DIY Beaded Wedding Jewelry Sets

Make your own beaded wedding jewelry. Here, you'll find jewelry making instructions for a necklace and earring set. Make a wedding jewelry set for your entire wedding party!...

Necklace and Earring Wedding Jewelry Set

This tutorial assumes that you are new to jewelry making. The jewelry making technique used is called bead stringing. It's an easy, beginner beading technique.

The beaded wedding jewelry making instructions are very step by step. Each step is complete with pictures and detailed instructions.

You'll easily complete a necklace and earring set in about an hour, maybe 1 1/2 hours. The more you make, the faster you'll get. Depending on the size of your bridal party, you can make them all in an afternoon or two.

You'll have beautiful, unique beaded wedding jewelry that perfectly matches the rest of your wedding decor.

This beading wedding jewelry tutorial uses pearls, but you can substitute any beads you'd like. The beading technique is the same, regardless of the beads used.

Let's get started...

Wedding Jewelry Sets Jewelry Making Instructions

Approximate Length: Necklace: 18" (45.7 cm), Earrings: 1 1/2" (3.8 cm)

Jewelry Making Supplies

Pearl Wedding Necklace Supplies

• 1 16" (40.6 cm) strand of 7mm - 8mm pearls*
• 21 3mm round beads, sterling silver
• 8 4mm round beads, sterling silver
• 2 2mm crimp beads, sterling silver
• 2 4mm crimp covers, sterling silver
• 2 7mm or 8mm split rings, sterling silver
• 1 lobster claw clasp, sterling silver
• 1 24" (61 cm) length of .014 or .015 diameter stainless steel beading wire

*Pearls for this project: Top drilled pearls, champagne color

Strand of Pearls and Sterling Silver Beads

Left to right: Crimp Beads, Crimp Covers, Split Rings and Lobster Claw Clasp

Flexible Beading Wire

Pearl Wedding Earrings Supplies

• 6 6mm - 7mm pearls
• 4 3mm round beads, sterling silver
• 2 kidney earwires, sterling silver
• 2 1 1/2" (3.8 cm) head pins, sterling silver

Top: Kidney Earwires, Bottom: Head Pins

Beaded Wedding Jewelry Making Tools and/or Pliers

• crimping pliers
• wire cutters
• round nose pliers
• split ring pliers (optional)
• beading board (optional)

Left: Crimping Pliers, Right: Wire Cutters

Left: Round Nose Pliers, Right: Split Ring Pliers

Here's more information on how to use jewelry pliers and what jewelry making tasks they are used to accomplish.

Beading Board

Jewelry Making Instructions for Necklace

1. Gather supplies, tools and beads.

2. Layout necklace pattern.

On the beading board, starting at the '0' mark, place one 3mm bead and three pearls on both sides of it, then one 3mm bead and three pearls.

(Note: The beading board helps you to layout a pattern without the beads rolling around and to measure the jewelry piece. The numbers along the side are one inch marks.)

Center Necklace Pattern on '0'

3. Continue to layout the pattern of one 3mm bead and three pearls up to the number '8' mark. End the bead pattern by placing four 4mm beads after the last sets of three pearls. (About 1/2" (1.3 cm))

Laying out a pattern to these marks will yield a necklace that is 17" (43.2 cm) without the clasp. The clasp (two split rings and a lobster claw clasp) is about 1" (2.5 cm). The finished length of the necklace is about 18" (45.7 cm).

Layout of Necklace Pattern

4. Make a bead stopper and string the beads.

On one end of the 24" (61 cm) length of beading wire, tie a loose knot to act as a bead stopper. (This will keep your beads from falling off the beading wire while you string them.)

Begin to string, or thread, all the beads onto the flexible beading wire.

Make a bead stopper and string the beads

5. After stringing all the beads of the necklace, check to ensure that you have strung the bead pattern as you want it. Make any necessary adjustments now.

Bead pattern correctly strung

Wedding Jewelry Sets Jewelry Making Instructions Continued

6. On one end of the strand of beads, string a crimp bead and one split ring onto the flexible beading wire.

7. Pass the beading wire back through the crimp bead and the 4mm beads.

Repeat the Steps 6 and 7 for the second wire end.

8. On one of the split rings, using the split ring pliers (or your fingers), open a split spring and slide the lobster claw clasp into it.

Slide the lobster claw clasp onto the split ring until the split ring is closed and the clasp is secure.

9. With the round nose pliers in your dominant hand, place the tip of the round nose pliers between the split ring and the crimp tube bead. Using your index finger and thumb of your non-dominant hand, pull on the end of the flexible beading wire to draw the beads next to the clasp.

Repeat the process on the other end.

10. Check fit. (There's no picture for this specific task.)

Before we secure the clasp, let's check the fit of your necklace. There's no picture for this specific task.

Gently pick up your necklace by both ends and go to a mirror.

Facing the mirror, clasp the necklace around your neck. See where and how it rests against your neck.

Is it long enough or too short? If the length is not as you'd like it to be, simply undo the ends, add or remove beads.

Recheck fit.

Restring ends.

When you're satisfied with the length move onto the next step.

Beaded Wedding Jewelry Sets Jewelry Making Instructions Continued

11. Crimp both necklace ends.

With your dominant hand, pick up the crimping pliers.

Place the crimp bead into the notch closest to the pliers' handle.

Try to ensure that the wires are separated and parallel, with one wire on each side of the notch.

Squeeze the pliers shut.

12. Place the crimped crimp bead into the notch closest to the crimping pliers' tip.

Squeeze the pliers shut.

Crimped crimp bead.

Wedding Jewelry Sets Jewelry Making Instructions Continued

13. Trim excess wire from both necklace ends.

14. Add crimp covers.

This step is optional, but gives your jewelry a more finished look.

Place folded crimp bead into crimp cover.

Place the crimp covered bead into the notch closest to the crimping pliers' tip.

Squeeze the pliers shut.

You've finished making your necklace, half of your wedding jewelry set. We just have to make the earrings. Then you can make other wedding jewelry sets for your bridal party.

Beaded Wedding Jewelry Sets Jewelry Making Instructions Continued

Jewelry Making Instructions for Earrings

1. Onto each head pin, thread one 3mm bead, three pearls and one 3mm bead.

2. Using the round nose pliers, grasp the tip of the head pin.

3. Roll the round nose pliers forward, forming a loop. Adjust the pliers to their starting position.

4. Continue to roll the round nose pliers forward and adjust pliers to form about three loops.

This creates a loop to secure the head pin to the kidney earwire.

5. This creates a bead dangle with loops to secure the head pin to the kidney earwire.

Beaded Wedding Jewelry Sets Jewelry Making Instructions Continued

6. Open the kidney earwire and thread the bead dangle onto it.

7. Completed pearl earring.

Repeat the process to make a second earring.

You're done. You've made a complete beaded wedding jewelry set! Now make wedding jewelry sets for all of your bridal party members.

I hope your wedding day is as special as you'd like it to be.

Tutorial created by Wanda A. Epps.
Visit her at Making-Beaded-Jewelry.com to find out about where and how to buy jewelry making supplies, and how to make more beaded jewelry.