Simply Beads newsletter

Wood Burned Beads

Design by Candie Cooper

Beading gets hot with some smokin’ wood-burned beads. Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area or outdoors when using a wood burner. These colorful, textured beads will be favorites year-round!

Materials

Wooden beads:

1 (20mm) beige rondelle,

2 (15mm) beige rondelle

2 (14mm) beige bicone,

10 (4mm) aqua round

Antique gold beads:

2 (2mm) round,

10 (6mm) bicone spacers

9.4mm gold disk bead
8 (1 1/2-inch) antique gold eye pins
4 (1 1/2-inch) antique gold head pins
2 antique gold ear wires
Antique gold chain with clasp
Acrylic paint: red, orange, light green
Semi-satin acrylic varnish
Paintbrushes
Toothpick
Wood burner with following attachments: large round, straight-edge
Dremel tool with #55 drill bit
Round-nose pilers
Flat-nose pliers
Wire nippers

Finished Size
Necklace
19 inches (including clasp)
Earrings
1 3/8 inches long

Project notes: Do not leave wood burner unattended as it gets very hot. Work in a well-ventilated area when working with a wood burner as it creates smoke. Let wood burner pre-heat for three to four minutes before using. All drilling and painting must be done before wood burning. Before beginning, practice wood burning on a scrap piece of wood or extra wooden bead.

Instructions

Beads

1)	Use Dremel tool to drill a hole through center top of each 15mm beige rondelle bead and two holes through opposite sides on upper half of 20mm beige rondelle bead.
2)	Paint rondelle beads red; while paint is wet, brush orange paint on top until paints blend slightly. Let dry. Repeat as desired.
3)	Paint beige bicone beads light green; let dry. Slide aqua round beads on a toothpick and brush light green paint around middle sections; let dry.
4)	Using large round attachment on wood burner, press tip of burner on 20mm red rondelle. The longer the tip is held in place, the darker the design will be; it does not take long. Continue to create dots on red rondelle. Repeat to create a border of dots on each 15mm red rondelle.
5)	Unplug burner and let cool completely; remove round attachment and replace with straight-edge attachment. Create lines and notches in light green bicone beads and aqua round beads. Note: To prevent fingers from being burned when working with small beads, slide beads onto a toothpick before burning.
6)	Brush a coat of varnish on each bead; let dry.

Necklace

1)	Leave clasp connected and cut chain to create two 7-inch lengths.
2)	Slide an aqua round bead, gold bicone spacer and an aqua round bead on an eye pin; use round-nose pliers to form a loop above top bead. Trim excess wire. Repeat twice, once on a head pin and once on an eye pin.
3)	Slide a gold bicone spacer, light green bicone bead and a gold bicone spacer on an eye pin; form a loop above top bead. Trim excess wire. Repeat once.
4)	In the same manner as in step 3, create two beaded eye pins, sliding one aqua round bead on each.
5)	Slide a gold bicone spacer, gold disk and 20mm red rondelle bead on a head pin; form a loop on back of rondelle and flatten it so it sits flush against back of bead. Beads should sit on front of red rondelle.
6)	Open loop on an eye pin from step 4 and attach to one of the top holes on 20mm red rondelle; close loop. Repeat to attach other eye pin from step 4 to other top hole.
7)	Open one loop on each light green bicone eye pin and attach to aqua round eye pins; close loops. Repeat to attach one aqua round/gold spacer eye pin to open loop of light green/gold spacer on each side. This will be center of the necklace.
8)	Open loops on ends of center section and attach to end links of chain lengths; close loops. Open loop on remaining aqua round/gold spacer head pin and attach to link next to clasp; close loop.

Earrings

1)	Slide a gold bicone spacer and 15mm red rondelle on a head pin; flatten loop on back of rondelle in the same manner as in step 5 of necklace. Repeat once.
2)	Open loop on an eye pin and attach to hole on one 15mm red rondelle; close loop. Slide an aqua round bead and a gold round bead on eye pin; form a loop above top bead. Trim excess wire. Repeat once.
3)	Open top loops and attach to ear wires; close loops.

Source: Wooden beads from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads.

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Happy Beading!

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Barb Switzer
Editor, Simply Beads magazine

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