DIY Beaded Angels Recipe from eCrafty.com

This week, we're featuring easy make-ahead crafty gift ideas using with our customer favorites ~angel wings, bali style beads and glass pearls ivory mix. 

These can be used as charms on bracelets, pendants, package toppers, hung on our beadable bookmarks, ornaments...lots of possibilities! Also, with very few supplies, this is a great easy craft for church or youth groups.

Anne started beading these sweet little bali beaded angels and couldn't stop ~ they are too fun! Although they look rather intricate, these little angels only have a few parts each.Thread our bali bead mixes 1555 (bali beads) and 1553 (bali caps) onto our 1555E headpins,  wing charms, along with our glass pearls in your color choice. Click for closeup 

For more fun FREE project ideas, visit our blog or join our e-news list for 20% savings on everyeCrafty.com website order, or follow us on Pinterest.

Beaded Angels 101

Although they look rather intricate, these little angels only have a few parts each. Thread our bali bead mixes 1555 (bali beads) and 1553 (bali caps) onto our 1555E headpins,  wing charms, along with our glass pearls in your color choice. Click for closeup view. 

Anne used our ivory glass pearls mix and our rainbow glass pearls mix for these samples.

You will notice as you start playing with these (playing is a completely descriptive phrase as these are really FUN) that they begin to take on their own personalities VERY quickly.

How to Make a Beaded Angel! "Build your Own Angel" Recipe from eCrafty.com

Lay your parts out in "head to toe" order on a bead board or soft wash cloth until you have an arrangement that makes you smile. :-) Then, simply thread onto our eyepins or headpins. Loop the ends with your pliers. Attach at the joints with our jump rings. Thread on festive ribbons or tree hangers.

Halo ~ Any of our donut or saucer beads, or our 1155 bali style bead mix - some of our 1153 bead cap mix

Head - Any of our roundpearls, crystals, some of ourwatercolor and / or confettibead strands

Neck - Again, any of our donut or saucer beads, our 1155 flat bali spacers, small spacers

Wings - Any of our wing charms, as well as severalabstract shapes including swirls

Waist - Any of our bead caps - specifically the lacy kind

Body or Gown - Our crystal drops, briolettes, or elongated bead caps from our bead cap mix 1153.

Stop by our website, eCrafty.com, and use your shopping cart code NEW2012 to save 20% off your FIRST order with us!

Calling all Angels! 5 Make-Ahead Crafty Gifts with Angel Themes

Here’s some MORE easy ideas for creative and personalized gifts you can be working on NOW for easy gifting later! This week, we're featuring ideas made with our customer favorites ~angel wings, bali style beads and drop crystals. 

For more fun FREE project ideas, visit our blog or join our e-news list for 20% savings on everyeCrafty.com website order, or follow us on Pinterest.

1. Baby Photo Angels See our sample above. We used our 2-loop charm bases 1229-10pack,20mm glass domes, bali style metal spacers 1155, one of ourcrystal drop pendants, gold angel wings 1601H-G, and a few jump ring and eye pins for connectors. We used a very light coat of 3D Crystal :Lacquer to seal our trimmed ink jet image to the dome. Let dry fully. Then, we applied a second coat, set glass dome on top to seal. If you're working with a real photo, you will want to use e6000 to seal your photo to your glass dome. We also used e6000 to secure the wings flat, in place.

2. Beaded Glass Pearl Angels Get a jump on your Christmas crafts with these sweet angel accents. Here Cheryl used our 10mm ivory glass pearls #441A on a headpin withAngel Wings #1505A.  She added bead caps #1608A for a metallic sparkle.  ACell Phone Strap #793i is the perfect way to hang your pearl angel on the Christmas tree or package. These also work well as necklace pendants, zipper pulls or easy teacher gifts when hung from our #690-5pc beadable bookmarks.

3. Simply Crystal Angels Here's another easy way to say "angel" with beads! Kim and Anne cooked up a few variations using our Ice Crystal Drops, our Ivory Pearl Bead Mix #440-IVORY-3PACK,1155 Bali Bead Mix, Angel Wings #1505A, Scroll Style Wings #1607A a few jump rings and eye pins again as connectors.

4. Monday Morning Angels Hey, we're not all perfect, right? :-) Kim made these angels from ourFimo Women poly clay beads #1506D, ourClear & Faceted Bead Mix #1220, our Swirl Charms #1508B, our Ice Drop Crystals in Snowflake style, and the other connectors mentioned in above.

5. Amber Beaded Angels For another variation on the Glass Pearl Angels, Cheryl created these Beaded Amber Angels with our Amber Jewelry Maker's Mix #1419. Our Jewelry Maker's Mixes are our color themed blends of lampwork and crystal glass beads - instant inspiration! Cheryl chose a large lampwork bead for the body and a crystal bead for the head.  A few seed beads,#1200R-Gold and Angel Wings #1505A and a Bali bead for a halo #1509W.

6. Make and Take! These Angel Earrings by Anne are a perfect project on the go ~ Grab a fewcrystal beads,roped bali saucer spacers, some scroll or angel wings, ear wires, eye- and/or head pins- put them in a small zip bag along with small jewelry pliers and tuck them in your backpack or purse.  Next time you find yourself waiting around between stops, get happy - it's your new-found craft time!

Click here to see ALL of our new arrivals!  Save 20% with your subscriber coupon code OCT2012 in the COUPON box at the bottom of your CART page.

If you don't see the coupon box at checkout, just E-us info@ecrafty.com with the code or e-us with your ORDER number and code We'll apply your 20% savings as a refund to you when your order ships.

As always, have FUN, and happy creating! Hope to "see" you soon at eCrafty.com!

5 Quick DIYs with Bamboo Domino Tiles from eCrafty.com!

Here’s some more easy ideas for creative and personalized gifts you can be working on NOW for easy gifting later! This week, we're featuring ideas made with our customer favorites ~bamboo domino tiles.
For more fun FREE project ideas, visit our blog or join our e-news list for 20% savings on every order, or follow us on Pinterest.

1. Metallic Sharpies or Opaque Paint Markers on Bamboo Domino Tiles  This is a quick & easy method for making interesting custom bamboo tile pendants, beads and bolos.

We used metallic Sharpie markers to make the funbamboo tile pendants above. This is a great project for all ages - the top left design was made by my son Nick who was 8 at the time! Can you tell which one?

Finish your custom bamboo tiles with our non-stretch rubber or leather cords, or string or wrap with wire and attach with jump rings to your favorite cord or necklace.  These also make great keychains and household tags!

2. Mr. Bones Halloween Necklace by Anne Strasser. Anne sketched a Halloween-theme on our black bamboo domino tiles with a silver paint marker. Finished with some black bead nuggets and beading wire. Great for the kids too! A simple BOO for small ones, more detailed as your sketching skills increase.

3. Bamboo Domino Tile Beads with Stamped Images by Cheryl Satterlee. Look at the gorgeous effect Cheryl created with a rubber stamp inked onto our blonde bamboo domino tiles. She finished her design with our bamboo bead spacers.

4. Upcycle/Recycle your calendars, school photos, greeting cards into a cool pendant or key chain fob.  Kim made this from a left over calendar page and a black bamboo domino tile, glued and sealed with 3D Crystal Lacquer sealer.

She applied one of our rectangular glue-on bails to the back to make the tile function more as a traditional pendant than a bolero/beaded style adornment.

5. Bamboo Domino Tile Beads as....Beads!
What a concept! Here is Anne's necklace made with our bamboo domino tile beads and our bumpy lampwork glass beads as spacers. Click image for a closeup.

This could just as easily work as a key chain by attaching to one of our large key rings. Easy, fast, fun!

Make and Take! Bamboo Domino Tiles are a perfect project on the go ~ Grab an opaque marker and a few extra tiles - put them in a zip bag and tuck them in your backpack or purse.  Next time you find yourself waiting around for the end of kids' practice, in the waiting room or between planes, get happy -  it's your new bamboo tile doodling time!

Click here to see ALL of our new arrivals!  Save 20% with your subscriber coupon code SEP2012in the COUPON box at the bottom of your CART page.

If you don't see the coupon box at checkout, just E-us info@ecrafty.com with the code or e-us with your ORDER number and code We'll apply your 20% savings as a refund to you when your order ships.

As always, have FUN, and happy creating! Hope to "see" you soon at eCrafty.com!

DIY Snow Globe Charms from eCrafty.com

DIY Snow Globe Charms from eCrafty.com!

We are busy preparing some great little gift ideas for you to make now for the gift giving season.

Mini Snowglobe Charms
By Anne Strasser


A customer product question prompted Anne to come up with these other day. They are just too adorable!

These are easy, FUN, and sure to put a smile on your face! These would be SO cute for a holiday gift making party, teacher gift or scout troop craft.

How to make our Mini Snow Globe Charms
Using our smallest mini bottles 1200L-10PACK KIT, she e6000'd (our waterproof adhesive) a black seed bead onto one of our 4mm pearls onto one 6mm pearls, to form a mini snowman. The little guy got a smile on his face with a black fine point sharpie.

When dry, she glued the little guy in place, inside one of our 1200L-10PACK mini bottles, and filled it almost to the rim with a mixture of glycerin, water and a little bit of glitter.

Spoiler alert. I am making these for EVERYBODY on my gift list! They are guaranteed to make you smile!

1200L-10PACK KIT $8.99 Buy Now 

e6000 Adhesive $3.99
Buy Now

DIY Mini Bottle Aquarium Charms Make Sweet Little Gifts!

Mini Bottle Imaginarium Aquarium Charms by Anne Strasser for eCrafty.com

Wow! Look what Anne just dreamed up with our newest jug-size mini glass bottles! What FUN gifts these would make! She combined several ideas into one cool themed creative set - combining snowglobe shaker style action with filled colored water and ocean themed charms. See our themed charms & pendants section for more inspiration and ideas!

She made these little treasures with our 1200V and 1200G series mini bottles, our eye pins, headpins, our 1507A and 1507L fish charms, some extra glitter, a few smaller beads or glass pearls, with a mixture of mainly glycerin (find it at your drug store), mixed with some water and a dash of food coloring to finish. Seal your liquid filled bottles with our e6000 adhesive around the base of the cork and let dry fully.

Other really fun ideas for these jug-shaped mini bottles include mini snowglobes, terrariums, planetariums, time out charms, picture or photo pendants, etc.

Send us pictures of your creations or ideas - we'll post yours or perhaps make them here and post for you to try!

There are SO many ideas for these jug style bottles - we've only just begun! The basic concept is the same -Convert these into instant pendants with our screw eye pins into cork top. Clear blown glass mini treasure bottles with cork stoppers for bead storage, interchangeable pendant art, message in a bottle charms, keepsake charms, momentos, altered art, travel treasures, more!

Make your own message in a bottle charms and altered art pendants, projects, party and wedding favors! Or store your seed and matsuno beads with ease! You can also convert these into instant pendants by wire wrapping too! Get creative with these little treasure keepers ~ watch out ~ once you start, it's hard to put them down! Happy creating!

More Holiday Make Ahead Crafts: DIY Beaded Crystal Snowflakes!

Look what Hannah dreamed up with our newest clear crystal beads, our eye pins, jump rings and a little 3D Crystal Lacquer! I especially love that this project is very portable – you can bead up the individual pins just about anywhere – in front of your favorite TV show or Netflix movie, or at one of the kids’ practices, and finish them later. You might even get some help from envious bystanders! (This has happened to me at both kids’ swim lessons and at the orthodontist’s waiting room). There is no end to what friendly folks will volulnteer to help you with when there’s crafting going on!  Hannah’s clear AB version below used all the same size beads(our SKU 1692B). The basic technique is quite simple. Bead 1 eye pin, form loop at end. Repeat your pattern (Hannah’s design used 9-10 2″ pins). Complete each end with a simple loop (round-nosed plier are perfect for this). Lay out flat, test your pattern. If you are using several bead sizes, it helps to start with the largest beads toward the center. Open your jump ring like an “S”. Attach each on end of each pin loop to the jump ring, close the ring. Lay your finished piece flat on a non-stick (wax paper) or silicone cookie sheet. Secure your pattern with 3D Crystal Lacquer over the first “ring” of beads in the middle and over the central jump ring. Let air dry. You can speed the dry time along by baking in a low temp 250 oven for approx. 15 minutes. Hannah learned a few lessons along the way – if the pins are beaded consistently, your snowflake should assemble quite easily. You’ll notice in the gold version below, she used her largest beads toward the center of her design, and interspersed different sized clear spacers and crystals. Click here to see ALL of our new arrivals!  Save 20% with your subscriber promo code SEP2012 on your payment page.  If you don’t see the promo code box at checkout, just E-us with the code or e-us with your ORDER number and code We’ll apply your 20% savings as a refund to you when your order ships. Beaded snowflakes materials list: 1692A, 1602B crystal beads, our eye pins,  jump rings and a little 3D Crystal Lacquer! Another really great idea would be to use our Ivory Glass Pearls Mega Mix pack below!

3 strands – 2 1/2 feet per strand, or over 90 inches of gorgeous ivory pearls in 3 handy sizes – 4mm, 6mm and 8mm. $6.99 Buy Now