Turning Leftover Beads Into Suncatchers

What do you do with a pile of orphan beads? ("Orphan" being defined as beads left over from other projects, and beads I don't plan to use for jewelry for one reason or another.) In my studio, they're now used to make suncatchers!

I love suncatchers. For Mother's Day I gave my mom a rather elaborate suncatcher I found on Etsy. It had all kinds of quirky items on it besides beads, including old keys, charms and other small trinkets. Sure, I could have made a suncatcher for her myself, but the idea to send Mom a suncatcher in addition to her other gifts occurred to me right before Mother's Day. There wasn't enough time to make one for her myself.

So I went shopping on my favorite source for "all things handmade" (shameless plug: my own Etsy shop is Playing With Colors) and found a lovely suncatcher at https://www.etsy.com/shop/beautyoflight. The wonderful seller moved heaven and earth to ship it so Mom would get it in time (just try getting that level of service at a big box store!) It got delivered practically overnight. Mom was thrilled with her gift and I was positively wowed by Beauty of Light's awesome customer service.

Anyway, back to the orphans. I had enough of them on hand to make a simple, one-strand suncatcher if I supplemented them with some of my jewelry beads. Instead of using nylon fishing line, which stretches and weakens over time, I opted to use 49 strand beading wire to string them. This is the same super-strong product I use for stringing necklaces.

I also had several teardrop shaped glass prisms that once hung on an old chandelier. They had been gathering dust in a box for years. Cleaned up, they'd be perfect as suncatcher drops. I selected one, gathered up the beads, and got busy. Soon, Suncatcher #1 was born:

Orphan beads and an upcycled prism from an old chandelier make a colorful suncatcher.

I enjoyed making this colorful suncatcher so much I immediately started in on a second. This time I aimed for a more delicate look. I used some large faceted acrylic beads in a yummy raspberry-pink color, combined with turquoise, pale green and clear glass beads. Oooh, this suncatcher thing is too much fun! Here's Suncatcher #2:

Two large faceted acrylic beads and pastel colored glass beads adorn Suncatcher #2.

But why stop with just two? I couldn't seem to focus on anything but suncatchers. Soon three more were dancing in the breeze outside my studio door as I photographed them for my Etsy shop. But I won't stop there. I'll be creating dozens more in the days ahead. Is there a 12 Step program for suncatcher-makers? I believe I'm addicted.

What is it about them that captivates so many of us? I think it's their sparkle, their movement and the beauty of sunlight shining through them that makes them so irresistible. They're wonderful as garden art or hung on a porch or deck; indoors, they bring cheer on the drabbest winter day when hung in a window. They make terrific gifts, providing pleasure year round for even the hardest-to-please recipients. Can you think of a better gift for someone who is ill, or in a nursing home? Given as a hospitality or housewarming gift? Or a gift for a co-worker, friend, or neighbor? This simple touch of beauty lifts spirits and brings joy to all, day after day, year after year. I can hardly wait to make lots more of them!
Text and images ©2014 Lynn Edwards

An Easy Way to Use Up Leftover Beads

What do you do with leftover beads? I usually toss them into a jar and wait until I've accumulated several from various projects. Then I turn them into the easiest-to-make necklace ever. The good thing about this hoop type of necklace is that you only need a handful of beads, not hundreds of them, to make something really attractive. Of course, the beads you use don't have to be leftovers. Any beads from your stash will work just as well.

The basis for this piece is a simple hoop-style wire choker with a removable ball on one end and a curved hook at the other. You can buy them in different finishes from mail order sources like Fire Mountain, at arts and crafts stores and at bead stores. At just a few dollars apiece, they're inexpensive and -- even better -- no additional findings are needed. It's self-closing so you won't need so much as a clasp nor even a jump ring. The rigid hoop comes pre-formed so there's no need to shape the wire, and the ball end is included. And if those pluses weren't enough, the entire necklace takes less than ten minutes to assemble!

A super simple necklace made in minutes from left over beads.

The choker above is made from eight tube style paper beads, five 8mm round glass beads, four 8mm porcelain beads, 16 metal rondelles, and two filigree bead caps. The paper beads were extras from another necklace project, and the blue and white porcelain beads were remnants of an earring-making session from long ago. The bead caps weren't strictly necessary but I used them because I liked the effect and happened to have two on hand that fit the glass beads.

When choosing beads for this style of necklace there are a few things to keep in mind:

The holes in the beads must be large enough to accommodate the gauge of the wire hoop. The beads need to be able to move easily along the wire without getting hung up. Have a bead reamer on hand to smooth the occasional burr.

The length of the bead matters. Because the wire hoop is rigid, you'll need to use shorter beads that fit snugly against the curve of the hoop. (In other words, 40mm hairpipes won't work!) The paper beads I used on my necklace are 3/4 inch in length, which was about the maximum length the hoop could accommodate.You'll know right away if a bead is too long. It will jam when you try to slide it onto the wire.

This type of project is very adaptable. It lends itself to however many beads you have available. You can use a single focal bead, fill a portion of the hoop with beads as I've done, or fill every inch of the hoop with beads. Any stopping point is aesthetically pleasing. As long as the beads look good together you can't go wrong.

Expect your creation to draw admiring comments whenever you wear it. For it certainly will draw attention. No one has to know it was made of leftovers or that it was created in less time than it takes to microwave a TV dinner. Just bask in the compliments and smile. If you don't tell, I won't either!

 Text and image ©2014 Lynn Edwards

Words Fail Me

A new year is about to begin. And there are exciting plans in the works for 2014!

These past several weeks I've been working on a series of necklace and earring sets and eyeglass leashes for shows I'll be doing this coming year and for the launch of my Etsy shop next month.

An Original Art pendant on necklace featuring semi-precious stones and glass beads

 When I laid them out on a table, I noticed they seem to share a certain "look," though I wasn't consciously striving for that effect as I created them. The colors, sizes and shapes of the beads and other elements used vary, but still, there's that indefinable "something" that seems to unite them visually as a group. My style, in other words.

Necklace of painted fabric beads, glass beads and filigree beads

Now I need to define that style with a two- or three-word label or tagline that describes the jewelry. This sounds like it should be easy but it's not. There are millions of words in the English language. Narrowing them down to an accurate and appealing two or three word description is much more difficult than it would seem.






I've been wrestling with this issue for a while now but have yet to resolve it, so I'm appealing to the online community for help. In this post I've included photos of several pieces from this collection. (None of these photos have been improved using PhotoShop to correct lighting, contrast, etc. but I'm sure you'll be willing to overlook their deficiencies.)

What are your thoughts? How would you chatacterize them? Any input you can offer will be so appreciated. If I adopt your suggestion I will send you a complimentary pair of handmade earrings as a thank you gift! To submit your ideas, just scroll down past the photos, below, and click on the "Comments" link.

This set is comprised of hand made paper beads, semi-precious stones and glass beads

A closeup

Hand made paper beads, semi-precious heishi beads, ceramic beads and glass beads were used for this set

This Santa Fe-inspired necklace features hand made paper beads, semi-precious stones, glass beads and wooden beads.

All text and images ©2013 Lynn Edwards