Turn an earring into a pendant with this custom beaded bail! (Video tutorial is included with PDF diagram). I thought the Georgiana Earring from my last post would make a lovely pendant, but the bails I had on hand did not seem to match the color or style very well, so I decided to make one. I hope you enjoy this free beading pattern!
About the design…
By incorporating some of the same materials, I could guarantee the color and style matched. I wanted something with a large enough diameter to fit over any type of strand: a chain, a ribbon, a 4mm cord (shown), or even a string of the same 4mm round beads. I was happy with the result. This bail could probably be customized to convert nearly any earring made with 4mm pearls or crystals into a pendant.
Materials
This bail requires a finished beaded earring component that is made with 4mm round beads or crystals (like the Georgiana Earring from my last post), three of the same 4mm round beads or crystals that match the component, and matching 11/0 TOHO seed beads.
More Photos and Demo Video
Video demo of the Beaded Bail
Click on the photos below (or the free beading pattern) to zoom in.
Video Tutorial
BeadDiagrams.com has introduced video tutorials! BeadDiagrams.com tutorials have an advantage over other video tutorials, offering a printable PDF to accompany each tutorial, to help and follow along with. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/c/BeadDiagramsTutorials) to be notified of new tutorials. I am not only posting tutorials for new designs, but also for previously posted designs!
Click on the image below to view the video tutorial for this design:
Video Tutorial: Beaded Bail
PDF Download
If you wish to print the pattern, download it in PDF format:
Enjoy a video tutorial to go with the PDF instructions for this design! This is my newest earring design, which bezels a 14mm rivoli crystal and frames it with 4mm round beads and seed beads. I love how using a slightly darker gold (or silver) for the 4mm beads gave this piece a “old world” feel, and made the crystal color pop. The way the superduo beads are incorporated into the frame gives it a lovely tear-drop shape. I hope you enjoy this free beading pattern!
Materials
Each earring requires a 14mm rivoli crystal, 15/0 and 11/0 seed beads of the same color, fourteen 4mm round beads, five superduo beads, and one 8/0 or 6/0 seed bead to connect an earhook via jump ring at the top. (Materials are also listed in the diagram image and PDF below).
More Photos and Demo Video
Click on the photos below (or the free beading pattern) to zoom in.
Video Tutorial
BeadDiagrams.com has introduced video tutorials! BeadDiagrams.com tutorials have an advantage over other video tutorials, offering a printable PDF to accompany each tutorial, to help and follow along with. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/c/BeadDiagramsTutorials) to be notified of new tutorials. I am not only posting tutorials for new designs, but also for previously posted designs!
Click on the image below to view the video tutorial for this design:
Video tutorial: Georgiana Earrings
Printable PDF
If you wish to print the pattern, download it in PDF format:
Similar to my “Rondelle Radiance” challenge, this design was inspired by a single package of round beads on sale at Michael’s, which included four sizes (4mm, 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm).
Round beads: 4mm, 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm
I wanted to design a necklace using all four sizes of the round beads, and this “Sarina Necklace” is the result. The finished necklace is about 19 inches long (including clasp), but can be made longer by making the “chain” section longer than 5 inches at both ends. The pattern also requires 2 colors of 11/0 TOHO seed beads (one color matching the round beads, plus an accent color), as well as two 6/0 or 8/0 seed beads to connect a clasp at both ends via jump rings. This is a 2-page pattern, and materials are listed on the 2nd page.
Click on the photos below (or the free beading pattern) to zoom in.
If you wish to print the pattern, download it in PDF format:
Click on the photos below (or the free beading pattern) to zoom in.
The original inspiration for this piece was a sale at Hobby Lobby, specifically this Metal Gallery piece:
I thought this would be great as a focal point, with some natural stone. I have both drilled medium chips and round beads made of natural stone, so wanted to incorporate those somehow. I thought having the chips as a backdrop to the focal piece would be great, but they are too heavy to make an entire necklace out of with enough width for the focal piece to lay on top of. Plus I only had 30 inches or so of each chip variety. So what I finally came up with was more of a method than a pattern, which is easier to show with a mix of pictures and diagrams. Usually my PDF patterns are 1 page, but this one is 5 pages, to illustrate this method with images.
This pattern requires two 8/0 seed beads and jump rings for clasp, 11/0 seed beads, 4-mm round beads, 30-inches of medium drilled chip beads, and (optionally) a 1 1/2″ focal piece or bead (with 5 inches of 20-guage wire to attach).
I started by making 2 end pieces (each in an L-shape) to frame the center chip section (shown in steps 1 – 10 below).
Steps 1 – 10
Then I added some decorative stability strands (with accent color), so the end components would keep their shape with the weight of the chips added later. The first outer strand is made of alternating 4mm round beads and seed beads, and should measure 3″ – 3 1/16″ long, connecting from the last vertical diamond, to the 9th horizontal diamond from the right. This ended up being 13 round beads for the aqua/gold piece pictured below, but 14 for the blue/silver piece (as the size of 4mm beads can vary).
Step 11
Connect the strand at the 9th horizontal diamond from the right (see diagram below, step 12). After step 12, the 2nd strand should measure 2 1/4″, and connect from the 7th horizontal diamond from the right to the 4th vertical diamond. This ending up being 9 round beads for the aqua/gold piece pictured below, but 10 for the blue/silver piece. (I adjusted the strand to the right length by adding an extra seed bead on the end, which can be done with any of the strands).
Steps 12, 14, and 15Step 13
When diamond links are at 90 degrees, the 3 longer strands will have some slack.
When you pull it apart past 90 degrees (as the gravity of the chip beads will do), the four strands should all be straight.
Next, string on 5 inches of chips.
Step 16
Connect it to the other end component, per diagram below:
Step 17
After connecting first row of chips, connect clasp with jump rings through 8/0 seed beads at either end, and place on a necklace display bust. (The weight of the chips can affect how long each of the next four chip strands will be, so it is good to finish the necklace while it is on the display bust).
Before step 18 (1st strand of chips)
As you add chip strands, ensure they are the right length so they lie close together without gaps or overlapping. (Step 18 indicates what these lengths were for my chips).
Step 18 (2nd strand of chips)Step 18
After the 5th strand, the weight of the chips will pull the end component strands straight. This can be the finished necklace, or you can continue to add a focal piece on top of the chips.
Finished chip section (after step 18)
For the focal piece, first put about 5 inches of 20-guage wire through the focal bead, and bend the ends 90 degrees back on both sides.
Step 19
Put the necklace on the display bust backwards, then place the focal bead behind it. Be sure it is in the center.
Step 20
Bend the wires down with your thumbs, in between the chip beads. Use round nose pliers to curl the wire ends inward so they don’t poke out.
Step 21
Put the necklace back on the display bust frontward, showing the focal piece. Enjoy the finished piece!
Chip Statement Necklace
If you wish to print the pattern, download it in PDF format:
Here is an earring design to coordinate with the Coral Superduo Earrings from my last post. It requires 11/0 seed beads (2 to 3 colors), and Superduo beads (1 – 2 colors, or a coordinating bead mix), plus a 6/0 or 8/0 bead to connect the ear hook via jump ring. The branches of the coraled strands (and each section of the spine) have one less seed bead than in the coraled strands of the necklace/pendant, in order to make this earring component slightly shorter (not too long).
Since these earrings are quicker to make than the necklace, I was able to experiment more with different colors and superduo bead mixes. The “organic” feel of this design lends itself well to designer superduo bead mixes in a family of colors and varying finishes (matte, gloss, textured, etc). I love how they turned out! I hope you enjoy this free beading pattern.
Click on the photos below (or the free beading pattern) to zoom in.
If you wish to print the pattern, download it in PDF format:
