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Metal beads are a mainstay of jewelry design, but there’s more to them than simply using them as spacers or stringing them onto some beading thread. Read on for five new ways to use metal beads in your crafts and designs, and you might find inspiration for something you’ve never tried before. In all cases, you simply need to remember to take into account the weight of the finished product – and the fact that many metal beads will contain nickel, to which many people are sensitive. Metal Bead Weaving Bead weaving is usually associated with rocailles and seed beads, but actually you can use the same techniques to work with almost any kind of bead. Projects that have been woven from metal beads tend to be quite heavy, meaning that they’re often not suitable for earrings or bracelet charms – but they make great pendants, keychains and ornaments. Just make sure you’re using as your base a thread that is sturdy enough to take the strain. Decorated Hair Falls and Extensions Many counterculture looks rely on hair falls and fake hair extensions made from wool roving or yarn to give them an extra splash of color and individuality. You can take this idea a step further by stringing metal beads onto the ends of the falls – which has the extra added benefit of pulling them straight and helping them to blend in with the wearer’s natural hair. Just be sure to be careful of the extra weight they’ll add to your design, and warn your customers of this if you intend to sell! Eye-Catching Beaded Curtains If you have the resources, the time and the patience, metal beads make great beaded curtains – or great additions to other beaded curtain designs. These curtains can then be used as part of an interior design scheme, covering doors, windows or alcoves. You will need to use an extremely strong stringing material, but the actual process is as simple as threading beads in a straight line. Hand-Made Metal Beads If you can’t find the beads you’re looking for, why not try making your own? The advent of precious metal clay makes this easier than ever before – you can shape whatever you want from this clay, using a bead reamer or other tool to make a hole of the appropriate size, and then fire them over an open flame (with a wire net, and ordinary gas hob will do) to turn them into pure gold, hallmarkable silver, or solid bronze. Metal Beads as Embellishments There’s more to beading than threading, stringing and weaving. With the right glue, you can use metal beads as embellishments on almost anything – rings, pendants, cards and paper crafts, interior design, or whatever else will take the weight and hold the glued bead firmly. Is some cases, you could stitch the bead onto the base rather than using glue to secure it. If you make things from resin, enamel or polymer clay, remember that metal beads can be embedded in these media before they are set. For more information on metal beads visit PandaHall.com today!
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