Summary:
This is a super cute souvenir, suitable for home decoration crafts of all ages! This DIY beading project took me about 60 minutes to complete and only needed some basic supplies. The step-by-step instructions below will guide you through how to ma......
This is a super cute souvenir, suitable for home
decoration crafts of all ages! This DIY beading project took me about 60 minutes to complete and only needed some basic supplies. The step-by-step instructions below will guide you through how to make a "V"-shaped beaded sun visor using white elastic cord, but this project can also be done using other non-stretched 1 mm cords. I want to use a white rope so that the color of the beads really shines. I used almost the entire 1/2 pound of bead assortment to make each sun catcher. This project requires a little patience, but the results are timeless and wonderful.
Classification of sea glass beads
1mm black waxed cotton thread
Sticky glue or clear nail polish
1. Cut a bungee cord. 12 inches long. This will be used for the center hole on the wooden hanger. Counting from the left end of the hanger, the center will be the 7th hole.
Tip: I made this project, and my beads and hangers were placed flat on the cutting mat, so that I could easily see if my strands were symmetrical, and kept a gradual "V" shape as my project progressed.
2. Tie a knot at one end of the rope, find the smallest glass bead in the classification, and thread it on the knotted rope. For teaching purposes, I call it "little beads". This bead will prevent the knot/rope from slipping out of the hole.
Tip: The first and last bead of each chain should be one of these "little beads". If you can't pass the elastic cord through this small bead hole, try this: Cut a new end on the diagonal, apply glue or clear nail polish, do not stretch the end, and let it dry for ease of threading.
3. Pass the loose end of the bungee cord through the center hole of the wooden hanger. String the beads onto the rope until you have a rope that hangs about 9 inches from the hanger. This central chain will be the longest.
Tip: Do not cut the strands to a certain length in advance. Instead, cut all the wires at least 10 inches long so that you have enough room to tie the beginning and ending knots.
4. You will end the rope with a small bead. Before tying the knot, remove excess slack from the bungee cord. Do this by pulling down the rope and leaning the string of beads tightly on the hanger. This allows the beads to nest together tightly. Now you will tie a double knot at the end of the beaded thread and cut off the rest of the rope to make the end look neat. To prevent the double knot from unraveling due to the weight of the glass beads, apply a little glue or clear nail polish on the knot. Let dry before hanging.
Tip: Check for any slack by lifting the hanger into the air-the weight of the bead will pull it down.
5. To create a "V" shaped solar trap, the next two strands on either side of the center strand should each be about 7.5 inches long after completion. Repeat steps 2 to 4 until there are two beaded strands of the same length (approximately 7.5 inches) on both sides of the center strand. These two lines will hang on the 6th and 8th holes of the wooden hanger.
6. Continue working from the center outwards and follow the instructions in step 5 to create a pair of beaded lines with the same length, but the next two lines should be only 7 inches long when they are finished. These 7-inch ropes will hang on the 5th and 9th holes of the wooden hanger.
7. Repeat the above process more than 4 times. Cut the ropes in pairs that are slightly shorter than the previous pair. Therefore, hanging from the 4th and 10th holes will be 6.5 inches of strands. Hanging on the 3rd and 11th holes will be 6-inch strands. Use 5.5 inch strands from the 2nd and 12th. The strands hanging at both ends (the 1st and 13th holes) should be 4.5 inches. This creates a finished "V" shaped sun visor.
8. To make a hanger for sunbathing, cut a 24 inch length of cotton rope and tie a double knot at one end. Pass the loose end up through the first hole. You need to pull the beaded cord away to pass the black cord through the hole. Make sure again to thread the rope from the bottom of the hanger to the top.
9. Finally, pass the same end down through the 13th hole and tie another double knot and trim both ends. Brush each knot with a little glue or transparent polish and let it dry before hanging.
10. Use the suction cup with hook to easily display your beaded sea glass masterpiece in the sunny window! You can also hang it on the wall with pushpins or pushpins.