This week I saw a lovely necklace made from painted wooden beads and decided to make one for myself. I have some wood beads which I bought from the Upcycle exchange here in St Louis and they are ideal for this little project.
A spot of upcycling and DIY on Earth day, don’t mind if I do!
I grabbed a few colours of the new ‘Hand Made Modern‘ craft paint in Target. It took me a few minutes to decide on a palette, there is great range of colours. Once home, I ripped open a used paper shopping bag to protect the table, cracked open the paints and got painting.
To keep hold of the beads without getting myself covered in paint, I put each one on a cocktail stick so that I could hold it to paint and then balance it across a narrow necked jar to dry. Just be sure that the stick reaches each side of the jar or beads fall and paint is ruined and swears burst forth. I may have done all of this….
Once the masterpieces are all dry, they can be threaded onto the leather cord for wearing. To fasten, you can just tie a knot at the back and you are done, or I like to use a sliding knot.
I started with a 40 inch length of leather which I find is a good length to make a finished necklace which can be worn short or long.
To make the sliding knot, I followed this video. This is a great knot to know as it means you don’t need to buy and add a fastener and the necklace can be worn longer or shorter. Hurrah for choice!!
I love to be able to whip up a necklace to wear, this one will be perfect for the Spring weather.
Happy Earth Day!
Clare Davis Etheridge 
FUN!!!!!
i was thinking about you. just back from paris and happened upon a most fabulous scent ”rose-cardamom-black pepper” ghaaaaa so fab exotic!
Oh I like the sound of that, I have made a lemon pepper rose balm and I love it, now I need to get me some cardamon. I hope Paris was divine x
DIVINE!!!!! oh god so divine!
Awww thanks! I need your snail mail address so I can send you some smelly stuff!!! You can e mail me at catseatdogs@sbcglobal.net
Those beads look lovely Clare. We don’t get that paint in Target in Australia , i think Target in America must me much more creative! I’ll show this to my daughters who are keen to do some painted bead necklaces.
Thanks Emily, I think your Target is a different company than ours. You would think they would think up different names wouldn’t you! I am sure any acrylic paint will work fine.