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The Design Gallery

Follow along with step-by-step beading projects and share your designs with beaders around the world—it’s quick & easy!

Chatter

Swirling Icicles

About this design:

This is probably one of the easiest winter decorations to make. You will get a lot of sparkle if you use crystal, and since this type of icicle is coiled and pulled, it will gently spin, dancing sparkles everywhere.
These work well as a tree ornament or hanging in a window during the winter months.

What you’ll need: (buy products below)

28"-32" of 18gauge wire, crystals & other sparkling beads or use a fringy chain, round nose pliers, wire cutters


Additional Images:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1:
Cut your wire at 28-32", then create a loop at one end of your wire.
Step 2:
Beaded Icicle:
Begin stringing your wire with your selected beads. Leave at least 1-1.5" at the end. Make another loop at the end of the wire. Wrap your beaded wire into a spiral, I like to use the cardboard from a paper towel roll. Then make one end more of a tight coil than the other end. You will notice that as you have twisted your wire around, you can no longer see the extra wire you left at the end.
Step 3:
Fringy Icicle:
Cut your chain an inch over what you need. Create a loop at the end of your wire. Begin "sewing" your wire through every other ring of chain. Once you are done with this step, attach the loop you made earlier to the end of chain closest to it. Wrap your sewn wire into a spiral, I like to use the cardboard from a paper towel roll. Make another loop at the end of the wire, attaching the final end of chain. Then make one end more of a tight coil than the other end.
Any fringy chain can be used in this style of icicle. I chose the crystal drop chain for the sparkle.

Buy Products from this Design

Zola Elements Brass Bar Chain w/ Multi Color Teardrops
per foot
1-2$2.80
3-5$2.46
6+$2.32
Silver (Plated) Crystal Mix Jewel Drop Chain
per foot
1$16.95
2-4$15.59
5+$14.58



Read the comments (or add your own)

  1. dolllady aka Pam
    dolllady aka Pam says:

    Ali, I love the crystal. They would be so sparkly on the tree! Right now I’m using my 4′ tree so I would make them shorter. (My Chihuahua grabs anything down at her level and pulls on it so big tree is out. She is strong for such a little dog. She started toppling the tree last year when she was 4 months old.)

  2. Kathryn R
    Kathryn R says:

    LOVE! Ali, I really wanna try this!

  3. Kathryn R
    Kathryn R says:

    Pam, Mr. Fluffypants (AKA Boots), our rescue kitty, did that days before his 1st Christmas at our house. Only ours was a 7’ real fir loaded with breakable ornaments! :( One of my mother’s antique ornaments was shattered. Hubby immediately took the tree out to the back yard and we spent Christmas with no tree.

  4. No Photo
    Moogie says:

    Ali, as simple a design as this is, your choice of stringing materials really make these gorgeous. I love how it spirals down. Gotta make some for our tree!

  5. No Photo
    Barbaraa c says:

    Do crystals or fire polish beads have holes big enough to fit 18 gauge wire

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