Free Demo Sunday! How to Create Cute Beaded Starfish!

Here is a FREE demo on how to create these adorable beaded starfish!  There was a pretty simplistic pattern for a beaded starfish in a bead magazine a couple years ago that Chou and I fell in love with, so we decided to re-do it and jazz things up a little.
(By the way,  this is a great way to use up extra seed beads that you just have small amounts of left over from bigger projects!)

Materials needed:
Approx. 2 yards of 8lb Fireline.
(35) size 6 seed beads
(30) size 8 seed beads
(1) flexible beading needle (Big Eyes work!)

String (5) 6's onto your threaded needle.  Bring them down towards the end of your Fireline.

Tie the seed beads into a circle using a square knot (right over left, left over right) or two.  Make sure that it is secure by pulling on the beads.  If your knot slips, tie another one on top of it!

Add an 8 to your needle.  Take the needle through the 6 that is next to your knot.

Pull the Fireline so that the 8 snugs down in between two 6's.  Continue to add 8's in this manner until you've put them in between all of the 6's.

When you are adding the last 8 in the circle, take your needle through the next 6 in the row, AND go up through the very first 8 that you added.

Add two 6's to your needle and pass through the next 8 in the row.  (This step should remind you of peyote stitch, but we are actually setting up for some herringbone.)

Pull the Fireline tight so that your newly added 6's lay against your work like this.  If they aren't laying like the picture, you might need to nudge them into place with your finger.

Continue to add two 6's in between each 8 all the way around the circle.

 When you are passing through the last 8, also pass through the first 6 that you added in this last step.

Add two 6's and take the needle down through the next 6 in the row.  Also pass down through the 8.

Pass up through the next 6 in the row.  Add two 6's and continue down through the next 6 and 8, then back up the 6.  Continue this until you have completed the circle.

Once you've completed the circle go up through the first 6 that you added in the last row.

Add two 6's and go down through the next 6 like you did in the last step.  Continue down through the next 6, the 8, then back up the two 6's.

Continue this until you have completed the circle.

Once you have completed the circle and your Fireline is coming out of the 8 at the bottom, take your needle up through the three 6's.  Add two 8's.

Take the needle down through the three 6's and the 8.  Continue this until you have completed the circle.

When you've completed the last step ending with your Fireline exiting the 8 in the middle of the starfish, take the needle up through the next three 6's and the 8 added in the last step.

Add one 8 and take your needle down through the next 8 in the row and down through the next three 6's and then the 8.

 Double check your work against the picture.  The 8's that you are adding in this step should make the point of the starfish arm.  Continue like this until you have completed all five of the arms.

Make sure that your Fireline is exiting the 8 in the middle of the starfish.  Add one 8 and take the needle through the next 8 in the middle of the starfish.

Pull the Fireline tight so that your newly added 8 sits in the middle of the two 8's.  It will actually be resting in the middle of three 6's that were added at the beginning of the project.

Add another 8 and go through the next 8 in the row.  Continue this all the way around the circle until you have five 8's added on top of the starfish.

When you have taken the needle through the last 8 on the starfish, go up through the next 6 in the row.

Add one 8 then take the needle through the next 6 in the row.  Then go down the 8 in the middle of the starfish.

Take the needle up through the next 6 in the row.

Add one 8 then go down towards the middle of the starfish through the next 6 and 8 in the row.

Continue this step until you have added all five of the 8's around the circle.  Reinforce if you feel the need and then knot the tail end onto the starfish next to one of the 8's in the middle.

The last step is... make more!  They make great charms, pendants, or better yet, RINGS!  Cocktail rings are HUGE this summer and the more HUGE, the better!  Make a tubular peyote ring and stitch one of your cute starfish onto the band.  How adorable!

Free Demo! How to Create a Spiral Wire Cage Pendant or Charm!

Here is a demo on how to create these cute wire cages!
(If you just want to make a spiral to cage a bead that you're planning on stringing,
skip the closed-wrapped loop.)

Materials needed:
5-10 inches of wire in whatever gauge you'd like to work with.
(The longer your wire, the larger your cage will be.)
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Flush cutters

With your chain nose pliers, bend the wire into a right angle.
Depending on your skill, you want about an inch of the wire bent over to work with.


With your round nose pliers, grab the part of the wire that is bent over.
Make sure that you're grabbing the very corner of the wire, but the noses are on top of one another.
Bend the (bent over) wire around the top of the pliers and down at an angle.


Swivel your pliers so that you have room to work around the bottom,
Swing the wire around the bottom of the pliers so that it is sticking straight out.


Coil the tail end wire around the original base wire 2-3 times.
Cut the excess tail end off with your flush cutter.


Bend the closed wrapped loop into a right angle from the base wire.


Grab the base wire with your chain nose piers and begin to create an outward coil.
Make sure that if your coil is flat on the table, your closed wrapped loop is sticking up.


Continue the coil by grabbing accross the entire thing with your chain nose pliers.
This ensures that you are creating mostly even and uniform bends with the wire.


Continue the coil until you think you've coiled about a third of the wire.


This is what your coil should look like so far.


Switch to the other end of the wire and start an open loop with your round nose pliers.


Grab the loop with your chain nose pliers and begin to coil.


This time around will be easier because you can grab accross the center to coil.


Coil until your spirals are about the same size.
(If your spirals are flipped like an "S" instead of a moustache, don't worry.)


Bring the coils together as close as you can.
(The advantage of having them moustache shaped first is that it's easier for me to make sure that my coils are the same size.)


Bend one of the coils over so that you now have an "S" shape.


Tighten the coils together as close as you can.


Fold the coils on top of one another so that the closed wrapped loop is sticking straight out of the top.


With your chain nose pliers, grab the loop and gently stretch the coils outward.


Hook your round nose pliers into the loop at the bottom and ease the bottom spirals out as well.


Play with the position of the wires unitl you get the shape that you want.


If you'd like, you can even pop a bead inside. ;)

...then switch colors the next day!

Check out www.abbiberta.webs.com for more sweet demos!