Instructions for all of the projects on this page are free to download.  If you are new to beading, or a particular technique, then you may also find some of the downloads on the techniques page helpful.

To download any of the projects, just click on the picture or title to view and print the instructions.  You will need Adobe Reader installed on your computer.  It is probably already installed but, if not, click here and follow the on screen instructions.

For some of the projects you can order all the necessary beads, threads and findings by choosing Project Packs from the menu on the left, for the others there are recipes with order codes on the worksheets.

We also produce a range of over 300 Beading Kits, which come complete with full instructions and all the beads and thread you need to make the design pictured and a range of Starter Packs which contain technique instructions and guidelines and all the beads, threads etc you need to make a number of items to your own designs.

Projects

With Christmas just around the corner our thoughts have been turning to all things festive so the most recently added projects have a definitely Christmassy theme to them.  From a selection of fabulous napkin rings to a simple to make snowflake decoration, and lots of lovely angels too - and see further down the page for some beautiful ideas for Christmas decorations and mobiles that we put up on the website a couple of years ago too.

Coming up to Christmas we are always looking for new ideas for decorating the house and the tree, and this year we have come up with some lovely napkin ring ideas and a really quick and easy snowflake decoration too!

First we looked at a variety of simple napkin rings using knitting, crochet, and pre-knitted wire.  Then we added some simple bead embellishment, and then some more bead embellishment, and some wire accents and maybe a few more beads ...

There are five downloads in total looking at napkin rings, and there are probably hundreds of variations on the designs that we have made for you to explore, changing colours, adding textures, layering, mixing pre-knitted wire with knitting and crochet, mixing 0.1mm and 0.2mm pre-knitted wire.  These are great materials to play with and you can get some truly stunning results to dress your table with.

This Simply Stunning Snowflake measures about 11cm across and is a super quick and easy make, make them to hang on the tree, brighten up the table, or make into a simple mobile

Angels and Fairies

We are often asked for quick make ideas for fundraising, we know that the Angelic Earrings have graced many a charity stall (and Christmas Stocking), they are quick and easy to make and, most importantly, don't break the bank!  So we had a shop challenge, fifteen minutes or less to make any angel or fairy design that would work as earrings, or pendant, or tree decoration if suspended on a pretty ribbon ... most are very quick and easy and delicate, the last three are a little bigger and are probably not ideal for earrings but would make great decorations and one of them makes a very pretty brooch too!

These six lovely Angels are all featured on Angels and Fairies One

These six delightful fairies are all featured on Angels and Fairies Two

And these three rather less shy and retiring angels and fairies are featured on Angels and Fairies Three

Macrame Bracelet

Suddenly macrame is everywhere - 1974 all over again but with added bling!  This macrame bracelet is really quick and easy to make, it is just one knot to learn and with all the lovely threads that are available right now you can make the design your own with beads as subtle, or as loud, as you like.

Rings - we stock four different types of ring shank for you to decorate and you will also find instructions on how to make your own rings shanks out of wire on the Making Rings download on the Techniques page.  Just click on any of the ring pictures below to download the pdf instructions.

July 2011 saw us in the enviable position of facing a table full of luscious crystals and pearls along with some beautiful new metal beads and findings.  Surprisingly what came out was not, as you might have expected, a whole host of bridal jewellery but rather a selection of pieces with a more autumnal feel, some summery accents thrown in and some very glamourous ones fit for a night on the town.

Our first three pieces all combine microfibre suede thonging with lots of metal and pearls for a mixed media effect

Emily's luscious Aberystwyth set brings the chain and cord cleverly together.

Louisa's bracelet uses filigree flowers to create a very clever anchor for a sliding knot - much easier to adjust one handed for a bracelet than using thread alone.

Jodies double strand necklace has loads of movement in the decoration and combining the peach and turquoise withe the copper lifts the effect from autumnal to a really summery piece.

And now for three brooches using our new copper kilt pins, also available in silver, these pins come in two sizes - the standard 7cm that is used in the first two projects and the ever so dainty 4cm that Jodie has used for the brooch on the right.

Jean's brooch and earring set uses wire to create her own headpins with curls on the end to add a design detail.

Jodie's two brooches feature one that is simply decorated with soft shades of blue, green and copper

and another that is carefully layered to make maximum impact with a small pin.

And now for a flash back to the warmer days of late summer - still with lots of copper but lots of lighter accents to go with pretty summer dresses.

Katie decided that nothing short of a matching set would do making bracelet, earrings and charm with some hot bronze and gold to set off that late summer tan.

Jodie's beautiful butterfly necklace uses chunky pearls to make an elegant statement with two alternate earring styles to choose from.

Nina has made a simple yet effective decorated hairslide in peach and bronze using a technique that can be adapted in so many ways in both colour and amount of decoration to create a thousand looks.

And finally out for the evening with a bit of sparkle and some dramatic combinations    

Jean and Emily simply couldn't resist making some very sparkly crystal bracelets.

While Louisa returned to her favourite black and purple for a floral set with just a touch of the Gothic about it.

And Millie came up with something completely different for this lovely textured necklace.

In June our challenge was to take a string of semi precious beads and see just what we could make with them.  The idea was to see how, out of a small selection of beads we could make as many pieces of jewellery as we could - and in all cases we still had some beads left over at the end to add to that all important bead stash!

Jean used two pots of seed beads and a string of blue goldstone pebbles, along with a few feature beads to make two necklaces, two pairs of earrings and a three row bracelet

Nina made this lovely set,             perfect for a summer night out ....

....and this set for a perfect summers day all out of two pots of seed beads, 3 strings of small pebbles and a short string of crystal - both instructions are on the same download

and Katie has used two strings of tiny pebbles with a few feature beads for this pretty purple set

Jean, Nina and Katie all chose to work in pretty shades of blue and purple, Julie and Erika have chosen more earthy tones for their project challenges, Erika using gold, greens and browns in repeated circular motifs for a sophisticated, grown up look.  Julie has teamed her earth tones with cream bugles for a lighter, more casual look.

Erika's stunning set uses just one string of semi precious beads, one pot of seed beads and one short string of crystal...

while Julie has used two strings of semi precious beads and two pots of seed beads to make these two necklaces, multi strand bracelet and matching earrings.

In May we looked at a whole feast of ways with semi precious beads and large crystal pendant pieces - see the Spotlight page for quick and easy ideas with the same themes that we looked at on the same day.

The first three all use crystal pendants in different ways - a simple but very effective knotting technique, and two different takes on Peyote Stitch.  If you have not made anything in Peyote Stitch you will also need to take a look at the Peyote Stitch download on the Techniques page for basic instruction for these designs.

Nina's crystal drop is suspended on a simply effective knotted cord.

Vicky has made an even count Peyote Stitch strap in delica fifteens for a delicate finish

Jean has made two odd count Peyote Stitch straps with extra embellishment to make a real statement.

Next we have some relaxed necklaces that would work equally well on the beach, with a summer dress or dressed up for a night out.

Lisa's Party on The Beach necklace uses classic colour combinations for a really stunning result

Nina's relaxed style brings together the colours of the lagoon for a real holiday feel

The next three are a slightly more grown up take on using semi-precious - perfect for day wear but just as at home with a special outfit for a wedding or party.

Jean's Agate necklace shows how you can fool the eye by using multiple strands of thread with small hole beads

Julie's Spring Cascade also fools the eye with more strands in the tassel that in the main neck cord.

This stunning tasseled necklace uses a whole host of techniques to create a very clean result.

The next three designs have more than a touch of sophistication - elegant and stylish you need to concentrate on the details with these projects to get the results just so.

Vicky's Pink Sunrise uses a clever mix of repetition and randomness to create a stunning combination

Simple wirework, carefully executed make this beautiful pendant that is then suspended on a multi row beaded strap.

Jodie's torque is beautifully elegant and, with a few simple techniques, you can achieve the same result too.

And last but not least a real taste of old world glamour, think Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.  Beautiful necklaces to make you feel really special.

Katie's multi row necklace is a carefully balanced mix of texture and colour.

Jodie's multiple strands cry out for an updo and a Chanel jacket to set them off for a night on the town.

Louisa's set (with matching earrings) was unashamedly inspired by the simple elegance of Audrey Hepburn - team it with 60s style eyeliner and a little black dress for maximum impact.

April was not just about flowers ... but butterflies as well - these are great big hanging decorations.  The butterflies are approx 15cm/6 inches across and the flowers are no shrinking violets either - the flower heads are 7cm/3 inches in diameter!  We have a collection of them hanging over one of the display tables in the shop, where one of the Christmas bauble displays usually lives and they give a lovely happy splash of colour that really catches the eye when you walk into the shop. There is one download for the butterfly pattern, and one for the flowers, just click on any butterfly for the butterfly instructions or any flower for the flower instructions, download and enjoy!

In April 2011 we turned our attention to flowers - using flower shaped beads and making leaf and flower shapes out of beads to create some beautiful feature pieces, and it also gave us a good excuse to practice making more torques, like the ones we created last month, and in a couple of cases adding a little more structure to the centre front of the torque to support a bigger design than we woprked with in March.  For more information, instructions and guidance on the techniques we have focused on this month take a look at the following downloads on the Techniques page:- Wirework - Torques and Wirework - Flowers and Leaves.

In March 2011 we looked at what we learnt about filigrees and linking in February and thought about how we could use these same techniques for other types of jewellery and how we could expand on these techniques and learn a little more about wire manipulation and using wire with beads.

The ten new projects for this month look again at loops and linking, using filigree and chandelier fittings and also using new techniques which are covered in the three new downloads on the Techniques page - Torques, Wrapped Loops and Bails, and Coils and Curls.  We have had great fun playing with wire again and we hope that some of the ideas here will inspire you too.  As always, if you would like to download the instructions, just click on the photo of the project and it will link to a pdf file.

Emily's Scirocco Necklace

Emily and Lisa have both used a simple linked motif to complete their brightly coloured necklaces.  Both have a real feeling of India about them, with the combination of metal beads and silver lined seed beads and they are both the sort of quick and easy make that you could complete in an hour or so to finish off an outfit for an evening out.

Lisa's Rajput Necklace and Bracelet Set

The next three projects feature U shaped bails, wrapped loops and a two types of torque ... and lots of metal accented with a little sparkly crystal

Vicky's Filigree Wire Torque

'All of Us' Charm Bracelet

Katie's Sparkling Necklace

Jean's Flower Link Necklace

Lisa's Anjuna Necklace and Earrings

Jean and Lisa have both used chain to complete their looped and linked designs, Jean sticking to a metallic finish throughout while Lisa has injected a rainbow of colour with the dangle decoration - although you could of course use metal or crystal beads for this decoration if you prefer.

The final three March projects look at making your own filigree central decoration, making zigzag and triangle curl wires and also at making a triangle wire with a wrapped loop - all of which may sound a bit daunting if you are new to wirework but with a little practise almost anything is possible!

Erika's Filigree Necklace

Julie's Turquoise Filigree Necklace

ZigZag Necklace

In February we had a look at earrings in all their myriad shapes and forms.  From simple threading and linking to multi links; from using pre-formed shapes for links and chandeliers to creating our own chandelier shapes out of wire.  If you have not made earrings, or wire links, before,  you will find the Loops and Linking download from the Techniques page useful as a guide to learning and perfecting your loops.  To take your skills further, look at Loops - a Professional Touch, which gives hints and tips on perfecting your looping skills.  For the more advanced earrings you may also wish to take a look through the Filigrees and Chandeliers download which covers more advanced techniques in earring making and wire manipulation.

Each of the project sheets covers the three styles of earrings depicted on the photo - just click on the picture to download the pdf instructions

	These first two projects sheets cover simple linking styles.  Some use more components than others but all are easy enough for a complete beginner to tackle.
	The second two project sheets have both focused on using solid links as major aspects of their designs.  Some are very quick and easy, some a little more complex and require a little more work at the planning stage.
		The theme in both of these project sheets is using pre-made components as the basis for chandelier style designs - whether that is what the components were designed for or not!

Many of the earrings on the following four sheets have more wire manipulation involved in the designs so you will find the information on the two Techniques downloads Loops - a Professional Touch, and Filigrees and Chandeliers particularly relevant when attempting to recreate these ideas.

These two project sheets clearly have a floral theme in common!  The one on the left uses filigree bead cups on all of the designs, in different ways, to achieve beautiful results, and one also includes making a chandelier fitting yourself from wire.  The one on the right uses a simple daisy shaped filigree link as a design feature in different ways.
		The final two sheets both have much more of a wirework element to them. All of these earrings include aspects of wire manipulation, from loops and triangles to simple scrollwork and creating a fringe - master these techniques and a whole new world of design will open up to you.

This small section has an eclectic mix of ideas and techniques.  Firstly a matching bracelet and earring set using the beautiful China blue beads that came into stock at the start of 2011; then a necklace and earring set that we originally created just to try out some ideas with the new links and sparkle beads but so many people who saw it asked how it was done we decided to write it up as a project!  Thirdly, we have the stunning Brick Stitch Delica mat, a fabulous idea from Edna, who many of you may know as one of our dedicated kit testers, who just wanted an idea to use up all the little odds and ends of Delicas that she had accumulated over the years.

China Blue Set                Blue Sparkle Set Sheet 1             Blue Sparkle Set Sheet 2

Delica Mat Instructions

The following designs are fabulous easy makes in tigertail and Soft Flex.  The same basic techniques are used for both types of beading wire and because it is quite fine you will find very few beads do not fit well on it. If you are quite new to beading you will find the Threading with Beading Wires download useful to introduce you to the technique.

For Christmas Erika has designed some really quick and easy wire decorations, and all you need to get you started is a reel of 0.8mm half hard wire for the frames, a reel of 0.315mm wire for the wrapping and infill and a nice mix of seed beads for the decoration.  You can also add in some bigger beads for accenting the designs if you wish, maybe as fancy bauble decorations on the little wire tree.  To hang your decorations use some monofilament or pretty ribbon, or why not use the decorated shapes to add a personal touch to your Christmas cards or wrapping?

Techniques Sheet Page 1 - Download Here          Techniques Sheet Page 2 - Templates - Download Here

and a lovely Christmas Mobile - very easy to make using pretty beads as accents and simple linking to bring it all together

Peyote Stitch Projects - The first of our bead weaving projects.  We start with two beautiful peyote stitch bracelets.  Both use three colours of delica beads to create differing effects and we have project packs available in a number of colourways, all of which contain sufficient beads and thread to make two bracelets in the pictured design.  If you have not worked in Peyote Stitch before you will first need to work through the techniques sheet to introduce yourself to the stitch.  On the Techniques page there is also an introduction to the different types of small beads that are available that gives useful background knowledge on the different types of beads and how to use them.

The Summer Lawn Bracelet (above left) in the easier of the two bracelets and is a good design to start using this technique on.  The Jacquard Bracelet (above right), is a more complex design is better suited to someone with a bit of experience in the stitch.

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Knotting Projects - Seven designs using knotting in different formats.  From a classic freshwater pearl necklace and bracelet, to a stunning waterfall of glass beads in a necklace, bracelet and earring set.  Project packs are available for several of these projects, and comprehensive recipes are available for all of them.  Except for the Freshwater Pearls there is an amazing array of choice of colour too so why not just pick the design you like and put together the beads and threads of your choice.  Almost all of our GL code glass beads and CE code ceramic beads will fit onto the C-Lon macrame thread so why not practice the techniques and then let your imagination run wild - with dozens of thread colours and thousands of beads to choose from there is no limit to the possibilities.  For all of these projects you will probably find the Knotting Techniques download on the Techniques page useful.

Freshwater Pearl Necklace and Bracelet To make this classic set you can choose from either a gimp or a calotte crimp finish, or just buy the threading pack and use the techniques to help you thread beads you already have or maybe re-thread a broken necklace that you have.

8mm glass pearl necklace, bracelet and earring set This set uses a combination of 8mm glass pearls and C-Lon macrame thread  The set pictured is in ivory pearl with mint green thread - the knotted thread giving a contrast to the bead colour.  Project packs for this set are available in a choice of colourways with either contrasting or matching threads

6mm glass pearl necklace, bracelet and tasselled earring set Using a smaller glass pearl, this set also makes use of either a contrasting or matching thread, but to a slightly more dramatic effect because the knot size is larger relative to the bead size, and the thread is used as a feature in the earrings.  Available in a wide choice of colourways, the one pictured is pewter and poinsetta

Pearly rope necklace Using a random pearl mix this lovely rope necklace uses a soft contrast thread to help bring the whole combination together.  The pictured colourway is multi/peridot but it is also available in a choice of random bead size colour mixes

Ruby Waterfall knotted necklace, bracelet and earring set This dramatic set will make a real statement for an evening out or can be lightened up with summery colours and shorter strands for a pretty holiday set.  The pictured colourway is red and amethyst, but there is a choice of colourways in our project packs or you can use any bead with a through hole to make the set in the colourway and bead style of your choice

And now a few on a Halloween theme ... which may on the surface seem a very particular time of year to look at for jewellery but these ideas are so versatile you can adapt them to anything. 

Nina's simple necklace (far left) is easy and pretty with a simple bead repeat - for Halloween in orange and black but the possibilities are endless and the instructions come with a whole host of ideas to take it further.  Vicky's necklace and bracelet set (middle) make fabulous use of the C-Lon Tex thread and, with just the simplest crochet stitch, created loads of texture and interest with very few materials.  At the other end of the spectrum is Jodie's OTT charm bracelet (far right) - never one to be quiet, Jodie has let her personality loose on this one!  Whether you want a full and frothy charm bracelet or a more simple affair the techniques work just as well.

Working with wire and chain - the next five projects use wire, chain and linking and you may find the following downloads useful - Loops and Linking and Working with Chain and Linking. 

The next three projects all use needle and thread, if you are quite new to beading you will find the Working with Beading Threads download useful to introduce you to the technique. 

Rachel Necklace	Jaramanda Necklace	Sweetheart Necklace

The next two projects also use needle and thread, with some wire linking for the central features as well. 

The two techniques sheets you may want are Working with Beading Threads and Loops and Linking

Fleur Necklace	Bluebell Necklace

The  Carnival includes Threading with Beading Wires, and the Lariat Threading with Thong

Carnival Necklace & Bracelet	Pearly Lariat & Bracelet

The Pearly Queen and Stranded Wire sets use techniques not covered in any of the sheets, even if you are a complete beginner all you need to know is in the download

Pearly Queen Necklace	Stranded Wire Necklace & Bracelet

Working With Pre-Knitted Wire and Knitting with Wire

Beaded Knitted Bracelet	Knitted Wire Necklace

Knitted Wire Bags	Tapered Knitted Bracelet