Why Not Make a Beaded Button?

We all know about beaded beads, ideally a self-supporting, rigid, regular structure made up only of smaller beads. Well how about beaded buttons? A quick trawl of the net turns up mostly buttons made up from a covered button base, with seed beads over the top. I think that it is time to make more self-supporting, rigid, regular and robust beaded buttons!

When I make a piece of jewellery, it is an essential design element to finish it off with a clasp that is in keeping with the actual work. I quite often make a button and loop. Though I could use a toggle and loop, it's just personal taste. Of course a loop and button of the same beads as the work is best.

A button shape is preferable to a round shape because a loop needs a really close fit to keep from slipping off a round bead, but it will catch easily behind a flat button shape.

Pellet beads + Chaton, Tila Beads, and Seed beads + Chaton, beaded buttons

These beaded buttons could also be used on actual clothes, for example a skating dress that already had lots of gems and embroidery, (that was destined only for the dry cleaners).

Another beaded button that I have made is on the Buttercup Bracelet. Each buttercup is effectively a button, so the bracelet can be fastened to any length, by choosing which button to put the loop over.

Buttercup Bracelet

And finally a four-square beaded bead on my Rainbow Helix Bracelet

Rainbow Helix Bracelet

So there's definitely plenty of scope for making beaded buttons. It helps to start with a flat shape of bead, such as a tila bead. Keep it simple, the finished bead must be robust enough to stand some manipulation when pushed through a loop, and that loop does not need to be too tight.

Right, I'm off to make some pyramid beaded buttons! 

Keep a look out for other beaded buttons that might be out there, I would love to know where they are?

This blog has now moved to :TooTallToBead.co.uk

Herringbone Weave with Superduo Beads

Pattern now available on my etsy store! Here

Ever since I first came across superduo beads, I felt sure that they could be woven such that they made a herringbone pattern, just like brick pavements.
Looking on the net the closest that I could find was this, by the Potomac Bead Co (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzkgPVH5cyo) but this also incorporated seed beads, so it was not what I was looking for, though it is a lovely design.

I found a gold bracelet that was exactly what I was looking for, but made of actual gold!

So with this inspiration in mind, I set about many failed attempts, and lots of wasted thread, before I cracked it.

First Successful Herringbone Weave.

It comes out a bit like knitting, in that you do a cast on row, several "knit" rows, and then a cast off row.

The next thing was to make it more interesting, by making it stripy and tying a knot in it...

...or by adding a picot edge. (Also covers the side threads)

..or by capturing a rivoli

So lots of variations then, though the rivoli capture is a bit fiddly, and reminds me of a shortbread biscuit!

What I need to know is if anyone else has come up with the same thing? It seems an obvious thing to do with a superduo bead to me, so I'm sure that someone else would have found this too.

So, if you have found this elsewhere please let me know! I would love know if it was unique!!

Bonne Perler

Please note this blog has now moved to my website: TooTallToBead.co.uk