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Run-Around Wrapping - a beaded necklace tutorial


I bought some large turquoise beads at a gem show and then couldn’t decide for awhile what to do with them.  I thought about wire-wrapping them, but I knew that I wanted to combine some seed beads with the wrapping.  So I compromised, by using beading wire as the foundation of both the “wrapping” and the necklace strands.

Although I've provided bead measurements below, you can easily substitute beads of different sizes to make your own necklace.  The exact number of beads that you will need, especially seed beads for the decorative wrapping, may change.  Beadaholique has a very nice selection of turquoise and turquoise colored beads available. 



1. Cut a piece of beading wire 30 inches long.  String on a size 8/0 turquoise seed bead and center it.  Take both ends of the wire through another 8/0 turquoise seed bead, through the large flattened oval pendant bead, and through one more 8/0.  Bring the ends of the wire back up to the top, and feed them through the central seed bead, going through from opposite directions.  Pull firmly to snug the seed beads against the pendant bead, but allow the wire that loops up from the bottom to have some slack.  Use alligator clips to hold the beading wire still while you proceed to the next step.



2. Thread a 2-3 foot piece of Nymo thread onto a thin beading needle, and tie it near the bottom of one of the beading wire strands that cross the pendant.  For the first stitch, pick up two size 8/0 turquoise seed beads and slide them down to meet the wire.  Take the needle under, around, and back up over the wire, up through the second bead, pulling them snug against the wire.  For subsequent stitches, pick up one bead at a time, taking the needle under, around, and back up over the wire, and up through the same bead.  Do not pull the stitches too tight – allow the beads to run along the outside of the wire rather than sitting up on top of it.

3. When you reach the top, pass the needle and thread through the top centered seed bead from step 1.  Work down the other side, adding the same number of beads as you did on the first side.  I ended up adding 17 beads on each side, but your count may vary depending upon the size of your pendant bead and how tight or loose you leave the beading wire.

4.  When you reach the bottom of the second side, take the needle and thread back up through your last bead, and begin to add picot stitches between each size 8/0 bead as follows: pick up a copper colored size 11/0 seed bead, a turquoise colored 11/0, and another copper colored 11/0.  Take the needle down through the next 8/0 bead, up through the next 8/0 bead, and repeat all the way around.  At the very top and the bottom, you might have to add 5 beads or more instead of 3 to make a nice looking picot.  Work your needle and thread back to where the original knot was and tie the loose end off.  Use cement on the knot and allow it to dry before clipping it.  You can hide the ends in the beadwork.



5. String each side of the neck strap as you please. I started each side with a size 8/0 seed bead and a 3 mm round turquoise bead, and then alternated short segments of turquoise and glass beads with copper beads for accent. When the straps are almost as long as you want them, in my case about 8 inches, add a couple more 8/0 seed beads, a crimp bead, and one last 8/0 seed bead. Take the beading wire through one end of the chain on one side, and through the clasp on the other side. Work the beading wire back down through the seed beads and pull it snug. Flatten the crimps with your flat nosed pliers or with crimping pliers if you have them.




6. Thread an 11/0 turquoise colored seed bead, a copper heishe, a turquoise rondelle, and another heishe and seed bead onto the head pin. Create a wrapped loop around the free end of the chain. Clip the end and file it smooth.       


This post contains an affiliate link: Beadaholique

Copyright 2017 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

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