora is dressed in somber fall splendor. An audience of woodland animals watch the stranger make headway through their kingdom. They focus on the guest with watchful eyes as they carry food to their nests and stores. Let this meditative walk inspire visionary designs. Stimulate your creativity with the fertile blessing of nature.
You can find this bead mix on our website, exclusively.
Jewelry Making Videos
Follow Us On TikTok And Instagram - Learn How To Make Jewelry In Just Minutes
Follow us on the web! Our social media sites are loaded with instructional jewelry making videos YouTube and Facebook have a ton of long form videos that will teach you how to make jewelry. You will find in depth discussions on how to use your tools and finish your jewelry on those channels. Our Instagram page and SoftFlexWire@TikTok will teach you how to make jewelry in under a minute. Smash that learning curve and learn a new technique at lightning speed. Instagram Reels and TikTok are great tools for learning something new or finding quick inspiration. If your creativity needs a quick cup of coffee, make sure you visit us for a much needed jolt of crafting caffeine!
Sara created an Instagram Reel / TikTok video using our last kit, the Woodland Walk Design Kit (Sold Out). During the live kit reveal, Sara opened the kit and made a necklace. On our social media, she created a short video showing how to make earrings to pair with the fall inspired necklace. Sara also showed us how to make a cute pineapple pendant. The Bead Gallery Honolulu sent her a pineapple kit. You are going to love this charming little gift! Check out our 30 second jewelry tutorials on Soft Flex Company's Instagram Reels! Master a new technique in minutes. These videos move quick but are easy to follow. You will get a sense of how to use your tools and finish your crimps securely. If you need more assistance, make sure you check out our YouTube catalog for deeper dives into jewelry making education. Stand on the shoulders of giants and enhance your jewelry making knowledge in a flash!
Got a minute? Follow us on the Soft Flex TikTok Page! Learn how to use a knitting spool in minutes! Sara shows you how to knit the wire around the pegs and then draw it down. This is a great quickie if you need the basics. You can always follow up with more in depth videos on our YouTube channel if you need extra help. Sara uses Soft Flex Beading Wire to make a bracelet. But, you can also make jewelry with Soft Flex Craft Wire on the spool. There are so many possibilities!
A timeless tradition that many will recall learning as a child has returned. The knitting spool you may have used with yarn or thread as a youngster has been reimagined for wire weaving. Try knitting using Soft Flex Craft Wire, Soft Flex Beading Wire as well as thread, cord, yarn, leather, etc. You can add beads. You can weave multiple and different materials together and create unique, one-of-a-kind, bracelets and necklaces. Not only are there three different styles of knitting spools available (3-pin, 4-pin and 5-pin), but there are several different ways to knit on each spool.
Note: The knitting spool works with copper or sterling silver wire, gauges 24-28. Any of our 4 diameters of beading wire can be knitted.
Join The Fun At The Great Bead Extravaganza Facebook Page - Fall Fest Is Almost Here!
The Great Bead Extravaganza is right around the corner. In the weeks leading up to the big event, exhibitors are having 'Takeover' days. Takeover days are when individual exhibitors take control of the Facebook page and have demos and fun. Spend a day with your favorite jewelry designers and artists! If you have not joined The Great Bead Extravaganza Facebook page, make sure you visit and include yourself in the excitement! The Great Bead Extravaganza is the world's biggest online bead show. The event is free and chock full of big sales, giveaways, and jewelry making demonstrations. Even if the event is not in full swing, the Facebook page is a great place to meet new designers and find bead stores with amazing products. Join today!
If you missed the previous shows, check out our blog and get caught up before November 13th!
Trick Or Treat Jewelry Making Party With Jesse James Beads - Kristen Fagan & Brittany Chavers
Children are precious during the holidays. But let's face it, adults need to have some fun too! We joined the undead horde at Jesse James Beads and threw a Trick Or Treat party for all of the grownups out there. This was a two day event featuring four spooky good designers. This hair raising party was a haunting good time. Before the event kicked off, we offered a kit full of components. Jesse James Beads offered a companion kit full of beads. If you had purchased each kit, you could follow the videos and make the jewelry that was made during the live shows. You could also make your own Halloween jewelry. Our friends that had purchased both kits were given access to a Zoom after party where we imbibed some delicious spirits and had a celebration of the scariest holiday of the year.
Kristen Fagan filmed her segment and made a Halloween necklace with a scary spider as a pendant. This was a fun spin on a plastic decoration that is so common place during the month of October. She wire wrapped the spider and let it guard the amazing design she finished. Probably not a gift for an arachnophobe, but spider lovers have to agree that this piece of jewelry is a perfect homage to our eight legged friends!
Brittany Chavers showed us how to make Halloween earrings and a mysterious bracelet. Her pumpkin earrings are perfect for a spirited party or Halloween ensemble. Brittany's bracelet is as gorgeous as it is eerie. She opted to use three strands of Soft Flex Beading Wire. She admits she doesn't always work with Soft Flex and was stunned by how colorful it was and the fact that you could expose the wire on a design instead of concealing it. She was also amazed that you could knot the wire. We think she made a wonderful jewelry set for Halloween!
Trick Or Treat Jewelry Making Party With Jesse James Beads - Sara Oehler & Deb Floros
Ghost host, Sarah James, returned for another night of blood curdling fun! The second night of this Trick Or Treat event kicked off with Deb Floros. Deb is the owner and skeleton lord of Deb Luvs Jewelry Designs. Deb gave us a peek into her life and operating her bead sales. Sara Oehler joined the party and we were treated to a costume party at her house. Sara's three cute kids showed off their Halloween costumes and then promised mommy that they would all be very quiet during the jewelry demonstration. Join us for some spooky fun!
This was a fun time. We got to watch two designers that have different methods of making jewelry. Sara tends to grab and go. She often unboxes kits from Soft Flex and sometimes opens mystery kits from other companies. She is used to opening a box of beading supplies in front of a live audience and just going with the flow and using beading supplies she feels will make compelling design. She is great at designing on the fly. For this segment she gave us a real treat - she made tassel earrings and a braided bracelet. Her earrings look like little purple ghosts and purple is such a mystical Halloween color! She paired her earrings with a braided bracelet that is great for beaders that love the layered look. Be the most bewitching ghoul on the block this year!
Deb Floros showed us how to lay out design elements so there is a crystal ball vision of what the finished piece might look like. She placed her Jack O' Lantern beads out and showed us how she planned to use them in her design. She wire wrapped beads and tassels onto her scary little pumpkins. Rather than stringing the whole design with Soft Flex, she chose to use it as part of a handmade tassel. We think she made a truly otherworldly design. Be a pumpkin queen this Halloween!
Trick Or Treat After Party
Anybody that had purchased a kit from both Jesse James Beads and Soft Flex Company was granted exclusive access to an after party. The after party featured wine tasting and fun. It was a great relaxed meet-up amongst beading friends and jewelry designers. We hope you joined us. If not, you can see what Sara made during the after show. We had a blast. Thank you for joining the fun!
DIY Beaded Tassel Necklace With Pantone Adobe Bead Mix
This week on Free Spirit Beading with Kristen Fagan, Kristen showed us how to make lemonade after life gave her a couple of lemons. Last week, she made some gorgeous beaded earrings with our Pantone Adobe Bead Mix. She immediately lost one of those earrings. Of course, right? Instead of torturing herself over her missing jewelry, she decided to solve the problem of having a single earring. This week, she showed us how to turn her orphaned earring into a stunning tassel necklace. Flatter your fall outfit with this lovely fall necklace design. Pantone colors mean it will be trending all season!
From Kristen:
What do you do when you lose one of the cute beaded tassel earrings you made? I was pretty bummed to lose one of my tassel earrings however, I think this necklace design makes up for it! Who knows, maybe these earrings were actually meant to be a necklace all along!
Soft Flex .019/Medium Diameter Beading Wire in Bone
Pantone Adobe Bead Mix
Ear Wires
2x2m Crimp Tubes
Crimping Pliers
Chain Nose Pliers
Cutters
Woodland Walk Design Kit Reveal - Make Fall Jewelry To Complement Your Fall Outfits
Kit Day is back! Kit Day is a Soft Flex Company holiday. We celebrate this day on the last Wednesday of every month. It is a joyous day full of creativity and big jewelry discussions among our community and friends. Each Kit day, we reveal our newest kit - this time, we unveiled our Retro Christmas Design Kit. We will unbox this kit at the end of November - just in time for Christmas jewelry ideas. We also featured a blog full of finished jewelry from our last kit - the Happy Owl-Leen Design Kit. Finally, we unboxed our most recent kit, the Woodland Walk Design Kit (Sold Out). Our friends joined us on Facebook and YouTube, live, and watched Sara make a necklace with this stunning fall inspired jewelry kit. Kit Day is a blast. If you need a big jolt of artistic inspiration, this is a day to rejuvenate your creative energy!
This kit got rave reviews once the orders started shipping. The earthy colors and beautiful bead selection really hit the mark. If you want a collection of autumn beads that will complement your cute fall outfits, make sure you grab our bead mix while it is available. The Woodland Walk Bead Mix was included in this kit. Buying the bead mix is a great way to expand your kit supplies. If you missed out on the kit before it sold out, buying the bead mix is your next best option. It will allow you to design with the colors of the kit!
Woodland Walk Design Kit (Sold Out)
Soft Flex Beading Wire, .019 Diameter in Red Jasper
2x2mm Crimp Tubes
Magical Crimping Pliers
Cutters
Boo! Halloween Bracelet - TierraCast Jewelry Making Demonstration
We love our neighbors. TierraCast is a short 30 minute drive from our warehouse. Not an incredible coincidence for most markets. But the fact that we are in such a niche market, it certainly surprised us how close they are to our shop. We have always admired the products they manufacture. They were gracious enough to give us a tour of their facilities in 2017 - a must watch if you are a fan!
Recently, Tracy Proctor, the product educator and jewelry designer at TierraCast, made some wonderful Halloween jewelry. We had to share this charming video! If you love charms, you will want to make one of these for yourself. You can find the charms below.
Antique Silver Plated Halloween Charms for Holiday Crafts and Jewelry
Don't be spooked. Make some Halloween magic. Rattle some chains and haunt the hallways. These frighteningly cute charms are the perfect way to make your next necklace terrifyingly adorable. Grim grinning ghosts will serenade your holiday style. Celebrate Owl-Leen with this collection of chilling charms!
Since 1978, TierraCast has been making high-quality, lead-free cast beads, findings and components in Santa Rosa, California, USA.
Note: Not for children under the age of 12.
Halloween Story Rings - TierraCast Jewelry Making Demonstration
TierraCast's ring components are incredibly versatile. You can use them to dangle charms. You can make a lovely set of earrings with two connectors. You can create magnificent bracelets and necklaces using the rings as focals or simple components. We checked in with Tracy again to find her using the rings for a mixed-media Halloween jewelry design. It is spooky how easy it is to make these incredible story rings. Add some chilling fashion to your holiday costume!
Hammertone Ring, Hammered Metal Texture Connector for Handcrafted Jewelry Making
You are going to love these stunning TierraCast Spiral Ring Connectors. These Spiral Ring Connectors are versatile components. Use them as a base for seed beads and wire wrapping, embellish them with charms, or link them together as bold, eye-catching chain.
Since 1978, TierraCast has been making high-quality, lead-free cast beads, findings and components in Santa Rosa, California, USA.
Note: Not for children under the age of 12.
Ombre Multi-Strand Bracelet - Just Bead It Free Facebook Live Virtual Beading Class
Joyce Trowbridge is the owner of Just Bead It. Just Bead It was a local bead store that operated in Concord, California. Joyce ran her bead store for seventeen wonderful years. Unfortunately, her business was one of millions that failed when hurricane COVID crashed into us. Joyce did not throw in the towel, though. Even if her brick and mortar store was gone, she knew she could maintain an active bead store, online. She is transitioning her catalog of jewelry supplies and beads to her website and Etsy store. She is also taking the classes that she offered in Northern California to a virtual space. You can attend her jewelry making courses on Facebook. You can purchase a kit and make jewelry with her. If you miss a class, you can download the PDF and make the design on your own time.
We love how simple these design is to make and finish. Follow the video and the images below and make one of your own. If you would like to participate in a class, check the Just Bead It event calendar. For this design, she used Fine .014 Soft Flex Beading Wire. Support her business and buy your Soft Flex Beading Wire from her Etsy shop!
Etsy link to purchase this bead kit: Ombré Multi-strand Bracelet Bead Kit for DIY Bracelets
More than beads and supplies, Just Bead It! is known for classes. They currently hold virtual beading classes most Saturdays at 2pm PST. Catch them on Facebook Live.
Visit Joyce's Links:
Join our Facebook group – VIB. Stay in the know. Stay up to date. From our bead shows to our video shows and sales, you can stay in touch with us. The community is full of artistic and helpful beaders and crafty people. Inspire and be inspired. Share your pictures and get the beading bug from others!
Visit the Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!
Blog contributor Thomas Soles loves Jazz Age writers and crunchy french fries. His favorite gemstones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Freddie Mercury's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com