
The Design Gallery
Get project ideas & share your designs
Follow along with step-by-step beading projects and share your designs with beaders around the world—it’s quick & easy!
Chatter
- SF Girl on “Window sun catcher curtain”:
“This is a great idea! Your window looks very cheerful, pretty and inviting.…” read »
- bojo ranch girl on “Window sun catcher curtain”:
“I’m going to start on one now cause I love this idea so much. Looks wonderful.…” read »
- Granny Nancy on “Window sun catcher curtain”:
“I love the term orphan beads. I call my accumulated bead soup. This is such a…” read »
- Granny Nancy on “Saturday Night Bracelet”:
“Oh how I love the blues, the copper, and the design. Its lovely.…” read »
- Crystal Canary on “A New Life”:
“Both necklaces are fun & inspiring! Lately, I've also been collecting more than creating, especially…” read »
- Fresh Baked on “Beach bronze”:
“Your unusual color pairing is what makes these earrings standout!…” read »
- Fresh Baked on “Saturday Night Bracelet”:
“While the colors are a gorgeous mix, the copper toggle clasp really caught my attention! …” read »
- Maggies Mom on “Saturday Night Bracelet”:
“Love the colors in this, Jane!…” read »
- Jogi on “Saturday Night Bracelet”:
“I love this!…” read »
- N Startsev on “Saturday Night Bracelet”:
“Copper and aqua tones, very lovely.…” read »
- Melody F on “Saturday Night Bracelet”:
“So much going on here! Love the way you pull it all together. Thank…” read »
- Melody F on “A New Life”:
“I have old beading mags too. I love revisiting some of my favorites in them.…” read »
- Kimberlywilliams60 on “Saturday Night Bracelet”:
“Well your multitasking skills are really good ....It came out really nice ...I actually love it…” read »
- Melody F on “Beach bronze”:
“I like your sideways use of coral. Nice earrings.…” read »
- Melody F on “Window sun catcher curtain”:
“I love the stained glass effect.…” read »
- sweetjane on “Saturday Night Bracelet”:
“It's not that this speaks highly of my multi tasking skills...it says a lot of why…” read »
- Kimberlywilliams60 on “Beach bronze”:
“Just beautiful, I miss the beach so much.... the pink reminds me of a tropical…” read »
- Fresh Baked on “Window sun catcher curtain”:
“Oh, happy day when the sun shines through these little sparkles! Wonderful use of orphan beads.…” read »
- sweetjane on “A New Life”:
“Melody...that's the toggle clasp...it was so pretty I used it as a focal. When I feel…” read »
- Maggies Mom on “A New Life”:
“Well said! Both are pretty, but I love the leaf necklace!…” read »
- Maggies Mom on “Window sun catcher curtain”:
“Great idea, looks so pretty!…” read »
- Kimberlywilliams60 on “All We Need Is Love”:
“Yes !! You definitely did it justice !! This is absolutely gorgeous!!…” read »
- Kimberlywilliams60 on “A New Life”:
“I just always love your creativity !! Love both designs and I adore that owl !!…” read »
- Melody F on “A New Life”:
“Whenever I check out Lima Beads, and that's often, I always hope you will have posted…” read »
- sweetjane on “All We Need Is Love”:
“Sari U.....I'm pretty sure it was a one of a kind thing...but you could request a…” read »
- Sari U on “All We Need Is Love”:
“This is beautiful and meaningful...I love the way you have put it all together. The focal…” read »
- Stingray on “A deliberate act”:
“Well spoken. And, I love that first pair with the garnets.…” read »
- Maggies Mom on “All We Need Is Love”:
“"Love"-ly,, Jane!!!…” read »
- Beady Little Eyes on “All We Need Is Love”:
“Beautiful, sweetjane. Love the combination of white and silver spacers. And the pendant is so sweet…” read »
- Crystal Canary on “All We Need Is Love”:
“This is great! Love the focal and it's message. I especially like the creative…” read »
- Fresh Baked on “All We Need Is Love”:
“I can see why you were drawn to this pendant...so timely! I’m also a huge…” read »
- Granny Nancy on “All We Need Is Love”:
“Jane, I'd been thinking the other day how I'm looking forward to what ya'll come up…” read »
- I Richardson on “What's Your Mood Ring”:
“I just saw the new design today. I love the ring design. I can't wait for…” read »
- Tater on “summer shells”:
“Lovely design and color choices.…” read »
- RobynL on “A deliberate act”:
“So lovely! Thank you for sharing your creations as well as your the feelings that went…” read »
- MH on “A deliberate act”:
“Your creativity has sparked and spread a great deal of joy today!!…” read »
- Fresh Baked on “A deliberate act”:
“Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words. They lift my spirits. And while no…” read »
- Maggies Mom on “A deliberate act”:
“Beautifully expressed both in word and art. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your creative…” read »
- Crystal Canary on “A deliberate act”:
“Lynda, You alway capture the essence of your thoughts so well in your words! The…” read »
- sweetjane on “A deliberate act”:
“I, finally, after too long immersed in the events of last Wednesday, found some kind of…” read »

Opal Tie
by Ali on 04/26/12
About this design:
My goal with this design was to create something light enough to not make you feel weighted down when wearing it in the summer while being cool enough to be noticed. This necklace is really very easy to make, especially if you buy the ready made gemstone bead chain rather than wire wrapping each link.
What you’ll need: (buy products below)
- 2' gemstone bead chain
- 1' leather lace
- 1 length of silk string cut into 2 3-4" pieces with one long length remaining for back of necklace
- 6 4" lengths of non-tarnish brass wire
- 2 6" lengths of non-tarnish brass wire
- 2 Patricia Healey Triangle Arc
- 1 Patricia Healey Textured Curved Tube
- 3-4" worth of seed beads
- 9 feathered daggers or flat drops of equivalent width
- adhesive
Step-by-Step Instructions:
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Step 1: The best thing to do with a necklace like this is to lay it out first. I began with laying out the main large components of the "tie", knowing that I wanted to fill in between those components with with simple rows of seed beads. |
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Step 2: Once the layout for the necklace is done, cut your chain in half, setting aside the extra opal beads. Wire wrap the Patricia Healey Copper Curved Textured Tube Bead to each end of the chain. This will act as the anchor for the necklace. |
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Step 3: Attach your 2 rows of czech drops by wire wrapping them to the chain as they were laid out. Make sure to add a seed bead or 2 in between each drop. This will keep the drops lying flat. |
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Step 4: Now comes the time to use the 2 shorter lengths of silk string. Knot the silk to the chain, string on the Patricia Healey Copper Triangle Arc and knot to the chain on the other side. If you are having trouble getting the silk string to go through the triangle arc, either use a collapsible needle or take a piece of your wire folding it in half and twisting your silk to it. Once you have done the one triangle arc, repeat stringing on the other triangle arc. |
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Step 5: Now that all of the main components are connected to the chain, you can go back in and fill the gaps with rows of seed beads. This is also where you can use the left over opal beads from you chain. See Tip: Make a Wire Wrapped Bead Link |
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Step 6: Finish your necklace by taking 2 6" lengths of 24 gauge wire, wrapping each to an end of chain. Create another loop close to the one connected to the chain and string the leather and silk cord through it. Make sure that you leave a 1/2" tail of leather and a 2-3" tail of silk cord at each end, keeping in mind that in the supporting part of the necklace, they need to be even. Now that the leather and silk have been strung through the loop, dab a touch of adhesive and wrap the wire around and around until it is all used. When you are done wrapping the wire, begin wrapping the silk string around the leather tail and the supporting leather and silk. Finish off the will wrapping with a knot. Repeat at the other end. |
Buy Products from this Design
You are viewing all 3 items.
Artistic Wire Tarnish Resistant Brass 24 gauge, 20 yards
BACK IN STOCK!
20 yd. spool | $3.40 |
2.5" tube | $2.10 | OUT OF STOCK |
You are viewing all 3 items.

On Apr 26, 2012 at 3:52 pm #
KatsAllThat says:Very interesting design. I love the Patricia Healey pieces.
On Apr 26, 2012 at 8:17 pm #
Elis Mom says:Ali, this is so wonderful and unique! How long is the finished piece?
On Apr 26, 2012 at 11:27 pm #
Lynn Eileen Chicky LE says:Susie, I wondered the same thing about the finished length! Great minds and all that jazz….
Ali, this is fantastic! What a perfect example of the popular “mixed media” designs! This is so versatile, too — you could personalize it however you wished! Thanks for the instructions, too!
On Apr 27, 2012 at 1:13 am #
Jennalynn says:Very unique! It’s just lovely
On Apr 27, 2012 at 8:00 am #
Chicky Zee aka Alice says:LOvely!
On Apr 27, 2012 at 8:49 am #
sunny chick says:Ali, another winning design! Thanks for the step-by-step instructions.
On Aug 15, 2012 at 9:14 am #
C Haddock says:Gorgeous!!!
On Sep 30, 2013 at 10:16 pm #
D CONNICK says:The details are so…sweet!
On Apr 16, 2014 at 9:51 am #
DahleaM says:has a very native american look to it!
On Jun 08, 2014 at 12:44 pm #
P THOMASON says:I would love to see other peoples design ideas besides Ali. Is she your only person that makes jewelry there?
On May 13, 2015 at 1:09 pm #
Kathi D says:this is an awesome piece, reminds me of a Native Arts peace made with tiny seed beads
On Mar 23, 2016 at 3:25 pm #
beadngirlee says:I just love your work! And this is no exception!
On Apr 07, 2017 at 7:32 am #
B Wong says:What a gorgeous necklace! Thanks for sharing the instructions!
On Dec 03, 2017 at 5:15 pm #
S lazan says:you’re so inspirational. Thanks for all your tips and techniques.
On Aug 26, 2018 at 4:13 pm #
L Dryman-Rice says:Beautiful, Ali! I love the “architecture” of this necklace.
On Mar 22, 2019 at 3:05 pm #
Annis P says:I’m not finding the curved beads or the triangle arc beads? I thought there would be a better link straight to the items needed to purchase and make one of these necklaces.
On Jun 20, 2020 at 2:36 pm #
DonnaE says:Loooove your creative designs, Ali!! xo