Beadwork is gaining more and more fans every year, because from small details, thanks to the skill of the master, absolutely any item can be made, whether it be jewelry in the form of earrings or bracelets. The embroidery on clothes and wallets, bags and even shoes looks beautiful.
Beadwork for beginners can start with work on small key chains. To understand the principle of working with this material, it is enough to learn how to use weaving patterns, where two different colors show the movement of a thread or wire in a series of small elements. In the work, you can combine beads of different sizes and qualities, so that the craft looks spectacular and conveys all the parts of the structure of the manufactured item.
In the article, we will consider in detail how to make key chains from beads according to the schemes, what materials will be needed for this, how to organize a workplace for convenience when weaving. The reader will also learn how to perform step-by-step actions correctly following the selected scheme. We begin the explanation with simple flat key chains, then we will tell you how to make simple three-dimensional products.
Materials for work
Before weaving keychains from beads, you need to prepare everything you need for further work, so as not to be distracted by searches. First, think about what exactly you will do, find the scheme of work on the Internet and print yourself a sample on the printer. Over time, you will understand the principle of their manufacture and you will be able to make diagrams yourself, only for this you will need graph paper or a simple notebook sheet in a box and colored pencils.
Depending on the chosen shape, purchase beads of the desired color and size. If you want the keychain to last a long time, then do not be stingy and buy Czech beads. It is of better quality and does not lose its luster and color from time to time.
If you work with copper wire, you will need tongs with round ends to gently twist it at the edges. So that the keychain can be hung on the keys, do not forget to buy a ring in the sewing accessories store.
If you make the keychains made of beads according to the schemes flexible, then instead of wire, prepare a nylon string or fishing line. To work with such material, you will need a thin needle that can pass into the hole of the bead twice. You will also need scissors to cut off the extra length, as well as a lighter or a candle to melt the ends of the fishing line.
Workplace organization
It is not difficult to do bead trinkets with your own hands, especially if the workplace is properly organized. There are several requirements that it is advisable to adhere to:
- The surface of the table should be well lit so that the master does not spoil his vision, because you have to work with small details.
- Place a cloth, preferably cotton or linen, on the table. The color of the coating is better to take light and plain. This is necessary so that the beads do not slide onto the floor and do not get lost on the motley fabric.
- Prepare containers for each type of bead, for example, bowls or plastic lids for cans. Large parts can be kept in one place.
- The scheme, if it is small, can be redrawn on a large sheet so that all the details are clearly visible.
Keychain "Watermelon Slice"
For beginners, weaving from beads will explain the principle of operation according to the scheme. The figure below shows how much green, white, red and black beads are needed for the operation. A ring is shown above, from which the work will begin. To create a slice of watermelon, beads take all of the same size and quality. It is better if they are painted with paint on top, transparent details will not convey the brightness of a ripe watermelon.
The wire is divided into two equal parts and is fixed in the middle with a loop on a metal ring. We take one red bead and thread one and the other end of the wire through its hole, which are shown in the figure in different colors - yellow and blue. The bead is tightened so that it does not sag. Too tight to pull the wire, too, is not necessary, since the work can get crumpled.
Following the pattern of the keychain from beads, the next row consists of 3 parts (2 red and 1 black). The wire is threaded in a similar way. One edge is inserted on the right, the other on the left. Again tighten tightly. Thus, the work is done until the green peel of the watermelon. Then the excess edges are trimmed and curved between the white and green rows with forceps. The keychain from beads according to the scheme is ready! You can attach it to the keys. Such a bright keychain will allow you to find them in your bag much faster.
Mouline thread keychain
This triangular keychain depicts a piece of pizza. It was made by weaving, not on a wire, but with the help of a black floss thread. It will take 2 thin needles with a wide eye to work, so that you can insert such a multilayer thread. The keychain will turn out flexible, it will be nice to hold it in your hands, it will not scratch your fingers in case of poor twisting of the wire at the ends.
The manufacturing method is completely similar to the previous description. The only difference is that weaving starts from the wide side of the triangle and tapers down to one bead. You can tie the edge of the thread on a beautiful knot or attach a brush of threads.
How to make an owl
Begin weaving a keychain from beads from the bird's head. The wire is visually divided in half, and the middle is attached to a double eyelet on a lock or ringlet. 4 brown details of the upper part of the head are then passed on from two sides. Feathers sticking out to the sides, similar to ears, are threaded separately left and right and the edges of the wire again extend through all 4 elements.
Further, the work goes through the usual way, already familiar to the reader, to the very bottom row. After each row, do not forget to lightly tighten the wire on both sides so that the owl is dense. It remains to attach the red or orange lower beads for the image of the legs. On each side, the wire extends to the fourth bead from the edge and puts on a “foot”. Then it is strengthened by threading the end, again through this part and brought to the opposite edge.
The same procedure is carried out with another “foot”. The diagram shows how to do this. The edges wrap a couple of times around the side loop in the last row.
Pokemon
Let's try to make a character figure of the popular Japanese anime - Pokemon. You will need yellow, black and 2 pink beads of the same size. The wire is strengthened, as usual, by the central part behind the ring or metal carabiner.
Further, all actions are performed according to the scheme presented in the article. One part of the wire is highlighted in red, the other in black. During operation, carefully monitor that the wire is threaded into the desired beads, then the character’s ears will be placed vertically. At the end of the work on the "paws" carefully twist the coils of wire. Sharp edges can be cleaned with sandpaper so that they do not scratch when using the keychain.
Butterfly
To make such a butterfly, as in the diagram below, you will need beads of different sizes and colors. Some of them will be threaded immediately on two threads, others - only on one of them. Butterfly eyes make black out of large parts.
Start work from above, from the head of an insect. Next, the wings are made alternately, fastening them together with large beads. After making the tail of the craft, you can tie the edges of the threads in a knot and hang a couple more beads on each end.
How to make bulk beaded key chains
Consider the creation of volumetric elements on the example of the heart. At first, two identical parts are made according to the scheme. It is most convenient to work with fishing line or kapron thread. Then two hearts are stacked one on top of the other and begin to sew them together at the edges.
To make the keychain more voluminous, you need to insert a piece of cotton wool or synthetic winterizer in the middle. If the hearts are large, then you can use a cotton sponge. When the two halves are sewn together, you can attach a key ring to the edge of the thread.
Crocodile
With the apparent complexity of such a crocodile, it’s easy to do. Work begins with the muzzle of a reptile. Two green beads are put on the wire, then each row is expanded to the desired head size. Black eye beads are inserted in the center. Next, they make the same size a wide part of the back and reduce the number of beads on the tail.
It is advisable to draw a diagram for yourself on a notebook sheet, so that the second part of the work is done exactly as the previous one. After the last row of green beads on the tail, weaving with already beige details continues. In those places where the reptile's paws are located, 8-10 green beads are immediately stringed on the wire and bent by a loop, continuing to work further.
When the body is completely duplicated from the beige parts, the two halves are connected together by wire. Only the jaws are left so that the mouth of the crocodile is open.
Beginner bead trinkets need to be done according to the schemes, it’s easier and faster to do the right craft. Train on flat products, and then easily cope with volumetric models.