Beaded Dragonfly Barrette
Bead Projects
This beaded dragonfly is a fun craft for a teenager or adult. The dragonfly here has been made into a barrette, but it can also be used as a zipper pull, or used as an adornment on a picture frame or a flower pot.
All you need is some thin wire, which you can buy on a spool near the jewelry making supplies at your local craft store. You will also need three different size beads, but the styles and colors are totally up to you. With so many different style beads available nowadays you can make some very beautiful, and unique, dragonflies!
Read on to learn how to make this beautiful clip.
Materials Needed:
- craft wire (I used 24 gauge. You want something flexible enough to work with, but thin enough to thread through your beads)
- 140
small beads for the wings. Seed beads work great. I used small glass
beads that were about the same size as seed beads.
4 medium size beads for the tail. - 2 large beads for the body and the head
- 2 small to medium size beads for the eyes
- Jewelry pliers with wire cutters
Instructions:
1. We will begin by making the dragonfly tail first, then working up to make the head last. Begin the beaded dragonfly by cutting off a 16 inch length of wire. Thread one small bead (seed bead) on to the wire, and thread it along to the middle of the wire. You can find the middle by folding the wire in half. This bead will act as the anchor, to hold on all the other beads.
2. With the two ends of the wire together now, thread on four medium beads on both wires together. It looks nice if you alternate two colors. When you are finished, part the two wires to either side.
3. Thread on 35 seed beads on each wire, on each side. This is forming the first set of wings. Bend the wire back towards the center to make a wing shape. To secure, wrap the wire behind the body, and back up towards the top. Look at the photos with the arrows to see how this is done.
4. With both ends of the wire together again, thread on one large bead on both wires, to form the body. Separate the wires again, and make a second set of wings again as you did in step 3.
5. Add a large bead for the head
by threading it on both wires. Separate the wires, and add a medium or
small bead to each wire to be the eyes. Wrap this wire around the bead
once or twice to secure. Curl the excess wire to form the antennae.
6. To make the butterfly into a barrette, use a small length of wire to wrap the head, the middle of the body, and the end of the tail, firmly around a barrette clip.
7. The beaded butterfly barrette is now ready to wear or give away as a gift.
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