Have you purchased one of our  mystery themed design kits? These jewelry making kits are loaded with goodies and are a steal for the price. We spend a lot of time brainstorming the inspiration for each kit and it's contents. Each kit is hand loaded with beads, wire, components, and jewelry elements that intrigue us and contribute to the theme of the kit. We want you to tackle a kit that is accessible - but challenging. We aim to make each kit easy enough for a beginner and thoughtful enough to give a designer some pause. One element we have added to some of our kit is hollow rubber tubing. How in the world can this be turned into beautiful jewelry? Today we will take a look at some magical designs made with this challenging design material.

If you have purchased our design kits, you might have found this hollow rubber tubing in one of your  favorite themes. We have had it in these exciting kits: Cupids Kiss, Dark Heart, Santorini Dreams, and our recent Resort Chic Design Kit. These kits are all sold out. But you can be sure we will feature it again, at some point. We think this tubing adds such a fun texture and look. Soft Flex Craft Wire and beading wire can be snaked down the middle of the tube. You can also place the tubing over Memory Wire and other cords and strings. Make something different! Today we will look at ways our community have used this funky design element. Let's get inspired!

Hollow Rubber Tubing As A Jewelry Making Component

Design Kits are complete jewelry making kits. Everything you need to design a bunch of jewelry comes with each kit. The only thing you need are basic beading tools. Design kits are themed. Each month, we create a new design kit. We like to be unexpected, some themes might be topical or seasonal, but others may be as unique as the rich colors of a Harvest Moon or the enigmatic splendor of a Mermaid's Lagoon.

Jewelry Making Kits and Bead Mixes

We try to make every design kit magical. We like to include limited issue beads and supplies. We also like to partner with other beading stores to include goodies that you cannot purchase anywhere else. Every kit has something unique and exciting. We put a lot of time and thought into the creation of each kit. With the amount of care and dedication we put into each kit, this limits the amount of kit inventory that will hit our shelves. Make sure you grab one while supplies last!

Each month,  Sara does a live broadcast on the Soft Flex Facebook page and YouTube Page, with our latest design kit.

If you'd like to join us in the design challenge next month, buy our newest kit and challenge yourself to try something new and unexpected. If you are new to beading, this kit comes with findings, beads, wire, and surprises.

Our kits are great for skill building. We want our kits to feel challenging. We want them to be accessible for beginners and advanced designers alike, but we love to throw in elements that may seem difficult to test our beaders skills and make them think out of the box. We think jewelry is great when it is easy. But when you really have to engage your mind and process your materials and tools, we think that your jewelry has the potential to be life changing.

Our kits may be inspired by a colorway or theme, but they are meant to be creative interpretations. Imagination and innovation do not follow the rules. Expect the unexpected.

Designed by Soft Flex Company Employee: Kristen Fagan

Rubber Tubing may seem like an unusual design choice. The color options can be vivid or muted. We add the element to enhance our themes. The color we select will follow the palette of the theme. Soft Flex Beading Wire is as colorful as the tubing. If you string your wire through the hollow tubing, the tubing is going to radiate with the beauty of the color you use!

Designed by Soft Flex Company Employee: Sara Oehler

DIY earrings are so easy to make with Soft Flex wire. If you have bare bones beading supplies and a great design idea, you can have a new pair of handmade earrings in just minutes. This means that you can potentially design a new pair of earrings for every outfit and occasion for very little out of pocket. It is so easy to make personalized jewelry that is memorable!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Carey Marshall Leimbach

Complement your beads with a section of tubing here and there. The segments of tubing will give your designs a stunning finish. Look how wonderful a muted pink tubing looks against the brilliance of the pink beads.

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Anita Heras

See more of her designs on her Etsy page.

Hollow rubbing tubing is a great way to sheath your Memory Wire. String your Memory Wire as normal and add lengths of hollow tubing over the wire to add a nice little flair!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Patti Pfister Hollinsworth

Get creative. Adorn the tubing itself with Soft Flex Craft Wire or beading wire. Your designs can be as simple or as intricate as you please. Be adventurous and make something unexpected!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Robin Wilke

See more of her designs on her Ebay page.

Make the tubing the centerpiece of the design. Long lengths of hollow tubing can be a great showcase for the beads you choose to string. The beads might be a focal element, but the tubing can really sing.

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Heather Will

See more of her designs on her Facebook page.

Make your Memory Wire look ethereal with the glow of a themed tubing element. Wrap a loop at the end of your Memory Wire or glue on an end cap to finish. Your design will be secure and beautiful!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Judy Sparn

Hollow tubing looks amazing on lariats or longer necklaces. Look how this focal shines. The tubing becomes a bridge to a beautiful centerpiece!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Mercedes MillerBartley

See more of her designs on her Etsy page.

Design jewelry that is fun and colorful. Spring and summer are perfect times to wear brilliant and bouncy colors. Make the room smile when you enter. Your jewelry will be full of life!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Sue Purdy

Baby pink and beautiful. Jelly bracelets were fun as children. Make your own updated version with a sophisticated colorway and stunning beads to match.

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Jeni Vadnais

Don't let winter chill bite your bones. Wear a bracelet that is fit for a winter queen! The cold beauty of the winter snap is perfectly captured with this lovely design!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Terry Hamit

Radiant and colorful. Add some hollow tubing to a jewelry set and make designs that glow on your wrist. Make earrings that catch every eye.

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Rosanna Brafford

See more of her designs on her Facebook page.

A rainbow of colors! Create a symphony of colorways and styles. Hollow tubing is a fun and brilliant element to add to any jewelry design!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Jennifer Ackley Gammon‎

String your beads with a vibrant electricity. Pink is a stunning current that erupts into a shower or beautiful black and white sparks. Give your design an urgency and brilliant path for happy eyes to trace.

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Suzanne Brown

Dark hearts on Valentine's Day celebrate with gothic inspired colors. Give your tubing a haunting backdrop of somber beads. Add a dangle on your Memory Wire to make it even more fun!

Designed by Soft Flex VIB Studio Member: Christine Hawk

Glorious and colorful! Make earrings and necklaces full of punchy and powerful colors! Be adventurous. Don't shy away from a new design element. You might make something magical!

Do you like a challenge? If a jewelry making challenge excites you, you need to check out our beading Design Kits. Our Design Kits are created to be stimulating and thoughtful. Each kit is designed to be accessible to a beginner but also an exciting challenge for a professional. We try to add at least one element in each kit that is unexpected. You might find Craft Wire in a kit, you might get decorative tubing or a component that you have never worked with before. Sometimes we will even add a color that is not a typical tone for most beaders. We love to challenge our friends. Are you up for it?

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