Who Knew It Was So Easy?,

Have you seen beaded jewelry on your friends? Maybe you even have a beaded bracelet or necklace of your own. Now is the perfect time to learn how to make beaded jewelry, for you or your friends or family. Here are the instructions to make the perfect Valentine’s Day necklace or bracelet.

Whether you decide to make a necklace or a bracelet (or even an anklet), the materials you need are basically the same.

What you need to get started:
Pony Beads or Heart Beads
Scissors
Elastic Thread

Pony beads come in lots of colors and sizes. Pony beads are small beads about the size of pencil erasers and you can find them at most craft stores. Some of the bigger varieties are made from glass or clay, but most of them are made out of plastic. Some have designs on them and some are multi-colored. It’s all up to you which beads to use! You can pick red, pink, or white for Valentine’s Day. You can pick ones that are in the shape of a heart or ones that spell out words like LOVE or FRIEND. The choice of which beads to use is all yours! Just be sure to pick beads with holes big enough for the elastic thread to go through.

Instructions:
Cut a piece of elastic thread or bead cord
8 inches long for a bracelet,
10 inches long for an anklet, or
16 inches long for a necklace.
Tie a bead onto one end of the piece of thread. This will keep the other beads from falling off.
String all of the beads onto the elastic thread.
Tie the ends of the thread together so it fits around your wrist, ankle, or neck.
Cut off the extra thread.
Voila! You have just made your Valentine’s Day jewelry.

Helpful Hints:
If you lay your beads out in a pattern before you string them, you can see how your necklace or bracelet is going to look. You can rearrange the pattern until you get it just the way you like it.
Lay the beads on a washcloth or towel to keep them from rolling away.