What's on My Bench??

Today's episode of What's on My Bench is brought to us by JET member Laurie Spoon of EveryDayaPromise.

This week, I am making beaded barrettes! I will soon list them in my Etsy shop as something new that I am offering in woven seed bead accessories. In this first photo, you will see the various barrettes that I have been making. I use several types of seed beads and crystals, and weave them into the pieces that I will then attach to the base of the barrette. 

The first step is always the hardest for me, choosing the bead combinations that I think will look amazing and will be something someone will love to wear. Today I am choosing Czech glass silver seed beads and amethyst iris bugle beads. To weave them into the piece for the barrette I will use black fireline.

I will make two matching barrettes as a set. This pattern works in rows. Each row will need two silver seed beads on the ends and one bugle bead for the center. There will be about 29 rows to make one barrette so I will need 116 seed beads and 58 bugle beads to make the set.

When my woven piece has reached the correct length, I will attach it to the barrette by looping the fireline back through the piece and around the upper body of the barrette in several places, making certain it is tightly connected so that it will not shift and get out of position. The photo below shows a completed barrette from the back, so you can see the looped fireline.

Since I have yet to finish the barrette set that is on my bench, I will show you a photo of a similar set, done in aqua bugle beads, so you can get an idea of how these will look when completed.

That’s what is on my bench! I am happy to share it with you!

If you want to learn more about Laurie Spoon, please visit her shop, EveryDayaPromise. Stay tuned to next week for another episode of What's on My Bench??