Learn How to Make Lanyards -
Make a Neck Lanyard with Beads

Learn how to make lanyards using jewelry beading techniques to make a beautiful beaded lanyard pattern.

Making Lanyards to Showcase a Focal Bead

This neck lanyard uses a focal bead as it's cinch.

Glass cat's eye beads flow like a river to bottleneck at a glass foil bead flanked by sterling silver spoked rondelles. Then, the river of cat's eye beads flow again to make a drop that connects to the lanyard clip.

Beaded Neck Lanyard

Now is the time to show off those gorgeous lamp work beads, Pandora™ style beads or Murano® glass beads!

Beaded Lanyard Pattern

The beaded lanyard pattern for this neck lanyard was strung in this order...

• Two strands of cat's eye beads
• one sterling silver rondelle
• one glass foil bead
• one sterling silver rondelle
• 2" (5.1 cm) of cat's eye beads
• Swivel lanyard clip

Beading Technique Used:

Bead Stringing

Beading Skill Level:

Beginning Beading

Prerequisite Jewelry Lessons:

If you're stringing beads for the first time, practice the step by step prerequisite jewelry lesson or beading technique first.

Approximate Length of Bead Lanyard:

36.5" (92.7 cm)

(Necklace 32" (81.3 cm), Cinch 1" (2.5 cm), Drop 2.25" (5.7 cm), Lanyard Clip 1.25" (3.2 cm))

Jewelry Making Supplies

• 3 strands of cat's eye beads (your color choice)
• two 8mm sterling silver rondelle
• one 18mm glass foil bead
• 2 tube crimp beads
• 1 swivel lobster claw type lanyard clip
• 1 42" (106.7 cm) length of .014 or .019 diameter beading wire
• 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 Lanyards
Beaded Lanyard Instructions

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

2. Cut a 42" (106.7 cm) length of beading wire.

Tie a loose knot on one end to act as a bead stopper.

3. Remove 3 - 4 beads at a time from their temporary string using your index finger and thumb as shown below.

4. Still holding your the 3 - 4 beads between your index finger and thumb, use the beading wire like a needle and thread the beads onto it. This will save time over stringing the beads one by one.

How to Make Lanyards Lesson Continued

5. String 32" (81.3 cm) of cat's eye beads.

Check the Fit and Length of Your Bead Lanyard

6. Though not pictured, check the fit and length of your lanyard.

Pushing all the beads together on the beading wire, hold both ends of the beading wire in one hand between your index finger and thumb.

Use your other hand to pick up the curved end of the beads and fit the strand over your head.

Remember, there is no clasp on this lanyard so you'll want to make sure that it goes over your head without a struggle.

Still holding the beading wire ends, bring the strand to its full outstretched length to see where it falls along your body.

Remove the strand from around your neck and add or remove beads to suit your desired length.

Once you have a suitable length of beads, move on to the next step.

Note: For me, a 32" (81.3 cm) length of beads fits easily over my head as well as my shirt collar and falls just below my twins (as this is a family-oriented website, please say that you know to which part of our anatomy I'm referring).

The rest of the lanyard is about 4.5" (11.4 cm), putting the end of the lanyard clip 1-2" (2.5 - 5.1 cm) above my navel. Perfect for me.

Don't worry, after making one or two lanyards, you'll perfect your length.

Make the Cinch and Drop of Your Bead Lanyard

7. With both ends of the beading wire parallel and together, thread them through one sterling silver rondelle, the mm focal bead and another sterling silver rondelle.

String 2" (5.1 cm) of cat's eye beads.

How to Make Lanyards Lesson Continued

Connect the Lanyard Clip to Your Bead Lanyard

8. On one end of the beading wire, string a tube crimp bead and the lanyard clip.

9. Thread the beading wire back through the tube crimp bead and a few cat's eye beads, making a loop to hold the lanyard clip.

10. Draw the beads against the crimp bead and lanyard clip.

Using the crimping pliers, crimp the tube crimp bead.

Using the wire cutters, cut the excess wire.

On the second end of beading wire, repeat Steps 8 - 10.

11. Close up of finished end.

You're done! You've completed another jewelry lesson on how to make lanyards.

Finished Bead Lanyard

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