Christmas Ornaments - Make Your Own with Beads and Pipe Cleaners

Christmas Ornaments - Make Your Own with Beads and Pipe Cleaners
By Brigitte Smith

Christmas ornaments made from ordinary pipe cleaners and inexpensive acrylic beads are very pretty and easy to make. They look quite impressive yet are easy enough for small children to make. This is one Christmas craft idea to use again and again. Older people will enjoy making this Christmas craft, too, which can be varied to make a number of different sparkling ornaments for your Christmas tree.

To make the bead and pipe cleaner ornaments, you need common pipe cleaners in desired colors and acrylic beads. Two types of beads are particularly effective when strung on pipe cleaners. One type are called sunburst beads, but are also known as paddlewheel beads, snowflake beads, or starburst beads. These beads have six faceted paddles spaced equally around a center that contains the hole for stringing. When several of these sunburst beads are strung consecutively, they fit against each other in an interlocking pattern.

The other type of bead that is also effective for this Christmas craft is called the tri bead or propeller bead. It has three rounded bumps arranged around the stringing hole. Like the sunburst beads, the tri beads interlock when strung consecutively. For the most sparkly and attractive Christmas ornaments, get tri beads and/or sunburst beads in translucent colors of red, green, and clear. The tri beads can also be found in metallic gold and silver which can be used in this Christmas craft as well.

Pipe cleaners can be found in silver and gold tinsel as well as chenille of all colors. For the Christmas craft, the best colors to use are the metallics and Christmas colors. The beads cover the pipe cleaners, but the ends will need to be twisted together and made into hangers, so they show.

Anyone, even small children, can string these beads on pipe cleaners. Bend up the end of the pipe cleaner so the beads don't fall off. The pipe cleaner works like a needle, making a needle unnecessary. For best results, show the children how to alternate colors when stringing, or start a pattern of three colors. When the beads are strung on the pipe cleaners, they can be bent into different Christmas shapes. For instance, string red and clear beads alternately, then bend down one end of the pipe cleaner for a candy cane shape. Or alternate red and green beads and form a circle for a wreath. Use red pipe cleaner to form a small bow to decorate the wreath. Form a hanger for the Christmas craft or simply slip the circle over a branch of the tree.

If you experiment with clear beads and silver pipe cleaners, you can make some beautiful snowflake or star ornaments. Snowflake designs can be twisted of silver pipe cleaner only, without the beads for a simple but pretty decoration.

Bead and pipe cleaner ornaments are a Christmas craft you will find yourself using every year. Children and their parents will both appreciate this simple yet pretty Christmas craft.

Find out more about Christmas ornaments, Christmas gift ideas and more at Christmas Craft Ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Yet another creative use of beads!
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Felicity 8-)

Cat's Craftyncer Corner: Candles

Cat's Craftyncer Corner: Candles: "One of the things I made today were these candles.
It was really easy. The brown one is a Fleischmann's Yeast jar, I used glue and made the dots around the jar and let that dry. Then I put on etching cream and let that sit for about five minutes. I washed off the cream and glue, put beading wire around it and a decorative bead.

The other jar was Hormel dried beef (oh my SIL has the best dip recipe using that, cream cheese and other things YUM, maybe she'll make it when I'm up there). I cut out star shapes; big and small, glued them onto the jar and then put the etching cream on. When everything dried I spray painted the inside, used beading wire and decorated beads.

I have a honey jar that is in the shape of a beehive. If I can find yellow paint and etch the jar with little bees or a bear and then I have a little bee and hive in wood I could glue on. Hmmm that sounds like a plan."


These are a really different way of using beads - they'd make great gifts!
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Felicity 8-)

Lakien: Lakiens Creations

Lakien: Lakiens Creations: "Beading is a passion of mine and here is a few examples of what I have completed.

If there is anything here that you like and you wish to purchase just email me"


Take a look - whether for inspiration, or to buy something!
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Felicity 8-)

It Goes in the Crack!: Bookthongs -- Just What are They Anyway?

It Goes in the Crack!: Bookthongs -- Just What are They Anyway?: "Bookthongs are nifty little bookmarks made with beads and waxed linen beading cord. I stumbled upon these quite by accident. A dear friend of mine, Silhouette author Linda Conrad, sent me one as a gift.

After careful perusal, I came to one conclusion: I could do this!"


This is a great story of someone discovering a talent for beading & how to make something from that talent, and has great photos too. These are SOOO cute!
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Felicity 8-)

Marg's Mumbles - Been Busy

Marg's Mumbles - Been Busy: "Have put up some new bits of jewellery in the site - just to prove that I have been busy in my spare time."

It's worth taking a look at the jewellery on Marg's site, it's gorgeous! I particularly like the blue-green memory wire bracelet.
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Felicity 8-)

A Tale of Two Herringbones

A Tale of Two Herringbones: "The herringbone or Ndebele stitch has been my beadwork bete noire. Ever since taking a class from June Huber at CATS several years ago and walking out in frustration, I've struggled to master this stitch - flat and tubular. No more. As of last night, I have mastered herringbone in both variations!

Over the weekend, while at BeadFest, I took a Flat Herringbone Bracelet class from Alice Korach. With her expert tutelage and clear instructions I managed to get this stitch in less that 10 minutes and nearly finished it during the class period. (Actually finished at lunch on Monday - photo will be posted later.)

Allow me to digress for a moment and encourage anyone with an interest in beading to take a class from Alice if given the opportunity. She's one of the most delightful instructors I've encountered over the years, not just in the beading community, but in all crafts I've dabbled with. She told me she's looking to doing more teaching and should be back on the east coast a bit more in 2006. Yea! I will be looking to see what she's teaching and if it interests me, you know I'll be enrolling."


It's always great to see someone successfully moving on in their beading.
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Felicity 8-)

Right-Angle Weave Texture Bracelet by Jennifer Reinwald

This is a really attractive bracelet design, click through and take a look. Jennifer has included all the instructions on how to make it, too, which is extremely generous of her! http://home.ripway.com/2005-7/368514/Rightanglebrace.pdf
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Felicity 8-)

No Easy Beads: Asymmetrical

"My thistle is almost finished and I couldn't wait until I had the leaves done to scan it. I used a felted bead for the center and a felted stem. The pattern for the thistle is from Diane Fitzgerald's The Beaded Garden. The bead in the picture is felted with bead netting on it."


These are really interesting, I've never seen beads used this way before.
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Felicity 8-)

feRn's GullY: Earrings: Rosy Surprise

feRn's GullY: Earrings: Rosy Surprise: "From running away whenever I take out my beading tools, my mum asked if I can make a pair of dangling earrings for my auntie! "

Hmm could be another beading addict in the making...
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Felicity 8-)

Beads – A Brief History by Felicity Walker

What do you think the earliest recorded use of beads is – is your first thought perhaps beadwork created by the Egyptians? Yes, there certainly were a lot of beaded items in Egyptian times, but beadwork has been found dating back to the Stone Age (the Upper Paleolithic period). Beads were added to rudimentary clothing; these beads were made of shells and ivory. Of course, the beads weren’t as finely crafted as later beads, but still, they were beads. So even in caveman times, men and women were interested in improving their clothing and appearance with the use of beads.

The beads that we tend to think of as traditional beadwork are called seed beads – because of their small size they resemble seeds. These beads were used in early beadwork – the work of the Egyptians.

The Egyptians used a type of bead called faience beads. Our seed beads today are made of glass, but Egyptians were using beads long before the invention of glass. Their faience beads were made from quartz particles fused together. A glaze was applied over the quartz. The beads were then woven or strung into a variety of jewelry and clothing.

Beaded necklaces were found in the tomb of King Tut. Other beaded items in his tomb were a pair of slippers he perhaps wore as a child and a hassock. It’s unusual for ancient beadwork to survive since it was strung on cords made from leather and cloth, which tend to disintegrate with age. We are fortunate to have these few examples to give us a perspective on the history of Egyptian beading.

Some religious texts from India refer to beads being woven into hair and into horse’s tails. These references were recorded around the 9th century BC. And beads were also widely used throughout Asia in ancient times. There were beaded items found in temples in Japan that date back to 800 A.D.

Early beads were fashioned from shells, ivory and stone. Early Egyptians valued the beads according to the stone that was used to create the beads. Different stones were thought to have different properties.

Lapis Lazuli, a beautiful blue stone, was believed to protect the wearer’s health. This stone was often fashioned into beads, as were carnelian, feldspar, amethyst, turquoise and jasper – many of the same stones we use today.

Glass was introduced as a component of beads around 1480, when Venice began drawing glass tubes and turning them into beads. Once the technology for pulling glass tubes was invented, it was easy to suddenly produce thousands of beads, all uniform in size, color and shape.

Modern jewelry and beading certainly benefits from the advances made in the production of beads, but there’s no doubt that even today, an individually handcrafted bead can be the star attraction of any beading piece.

The author recently released “The Ultimate Bead Lover’s Guide”. To find out more, check out http://www.beading.learnheaps.com for more information.

CraftiBlog � crochet beaded leather scrunchie

CraftiBlog � crochet beaded leather scrunchie: "I raided my old beading stash and found some leather cord that screamed to be crocheted into something. I added some cheap silver beads and made it the first scrunchie I�ve actually made for myself and would wear! lol"


For those of you who are crocheters as well, this is a great idea - and there's a pattern there too!
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Felicity 8-)

Felted bead bracelet

"Ever since my trip to Morehouse Farm yarn store, I can’t stop thinking about little felted balls. I mentioned the idea of trying to make a felted bead bracelet for her friend. She was excited about it so we picked up some colorful wool at A Child’s Garden after school. An hour later Ella, Liam and I were circled around a tub of hot soapy water felting away. After felting, I put the beads in the dryer and then strung them on some stretchy beading cord. That’s it. It was a simple and fun project to do with kids and I’m sure we’ll be making more of these."


These are so cute - my daughter saw the pictures, and now she wants one too!
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Felicity 8-)

Sorry for the break...

Hi everyone!
Sorry there's been a bit of a gap in posts for this blog - I guess technology affects us all sometimes! But with a new hard drive and everything running smoothly, things should get back to normal now.
Fingers crossed....
Keep smiling
Felicity 8-)

Artist on display

:: The News-Courier :: Athens, AL: "Artist's beadwork to be displayed here
By Charlotte Fulton, charlotte@athensnews-courier.com

Though Julia Harper began beading just six years ago, she's so enamored of the intricate craft that her 'stash' has grown to include thousands of beads in every shade and hue imaginable.

The Huntsville woman says she never goes out without wearing one of her beaded necklaces - and usually a bracelet as well.
Harper will be at the Beasley Center in Athens from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Monday, at the invitation of the Southern Stitchers Chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America. The public is invited to meet her and see the beaded items which Harper has spent hundreds of hours crafting."


Sounds interesting! I particularly liked the description of her bead "stash".
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Felicity 8-)

Wild Wire Product Review - Crafts for Kids

Wild Wire Product Review - Crafts for Kids: "Wire jewelry and wire creations are a great way to introduce
crafting to kids. They can make necklaces, rings, flowers, animals, insects, creatures and sculptures � whatever they can imagine!

To make wire crafts you need at least 4 things; colored wire, wire cutters, round-nosed pliers and a pair of flat/chain-nose pliers. The materials are available in most craft stores and can be purchased inexpensively. Beyond that, there are all sorts of fancy tools available to help make shaping the wire easier."

This article mentions some great resources for introducing wire crafts and beading to kids.
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Felicity 8-)

Atlanta�s Bead Extravaganza, Promoted by The Down The Street Bead Show, Coming to Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23, 24, 25

Atlanta�s Bead Extravaganza, Promoted by The Down The Street Bead Show, Coming to Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23, 24, 25: "Atlanta�s Bead Extravaganza, promoted by The Down the Street Bead Show, is coming to the Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23rd, 24th, and 25th.

Atlanta�s Bead Extravaganza will prove to be a fun and exciting event for all who love beads and jewelry.

All will be amazed at what some bead makers and designers are doing in glass, seed beads, metal, polymer clay, and many other mediums. The beading business is hot right now and is spawning a very large new interest in jewelry design. The bead business alone has grown to a $1 billion-plus industry nationally.

Many beaders, jewelry designers, and glass bead makers are moving towards adding metals including PMC, Precious Metal Clay, and other mediums to their bead and jewelry designs. At this time, the jewelry design business is in a major renaissance and is at the most exciting time that it has ever been. "

Great news for anyone near Atlanta!
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Felicity 8-)

Beading - so many possibilities

The Network of If: Beading - so many possibilities: "One of my favorite styles of necklaces to make is a really long strand of seed beads interspersed with a contrasting, larger bead. I saw Ashley Judd in an interview once and whatever the necklace she was wearing stuck with me. I don't know the materials, or even if it was made of a string of beads. But it looked like it was a long strand wrapped twice or thrice. And so I've been making my own variations ever since. This week I've made a few, and also these 'everything' necklaces. Actually had a couple of commissions when someone saw one I was wearing. There's absolutely no pattern and I love how you can wear these with lots of things.

The two on the right, that is. All of these are glass beads and since they include any kind of bead I like, you really can wear them for an occasion or just with jeans and a teeshirt. I've worn - and seen - them worn each way. Obviously the first two are more appropriate when matched with complementary colors. But the nicely versatile quality they possess is that you can wear them long or wrapped multiple times for a shorter outcome. "

I love the amazing mix of colours.
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Felicity 8-)

MVTimes Online - The Martha's Vineyard Times: Island News Now

MVTimes Online - The Martha's Vineyard Times: Island News Now: "�We should have a store like this in our town.�

Sally Roesler of Vineyard Haven, the owner and operator of Beadniks, has overheard this phase within the walls of her beading and craft business enough times to expand once again. This time to a franchise.

An investor may now bring the Vineyard Haven-based storefront into a town of his or her own � provided they receive the approval of Beadniks Group Inc. and pay a franchise fee of $35,000, included in the overall estimated start-up cost of $244,667 to $419,183.

Franchising was the next logical step to Ms. Roesler, whose business began as a one-room store and mail order catalog, The Bead Goes On, in 1989. Since then, Beadniks has expanded into a crafting compound with offices, warehouse, and expansive showroom that swallowed a neighboring building. "


Maybe we should all think bigger....
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Felicity 8-)

beading interrupted

beading interrupted: "My little Sajji man thought the perfect way to get my attention was to lay down on the beads. Now he is blissfully taking a nap and my work is apparently done for the day...or at least he says it is."

What a gorgeous photo! Guess who rules this household....
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Felicity 8-)

Unusual earrings....

a tale of two knitties: i wish i could crochet: "
i wish i'd made these
check out these crocheted, beaded earrings i got at anthropologie"

What an unusual use of beading!
Keep smiling
Felicity 8-)