Jewelry & Beading

Making Champagne Bubbles

by Cyndi on December 4th, 2007

Technique Tuesday!

Champagne Bubbles

Exactly how many strands and dangles you’ll put into your necklace will depend upon what type of beads you choose. Since my lucite beads are from a vintage necklace, I can’t give you an exact count. But what I’d recommend is that you find a strand with graduated sizes, and use that as your base. To the base beads, add some sparkling facetted rounds or even Swarovski crystals if you’ve got the budget for them. I bought some clear facetted glass rounds in 6mm and 3mm sizes. Here are the rest of the basics:

1. Cut as many stands of gold-colored beading wire as you desire. I used three. Crimp them to a soldered ring on one end, and hide the crimps under a gold crimp-cover.
2. Space the base beads out along the wires with a size #1 crimp on each side. Once you’ve got your beads spread out in a pleasing fashion, flatten each crimp to hold the beads in place.
3. Cut short strands of beading wire, from 3 to 4 inches each. Thread these pieces through the holes of the larger beads on your base strands. On each end, place a facetted bead, surrounded by size #1 crimps. Flatten each of these to hold the beads out on the tips of the wire. I used larger beads in the middle and the smaller ones up the sides.
4. Bend the wires down lightly to encourage the facetted beads to hang downward.
5. Crimp the other three ends of the beading wires around a clasp. Hide the crimps under a crimp-cover. How easy was that?

Copyright 2007 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

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POSTED IN: Bead Stringing, Beading, Mixed Media, Technique Tuesday, Tutorials & Techniques, Wearable Art, Wire