Making a Ribbon Necklace

This has been a busy time for us right now with selling in Christmas craft fairs on the weekends  and filling custom orders in between.  I've also been working on some more tutorials to share.

The cool thing about making beads from polymer clay is how I can drill the holes almost any size.  This give the advantage of using a variety of stringing materials other than the typical wires.  Heavier and thicker materials can be used such as waxed cotton, fancy yarns and even ribbon.  I discovered how I love to wear ribbon type necklaces, especially in the hot summer months.  They are also fun and easy to make.

The main thing you need is a "needle" tool to thread your beads.  I like to use a piece of scrap flex wire and fold it in half.

Slip the wire through your bead:

Thread the ribbon through the wire (you don't have to go far)

Pull the wire through the bead (you may want to use pliers to grab the wire so you don't cut your hand) and voila!   Your bead is threaded!

For a simple yet elegant necklace, thread a bead and center it on your ribbon.  Tie a knot on each side close to the bead.  Thread another bead on each side and knot again.  Continue until you have as many beads to make a nice finished necklace leaving enough ribbon for tying.

I like to thread and knot some smaller beads at the ends of my ribbon for finishing.  They add a nice touch to the back as well as making it easier to handle when tying.