Make a Beaded Lanyard Necklace
With This Bead Jewelry Project

Make a beaded lanyard look like jewelry with these illustrated step by step lanyard instructions. You'll make a lanyard to carry your ID badge in style!

How to Make a Lanyard Look Like Jewelry

It's simple really.

First, just add a clasp to the middle of the neck lanyard. And viola, you've made a lanyard necklace.

Next, use a lanyard holder instead of a lanyard clip.

For our beaded neck lanyard, we'll make the lanyard holder jewelry component pictured below using sterling silver wire.

Handmade Lanyard ID Holder Jewelry Connector

Making the sterling silver jewelry connector is a great beginner wire jewelry project - you'll learn how to coil wire.

Of course, if you don't want to make the sterling silver jewelry connector, simply use a large single wire link, a key ring or donut type bead.

Lanyard Necklace Bead Jewelry Project

Beading Technique Used:

Bead Stringing

Wire Jewelry Techniques Used:

Coiling Wire
Wire Scrolls

Jewelry Making Skill Level:

Beginning Beading and Wire Jewelry Making

Prerequisite Jewelry Lessons:

There are three:

To Make the lanyard necklace...

If you have never done bead stringing, complete this lesson first.

It contains step by step beading instructions for some of the beading techniques only referred to in this bead jewelry project tutorial.

To Make the lanyard ID holder connector...

First, complete these step by step wire jewelry instructions.

2) Coiling Wire - A Beginner Wire Jewelry Making Tutorial

3) Wire Jewelry Instructions for Making Wire Spirals and shaping coiled wire into a lanyard ID holder connector

New to making wire jewelry? First practice the prerequisite wire jewelry lessons with brass or copper wire.

Approximate Length of Neck Lanyard:

38" (96.5 cm)

Jewelry Making Supplies

• 2 strands 6mm beads (black onyx)
• 8 8mm dice or cube beads (black onyx)
• 16 4mm crystals (black diamond)
• 6 4mm spacer beads
• 1 20mm focal bead (Kazuri clay bead)
• 2 25" (63.5 cm) length of .014 or .019 diameter beading wire
• 1 lanyard clip or holder
  (if you choose not to make the lanyard ID holder ring)
• beading mat

Jewelry Making Tools and/or Pliers

• Crimping pliers
• Wire cutters

If you need it, here's a review of jewelry pliers used in bead stringing projects.

How to Make a Lanyard
Beaded Lanyard Making Instructions

Layout Beaded Lanyard Pattern

1. Gather supplies, tools and beads. Work on a beading mat so that your beads will not roll around.

Layout your bead pattern on the beading mat as pictured below.

Close up of bead lanyard pattern.

Attach a Lobster Claw Clasp to a Split Ring

2. Using split ring pliers, open one split ring and slide a lobster claw clasp onto it. (How to Open Split Rings)

Attach the Clasp to the Beading Wire

3. On one of the lengths of beading wire, string a crimp bead and the split ring with the lobster connected to it (Step by Step How to Attach a Clasp to a Necklace or Bracelet).

Thread the end of the beading wire back through the crimp bead.

On one end of the second length of beading wire, string a crimp bead and the second split ring.

Thread the end of the beading wire back through the crimp bead.

Using the crimping pliers, crimp each crimp bead.

Add crimp covers if desired.

Beaded Lanyard Tutorial Continued

String Beads onto Beading Wire

4. On each length of the beading wire, string one strand of round 6mm beads.

String the Beads of the Beaded Lanyard Pattern

5. On each beading wire, string one 4mm bead, one cube or dice bead, one 4mm bead.

• one metal spacer bead
• one 4mm bead, one cube or dice bead, one 4mm bead, one metal spacer bead
• one 20mm focal bead
• one metal spacer bead, one 4mm bead, one cube or dice bead, one 4mm bead and one metal spacer bead

On each beading wire, string:

• one 4mm bead, one cube or dice bead, one 4mm bead
• one metal spacer
• one 4mm bead, one cube or dice bead, one 4mm bead

Beaded Lanyard Tutorial Continued

Attach the Beaded Lanyard to the Lanyard ID Holder

6. Onto one length of beading wire, string a crimp bead. Then thread the beading wire through the center (or a loop) of the spiral.

7. Thread the beading wire back through the crimp bead and a few of the beads.

Pull the wire taunt, drawing all the beads together on the beading wire.

8. Using the crimping pliers, crimp the tube crimp bead.

Using the wire cutters, cut the excess wire.

9. Fit and close a crimp cover over the crimped crimp bead (optional).

Finish Connecting Beaded Lanyard to Lanyard ID Holder

10. Repeat Steps 6 - 9 on the second length of beading wire.

Beautiful Jewelry Lanyard Necklace

You're done! You've made a beaded lanyard necklace - a beautiful piece of jewelry, with or without your ID badge attached.

Return from Beaded Lanyard page to Lanyard Instructions page

Return to Making Beaded Jewelry home page