Making Blue Bells
Technique Tuesday!
Blue Bells has no clasp, so make sure that you string the necklace long enough to fit comfortably over your head. I used some terrific multi-colored ribbon-style yarn to make this necklace, but feel free to experiment with the fabulous array of fibers that are available these days!
- String 50 Czech crystals onto 28 gauge wire. I used dark blue. Leaving a 4 inch tail, crochet the wire together with multicolored flat ribbon “yarn”. Slide a crystal into place every few stitches. I crocheted a long enough length to be able to fold it into quarters. Vary this section to suit yourself. When you’ve finished crocheting, leave another 4 inch tail.
Fold the long strand up and use the tails to wrap around and secure them together. Cut another piece of wire for the other end if needed. Twist the wire ends together so that you can hide them inside the beads in the next step.
Cut a piece of beading wire and crimp it around one end of the crocheted strands, close to the other wires. Slip 5 or 6 clapperless Indian bells over all the wires, followed by a large-holed silver bead and more bells. Clip all the wires except for the beading wire even with the top of the large-holed bead. Thread on more beads to create the back of your necklace.
When the necklace is the length you desire, reverse the process of burying the other wires and crimping the beading wire into place on the other side.
Materials:
Ribbon yarn
28 gauge wire
Czech crystals or other beads
Beading wire
2 crimps
2 dozen Indian bells
2 large-holed silver beads
Small beads, approximately 4 mmTools:
Large crochet hook
Scissors
Wire cutters
Chain nose pliers
Copyright 2007 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.
handmade-beaded-jewelry, wearable-art, beads, beading, jewelry, mixed-media, tutorials
June 21st, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Very cool how you finished this off. I like using ribbon, but it’s not always easy to figure out how to use it and finish the ends. Nice technique here.
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:23 am
Thanks Tammy! I’m pretty much a fanatic about having the ends hidden in my work
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:25 pm
[...] at Bead Arts has posted directions for making a crochet and bead necklace, using the popular new ribbon yarn. [...]
October 16th, 2007 at 8:00 am
[...] a necklace like Moonstone Rainbow is very similar to the instructions previously given for making Blue Bells. I strung moonstone chips onto 28 gauge wire and crocheted a chain that ended up being folded into [...]