Five Fantastic Ways To Use Your Left Over Beads

Beading is a great way to get creative whilst keeping up to date with the latest jewellery and accessory trends.

With so many creative ideas, new designs and exciting beads you just can’t wait to get your hands on, do you find yourself with odd, mismatching beads left over?

Unsure how you can make the most the long lost beauties at the back of your bead store?

Get inspired with these 5 creative ways to get the best out of your left over beads.

 1: Make Earrings

Earrings are a great way to create beautiful accessories without the need to use a lot of beads. Stylish simplicity can be achieved quickly in earring designs, why not try experimenting with complementary colours and bead styles.  

TOP TIP:

Instagram: big.little.store.beads   Pinterest: @biglittlestorebeads

2: Hair Bead Braids

 Braiding your hair with your leftover beads is a brilliant way to brighten up your summer look whilst making use of your forgotten favourites. Whether you are heading to the beach, a party, a summer festival or heading out on the town, colour coordinating hair accessories are a great way to spice up your outfit. Using leftover beads with a larger hole, such as barrel beads in your hair braids is a unique and simple way to stand out from the crowd. Simply take a stand of hair, lightly spray with hairspray, start a plait and feed through your bead, plait some more and repeat with another bead until you reach the end of your stand, secure with a hairband to secure the braid. Watch our tutorial here to see how it's done: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNe4yXeF/?k=1

3: Decorations for presents and packaging

 We all love the gift of giving, why not make your gift extra special and personal by using your leftover beads?  Brighten up your bows by feeding your beads onto some wire and secure, add to your wrapped present for that extra special touch.

Add these decorations to your finished jewellery packaging. Whether you are giving your creation as a gift or sending it to a customer adding a unique decoration to your packaging will add that little extra special touch. This can make a distinguished and unique selling point to your products, allowing you to you stand out from the competition. Alternatively having an option for your customers to add a gift wrapping option to their order could be a cost-effective way for you to create extra revenue for your jewellery making business, and make use of beads that would otherwise be wasted.

4: Create key chains

 Key chains make a unique and personalised gift, item for sale or a great accessory for your own sets of keys. Colourful, fun and funky key chains are easy to make with just a handful of beads. Get crafty with stand out designs for every taste.

 We have a range of split rings and colourful alloy keychains ready and waiting for you to get crafting! Head to the Jewellery Finding section for all you need!

5: Design glasses chains

 There really is no such thing as too many beads... but if you’ve been left too many random beads that you know what to do with.... fear not! We’ve got you!

Say goodbye to gloomy, dull and boring chains and say hello to cheerful, fun and glitz!

From summer shades to reading glasses adding a bead chain to any set of glasses not only adds a splash of colour but helps keep lenses safe and secure as well as being GREAT for keeping kids' glasses safe and easy to spot!

Whether days are being spent at the beach, lounging by the pool, hitting the hottest festivals or delving into a book, glasses chains are a versatile and underrated accessory.

Use tiger tail wire 18-20” or 12-18” if making a chain for kids

Once you’ve finished your design add a metal bead to the both ends, followed by a callot tip and crimp bead. Bring the callot tip to the end of the wire with the silver bead and make a loop. Thread the end of the tiger wire back thorough the crimp bead and metal bead then pull back through to make a small loop. Using a pair of pliers squeeze the crimp bead into the middle of the loop to hold it in place. Pull the wire down until the crimp beads are inside the callot tip and close the callot with a pair of pliers. Grab a jump ring and thread on a lobster claw and close the jump ring shut with pliers.