Blue and Green Waterlily Bead and Chain Bracelet

by Tina Fondren
(Montgomery, AL)

Easy Bead Jewelry Project: Use foil lined lampwork glass beads and glass pearl beads to this make blue and green waterlily bead and chain bracelet.

After a visit to the High Art Museum in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) to view a collection of the impressionist artist Claude Monet's 'Waterlillies' paintings, I was inspired to create my waterlily bead bracelet.

The main purpose of the design is to celebrate the colors Monet used in this famous series of paintings.

The decidedly vintage feel of the design was chosen to reflect the age of the Monet paintings themselves.

The design began with the clasp: a vintage-look bronze color toggle clasp designed to resemble a circle of waterlillies.

Next, I chose square glass beads in azure and moss green glass pearls to echo the colors in the Monet paintings.

Then I designed the bracelet to express my perception of water lillies floating on water by using bronze color chain to symbolize the water element and the glass beads to symbolize the flora.

I used simple beading techniques: stringing beads onto headpins and attaching the beads to the chain via wire loops on the end of the headpins.

I used jump rings to attach the toggle clasp to the bracelet.

The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was developing the design. I wanted to pay tribute to the Monet paintings that inspired me, but I did not want them to be obvious in the design.

Also, I wanted to give the design the suggested movement of water which proved quite difficult, but the jewelry making chain seems to mimic this.

I began making jewelry quite by accident a few years ago.

My first items were key chains that I beaded for two friends and the rest, as they say, is history!

I am a self-taught jewelry maker and I always try new jewelry making techniques to bring my jewelry designs to life.

Enjoy making your own version of this blue and green waterlily bead and chain bracelet!

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Jewelry Making Instructions

Finished length of bracelet is approximately 8” (20.3 cm)

Jewelry Making Supplies

Three 15mm or 20mm square glass beads
Nine 6mm or 8mm round beads
One large decorative toggle clasp
9” length of jewelry making chain to match clasp
3 1 1/2 inch eye pins (or several inches (3.8 cm) of 20 gauge half hard round wire)
9 one inch (2.5 cm) head pins

Four jump rings

Jewelry Making Tools

Wire cutters
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers

Step 1
Determine the finished length of your bracelet that includes the length of the clasp.

Design Tip: For a more eye pleasing design, allow the square glass beads to take up about one third of the length of your bracelet and the jewelry making chain to take up about two thirds.

Step 2
Make 9 round bead dangles...
Thread a round bead onto a head pin and using the round nose pliers make a simple wire loop above the bead. You can leave the wire loop open. Set aside.

Step 3
Make the 3 square bead units using eye pins (How to Make Wire Loops).

Thread a square bead onto an eye pin. Using the round nose pliers make a simple wire loop above the bead. Open the wire loops (if they are not already open) and connect one square bead unit to the other. The three square bead units should be connected to one another; the two end beads should have its unconnected wire loop open.

(Note: If you prefer you can make the bead units using wrapped wire loops. They will be more secure.)

Step 5
Using wire cutters, cut a 9” (22.9 cm) length of chain and fold it in half to double it. Connect the center link of the folded jewelry making chain to wire loop on one of the end square bead units.

Step 6
Using the chain nose pliers and your fingers, open both of the jump rings.

Step 7
Slide the two end links of the folded chain onto one jump ring. Slide the toggle bar of the clasp onto the jump ring. Close the jump ring. For extra security add a second jump ring.

Step 8
Slide the second half of the clasp onto the second jump ring. Close the jump ring. Slide the jump ring onto the wire loop of the last square bead unit. Close the wire loop. For extra security add a second jump ring.

Step 9
Attach three round bead dangles to the jump ring between the chain and the toggle bar as pictured above.

Step 10
Attach three round bead dangles to the wire loops between the first and second square bead units as pictured above.

Enjoy making this bead jewelry project!

Bead Jewelry Instructions by:
Wanda
making-beaded-jewelry.com