This post brought to you by Beadalon!Day 3 of Spring Beadalon Break and I wanna here a heck yeah if you love easy jewelry making!

Picture me “raising the roof”…
Or playing a tambourine?

Don’t ask.

But, I know you’re curious…

My mom and I share a creative space in which she has a small music studio and sometimes when she’s not there, I use her instruments as props.  That’s all.

Ok, let’s get to it!
Recently Beadalon sent a spool of their .024 diameter 49 strand gold beading wire for me to try out and let me tell you—I’m in LOVE!  It’s so thick and glorious.  It looks amazing all by itself!It comes in different colors too!

Can I get another heck yeah?It only takes a few ingredients to make this simple necklace.  Other than the .024 Beadalon wire, the key item is a donut pendant.  Do you have a pile laying around like me?  Let’s use em’ up!  You’ll also want some #3 crimp tubes for the thicker wire, your basic jewelry making tools set, some beads and a clasp.String the donut bead onto the heavy wire and determine how long you want your necklace.  Trim the end from the spool and slide a crimp bead over both ends of the wire.

Flat crimp the crimp tube with chain nose pliers by smooshing the crimp bead.

Smoosh it.  Smoosh it good.String the beads onto one side of the wire and separate each bead with two crimp beads.  Use a tool of some sort to help create equal distance between each crimp bead–I’m using a tiny ruler.

Flat crimp again.Then slide your first bead against the crimp bead.  Crimp the next tube so it keeps the bead in place along the wire. Use your measuring tool again and flat crimp the next crimp tube.

Repeat, completing  both sides of the wire.To finish the ends with a toggle clasp, we will use the traditional crimping method.  Slide a crimp tube onto the beading wire followed by one half of the clasp.  Thread the tail of the wire back through the crimp bead, snugging the tube up against the clasp, but not so much that your clasp cannot move freely.Put the crimp tube in the “U” shape opening on the crimping pliers and crimp.Turn the crimp tube 90 degrees and place in the outside opening to roll the crimp bead into a tight C or shut.I created this necklace to match this unique chain.  Here’s another version with a handmade glass donut bead.  With a focal piece like this, it’s nice to highlight the beauty of it with minimal stringing work around it.