Make Your Own DIY Beaded Donut Necklace
Don't you love quick and simple projects that are super easy to make but still uniquely beautiful?
Well, today’s project is one such piece- effortless yet gorgeous.
And that’s not even the best part. What makes this necklace extra special is the fact that we’ll be using beading wire instead of craft wire- believe it or not. I love the idea of using beading wire for this project since I don't have a lot of practice with craft wire. But beading wire- ah, the wonderful things we can use it for.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your beading wire and get working on this exquisite piece.
Recommended Tools
We’ll be using quite a few tools for this project, including:
A pair of cutters
A pair of chain-nose pliers
A pair of wide flat nose pliers
A pair of round nose pliers
For the cutters, I recommend one specifically suited for working with beading wire. You can use Lindstrom cutters because they are super durable and cut magically every single time. I have used them for all sorts of wire projects, and they've never let me down. Or you can also use a standard pair of flush cutters from Xuron because they're ideal for beading wire. These two are definitely my top faves when it comes to working with beading wire, so you’ll be good picking either of them- they both work brilliantly!
As for the pliers, I always go for Wubbers, and you should, too. The chain nose pliers come to a delicate taper which makes them excellent for gripping and getting in tight spaces. The round nose pliers are also smaller near the tip, making them ideal for making loops. The wide nose pliers are great for crimping. And when dipped in tool magic, you can achieve a better grip while also preventing abrasion of the findings.
Required Materials
TAs I always say, you don't necessarily have to follow my exact color theme and design but if you’re interested in recreating the piece from my tutorial, here are the materials I’ll be using:
40mm Yellow Donut Pendant
65 - 5mm Faceted Roundel Beads
4 - 6mm Jump Rings
5 - Flat Mesh Crimps
Lobster Clasp
5ft SilverSilk Flat Mesh
3ft Medium Soft Flex Beading Wire
For this project, you’ll be needing some imagination, a little technique, and some excellent beading wire. And that is why I recommend Soft Flex! It is my absolute favorite company for all things bead and wire. They have some really high-quality beading and craft wire, which will be especially helpful for this project. Also, I usually get the medium size so that I have plenty of wire to work and experiment with.
I’ll be using Flat Mesh Crimps, which are copper-colored. And what's more, they have a brass core, which ensures a stronghold. So, your necklace or bracelet won’t just burst or break open while crimping. Plus, these come in a pack of 4, which is great because I'll be needing precisely 3 for the donut pendant, and you’ll have an extra crimp, just in case. These crimps are perfect for Flat Mesh as well as ensuring a professional finish. They have a little SilveSilk stamp on the top and teeth on the inside. This means that you can smash it down with your flat nose fliers- yes, I mean smash because if you’re using tool magic, you can go ahead and smash it without having to worry about abrasion. It’s just that easy- you don’t need any special glues or anything. Just put it in the Flat Mesh and crimp- and voila!
The yellow donut for the pendant has a beautiful stone look. I got it for a dollar at a local gem show. There are no size limitations when it comes to the donut- you can make it a personal as you want. I love the color yellow, and I think it would look great against the shiny glass beads. The beads really help taper everything down to the earth tone. And this color palette is something I haven't really tried before, and I get why it can be intimidating for some people. However, the result is a super cute necklace which is why you definitely need to step outside your comfort zone and give it a try.
I got Olive Green Flat Mesh because, again, it contrasts really nicely against the yellow donut. Flat Mesh is basically a 6-needle weave. This hollow sleeve is then flattened by another apparatus, which creates a beautiful, textural, intricate, detailed, and strong chain. It comes in 15 different colors, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Make the Donut Pendant
Grab your donut and 2ft of the beading wire. String a 2x2 crimp and make a little loop at one end, which should be about 2mm in size. We’re going to use this to attach the necklace to the pendant. It’s going to have a little bit of a wire tail at one end, but don't worry, we can trim it off once we’re done crimping. Since you have a single notch crimp plier, you’ll want to stick it into the singular notch and then make sure that it’s all in and not sticking out or anything, or it will mess up the crimping process. Once it’s in and flattened, it will look like a kind of square with pinched corners. You can turn this on the side, pinch again, take it into quarter turns, and continue to press it all together with your pliers. The idea is to create a crimp that compresses into a tight tiny bead. Once that’s all set, you can go ahead and trim the wire tail of the loop.
Now, we’re ready to string in the glass beads. For that, line up your beading wire with the donut. Go through the donut and up through the glass bead. Then string another two beads. Now, put your thumb down on the beading wire and go through the donut again. Also, the wire has a tendency to curl up, so make sure to untangle it as you go. Go back through the last bead again and add in another two beads. You need to repeat this around six times to achieve the look we’re going for. Luckily, though, you won’t have to worry about wire kinks or precision since it’s all strung and stretched, so it will stay in place fairly easily. Also, Soft Flex is an excellent wire that makes it ideal for this project and SilverSilking in general because it compliments SilverSilk products. In addition to this, you need to ensure that the hole in your glass beads is big enough to accommodate at least a couple of wire strands.
Crimp the Flat Mesh
You'll need about 2 inches of olive-colored Flat Mesh for the bottom part of the pendant. You want to crimp it fairly tight against the donut. And like when you're crimping Pearlesque or Capture chain, you’ll need to shake off the wire fuzzies so that they don’t get in the way of crimping. When it’s ready, press down on the ends of the Flat Mesh to get it tapered. Then insert it in the Flat Mesh crimp with the SilverSilk logo on the top and press. Because the crimp is a brass interior, you can be sure that it won’t fall apart. However, this also means that you should probably get this crimp right the first time.
Form a Tassel
For the tassel, we’re going to use pretty much the same crimping method. Loop out one end, string about ten beads, and then form another loop. Crimp and then trim off the excess beading wire. Do this 5 to 6 times to achieve a fuller tassel. And then attach all the loops to a jump ring.
Assemble the Necklace
Finally, we’re ready to put everything together. So, attach the jump ring on the tassel to the bottom of the pendant. Take two 10-inch strands of Flat Mesh for the necklace and join them with the clasp. You can use a longer strand if you want a bigger chain, of course, but I’ll just go with 10-inches. Crimp where the clasp goes and then crimp the other side into the crimp. Then go in with your pliers and press down. Ensure the seam is closed on both sides, with the SilverSilk logo facing upwards to maintain consistency. Now, use another jump ring to attach it to the pendant. And boom- there we have a very cool, stylish necklace in mere minutes!
Get Yours!
For this project, I wanted to focus on helping you learn and understand the knitting part. I think it really compliments the Flat Mesh and is overall a great technique to know if you're into jewelry making and stuff. Hence, be sure to watch the video demonstration of the making of this necklace and follow along to make your own. You can also check out more of my Flat Mesh projects here. And subscribe to my channel here so that you don’t miss out on any of my Tuesday tutorials. Also, if you’re looking for even more inspiration, check out my Instagram here.
HUGS to you all!
