I have been meaning to write this article on how to make a simple beaded ring for quite awhile now. What I like about these beaded rings is that they are fairly easy to make for beginners and they also require very few supplies in order to make them. I have struggled through much trial and error before coming up with a “basic” pattern that I really like which I’ll detail here. Hopefully, if you are starting out this article will help you a bit.
First, you’ll need sharp nosed cutting pliers. You MAY be able to get away with scissors but since most beaders already have these pliers, I recommend using them. The type of seed beads you can try and the colors are completely up to you; here I’ve tried using some silver-lined “Miyuki” seed beads and just this one color. The one thing I would keep in mind is that the beads shouldn’t have TOO small of a hole. This is because you will have to run your line through them twice or even three times. It makes it VERY difficult to make beaded rings if the beads are too tiny.
Similarly, the line you use should not be too thick. I have seen many jewelry discussions on the types of line, filament, or thread that should be used for beaded rings. Everyone has a different favorite. For me, I simply use Monofilament Fishing line, approximately 6 pound test. The reason for this is: 1. I fish, so I already have this line! 2. It is exceedingly cheap. A small spool is probably a few dollars.
By the way, “pound test” in monofilament refers to the tested breaking strength of the line… 6 pound test has been rated to withstand 6 pounds of force before breaking. I find anything under 6 has a possibility of breaking if you yank too hard on the line, while anything over 12 is too thick to thread multiple times through beads.
Supplies:
2 Feet Monofilament (6-12lb test)
Various Seed Beads
Sharp Nose Cutting Pliers
