History of Beads II: Bronze Age Beaded Jewelry

History of Beads II: Bronze Age Beaded Jewelry

A single spark ignites a bonfire. The crude beginning of beading and jewelry making evolved into a wildfire of creativity and jewelry design. Bead stringing began with egg and stone. It escalated into an art with shaped glass beads and standardized beads that allowed for uniform designs. The Stone Age ended with a simple foundation. The Bronze Age erupted wi…
FREE Beading Project Idea: Beading Wire and Plazko Chain Earrings

FREE Beading Project Idea: Beading Wire and Plazko Chain Earrings

We love earrings. Earrings are probably the most versatile piece of jewelry you can have in your wardrobe. Earrings can match necklaces or they can stand on their own merits. They can enhance an outfit or draw attention from an outfit. They can be slender dangles. They can be chunky affairs. Earrings can be a discrete post or a monster hoop. One fantastic thing about stringing your own jewel…
DIY Men's BRACELETS & NECKLACES | Men's Jewelry

DIY Men's BRACELETS & NECKLACES | Men's Jewelry

Let's look at men's jewelry. Men's bracelets and necklaces never get a lot of love. Men's beaded jewelry tends to be less flashy and less fun than an elaborate multi-stranded necklace that would find a home on a woman's neck. The color options for His jewelry can be more muted and earthy than Her jewelry. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun designing a necklace for the fellow in y…
Reduce, Reuse, RESTYLE | EASY Ways To Recycle Jewelry

Reduce, Reuse, RESTYLE | EASY Ways To Recycle Jewelry

Have you ever wondered how you could reduce your environmental impact? Recycling is a great way to lessen the weight of our footsteps. We think it should be fun. We think  stringing beads can be part of the way we reduce, reuse, and recycle. We look at ways to think outside of the box and create jewelry with the very things we normally consider trash. Bottle caps can be beautiful focal beads.…
Breakfast At Tiffany's JEWELRY Design CHALLENGE With Jesse James Beads

Breakfast At Tiffany's JEWELRY Design CHALLENGE With Jesse James Beads

Sara had a lot of fun opening a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Magical Mystery Box from Jesse James Beads. Jesse James has a wonderful selection of decadent beads on their site. Sara knew that she would love whatever she found in the box. Sara does unboxing shows on Facebook. She contacts a bead store and has them send a box of mystery items to her. The mystery items are hand selecte…
How To String Beaded Jewelry When Your Beads Have Big Holes

How To String Beaded Jewelry When Your Beads Have Big Holes

A  beading wire that fills a bead hole will give the bead stability and aesthetic value. An unstable bead will wobble on its wire whenever the wearer of the bead moves. When the bead is quiet, it will sit at an odd and unattractive angle. How To String Beaded Jewelry When Your Beads Have Big Holes It would seem like a simple task to fill a bead hole with wire, but this is not always so.…