Summer Fun! DIY Beaded Watches, Bottle Cap Pendants, Celebration Centerpieces

Whether you're a seasoned pro or a beginning crafter, beaded watches are quite simple. Think of them as a stretch bracelet that happens to contain a watch face! You can use one of our brand new watch faces, or swap out the worn watch band on your own watch.

One of my favorite beaded watches is pictured here - a mix of cane glass discs, bali beads, stretch cord onto a watchface from a former favorite watch. Another very comfortable favorite beaded watch of mine is simply several strands of good old seed beads strung on our stretch cord and looped through the watch ends. It's incredibly comfortable and goes with everything I wear.

Here's some very basic supplies you will need to get started on your own beaded watch.

• Our clear stretch cord
• Scissors
• Beads ~ Try our cane glass discs, Jewelry Maker's Mixes, or our lampwork rondelles, mixed with our bali style beads.,
• Watch face

1. Measure a length of Our clear stretch cord to your wrist by simply wrapping a strand around your wrist. Note the point where the thread meets and add approximately two inches before cutting the thread.
2. Cut 1, 2 or 3 strands of elastic thread, depending upon whether you want your watchband to be 1, 2 or 3 strands of Beads.
3. Bead the strands with the beads of your choice in any pattern or design you wish. Leave 1 inch of the thread free on each end to use to tie the strands to the Watch face.
4. Thread the ends of the strands through the ends of the Watch face. Some Watch face will have two separate metal sections on the corners of the watch face allowing for a band, whereas others will feature one large bar spanning the length of the watch face. Still others offer one solitary metal section in the middle of the Watch face intended for a single stranded band.
5. Loop the ends through the openings on the watch face, and then pull them back down towards the beads and tie them between the first 2 or 3 beads on the band. Do this for both ends of the thread for each strand, and cover the knots with the Beads.
Attention impatient crafters, (like me!) we have some gorgeous beaded watches, including new safety pin designs, completely finished, just in! Click here - we have just a few of each design - claim yours today if you see a style you love!


Quick Summer Fun! DIY Flattened Bottle Cap Pendants Ready to Wear!

Just arrived and ready for summer crafting - grown ups and kids alike love these - we've done all the extra work for you! 1 brand new flattened bottle cap pendant. 1" diameter interior. The perfect little blank canvases for your imagination! All the hard work is done! These brand new, linerless bottle caps have been flattened, drilled and finished with a split jump ring. Add any of our necklace cords, cords by the yard, downloadable art, punched art etc. Finish with our1" clear epoxy bubble stickers, 1" circle magnets, 1" craft punches,and/or 3D Crystal Lacquer sealer. Faint gold inside, silver chrome throughout.

How to Make your Own Bottle Cap Charms and Pendants in Under a Minute! (told you this was quick!):

1. 
   
   Punch a perfect circle with our1" circle punch.
2. 
   
   Seal your art front and back with Mod Podge, or basic lip balm.
3. 
   
   Peel and stick our adhesive epoxy 1" circles or finish with one of our clear dimensional sealers

You've just completed an instant finished pendant. Wow! That was easy! Add some of our findings (chain, cord, ear wires etc.) for instant jewelry.


Personalize your Celebration Centerpieces with our Memory Frames
We've been getting many requests lately for wedding decoration ideas. Still in a memory frame of mind, our in-house resident crafting tornado Anne came up with this idea to personalize centerpieces or floral arrangements. With a beaded wire frame around a memory frame you can add a beautiful personalized and professional touch in an instant! Our sample shows a wire heart using our 6mm lavender pearls (SKU 445F) and our Champagne lustre bead mix (SKU 1350) strung on 22 gauge hardware wire surrounding one of our new 1" memory frames (SKU 103C).




Our 1 1/2" size memory frames would work here too and would give you more frame color options. Or you could try one of our 17mm square frames (SKU 103C) with two loops attached to another frame. I'm thinking a picture of the bride on one side, the groom on the other, and then below that in a bigger frame a picture of the happy couple with the wedding date on the back.


Of course, we have beads and pearls to match any color scheme. With one string of 6mm pearls and one bag of lustre beads, you can make at least 4 and possibly 5 of the sample size shown.


PS For you hopeless romantics - this project is timeless - the wedding cake couple pictured here just happens to be Anne's parents - happily married over 50 years now! Congratulations Janet and John! :-) Here's to many many more!