Circular Netting Beadwork - The Basics and Beyond

I've been working on these little doo-dad mandala beaded charms for a month or so now.  I'm finally backtracking to publish some instructions though. These designs are where I started my exploration, but I was already familiar with the basics of circular netting.

 And even though I know the stitch pretty well, I still decided it would be useful to take a step back from the colors and fancy crystals to start with the basic circular design and try to evolve to the more complex designs like you see above.

Teardrop Wire Frame with Coil Decoration Earring Tutorial

I made these earrings a while ago, but they are still a favorite of mine. They are perfect for everyday wear, and if you experiment, you'll find they look terrific when you vary the metals - gold filled or brass coils on a silver frame, silver on a copper frame, etc.

Once you have the basic technique down, the size can easily be altered to make them larger or smaller. You can also follow the instructions here to make the wire teardrop frames without the coils. These are useful as beading frames for projects like these earrings with brick stitch inside the frame

or these teardrop mosaic bead earrings.

I also created a video on how to make the wire frames. Scroll to the end of the post to watch. I recommend you click on the video where it says YouTube and watch it there. It is much larger and easier to see.

Best Tools to Make Perfect Wire Rosary Loops

Jewelry making seems like a constant process of one step forwards, two steps back. Just when you think you've perfected a technique, it seems to make sense to step back and re-evaluate what you know - either because you read a new tip, there's a new tool, the wire you are working with is a different thickness, temper, etc.

Or is it just me?

I guess I have to leave that possibility open. I'm sure there are plenty of jewelry makers who learned to make a wire loop with their standard round nose pliers, checked the box and moved on.  That's most definitely NOT me.

My free tutorial this month at The Spruce Crafts is how to make a traditional five decade rosary.

One thing about making this type of rosary - if you weren't an expert at loops when you started, you sure as heck probably are when you're finished!  But, in this case, I think a new tool made all the difference.

Decorative Jewelry Knots: Josephine Knot and Double Coin Knot

Decorative knots are always handy to know for jewelry making. After all, that's pretty much the whole basis of macrame - making decorative knots in a variety of patterns with different materials.  Last month, my tutorial for The Spruce Crafts was how to make a Chinese Double Coin Knot.

I did my research, like I always do, and wrote my tutorial - only to figure out just before my publishing deadline that the tutorial I wrote was for the very similar, almost identical, vaguely different Josephine Knot. A bit frustrating - but I still had time to re-shoot my pictures and make the deadline.  I figured since I already did the tutorial for the Jospehine Knot, I may as well share it here, as well as what the difference is.

Cotter Pin Copper Chain Free Tutorial

Cotter Pin Copper Chain, Cotter Pin Copper Chain - it sounds like a tongue twister, doesn't it?  Thanks to that observation, I'll probably get dinged by google for repeating keywords, but I doubt it will matter too much.

I'll start by admitting I had to search for a name for this chain. Once you see a cotter pin, also known as a split pin, you'll see that it is perfectly appropriate. And far better than me calling this a hammered round loop double open loop chain which is where I was heading. Making this has put me back on a bit of a chain making and metal binge again. It feels good (really good) to hammer metal sometimes.