Brooch Making - 8 Step Guide

Brooch making! A simple, easy and fun guide on making your own brooch with Czech fire-polished beads. 8 easy steps to follow in creating your own brooch made from beads. Beads:

• Czech Fire- Polished: Bronze 3mm (CF321), Light Topaz 3mm (CF302), Copper Penny 3mm (CF314)
• Round Bead Antique Gold Plated 7mm (TIC030)
• Eternity Charm & Link Antique Gold Plated 11mm (TIC022)

Findings:

• Gold jump rings (AN33)
• Brooch 3 holes gold 27mm (BRO07)
• Raised tag large circle antique gold plated 32mm (NUD046)
• Metallic chain gold coated 3.1mm x 2.1mm (CH19)
• Gold headpin 7cm (A20)
• A picture of your choice cut into a circle with a diameter of approximately 2.8cm

Tools:

• Chain nose plier, Cutter and round nose pliers
• Glue
• Invisible nylon bead stringing cord 0.25mm
• A picture or postcard

Brooch Making Step by Step Guide:

Step 1: Cut the picture of your choice and ensure that the diameter is approximately 2.8cm. Take the invisible nylon stringing cord and cut a meter of it. To start this piece, you should create the outside pattern made with Czech beads. Step 2: Take 3 brown beads and place in the middle of the nylon. Thread a fourth brown bead with one and taking the other end of the nylon, thread through the bead so they cross (Fig 1) and pull both ends so the bead creates a circle pattern. Step 3: Take a bronze bead and thread on the left and take a copper bead and thread on the right. Take a second bronze bead and cross the nylon through the bead using both ends of the cord. (Fig 2) Repeat this step but use the topaz bead instead of the copper bead. Remember: On the left hand side use the brown colour and on the right hand side, alternate the copper and topaz beads. Step 4: Repeat this pattern until it is 11cm long. When you have reached this length, add one colour bead through one end and thread the other colour bead at the end of the cord through to cross it (Fig 1) and pull both ends so it is tight on the pattern. Mount the bead on the pattern and to secure it, cross the nylon through the bead closest to it (Fig 3). Step 5: Continue alternating the three colour beads until you reach the end. Secure the last bead and close your pattern using the nylon forming a circle. You are now ready to put everything together. Step 6: Take the picture you have chosen for your brooch and glue onto the raised tag large circle on the inside. Make sure that the small ring on the tag is facing down. Let it dry and apply glue around the picture on the raised surface of the tag and attach your Czech bead pattern to your brooch. Step 7: Use the cutters to cut 2cm and 3cm of gold chain. Take a jump ring and attach one at the end of the chains. You can now attach the small eternity charm. Take the head pin and thread through the antique gold plated bead and cut the headpin leaving approximately 1cm from the bead. Attach to the end of the second chain and close the headpin using the round nose pliers. Step 8: Attach the two chains to the brooch with jump rings to the ring at the bottom of the brooch. Finish your brooch by gluing on a three hole pin at the back.