ing friends ly F and

rs te it cr crawling
Make fun bug accessories with wire and beads
by Kelly J. Nicodemus-Miller

hese delightful garden creatures are the only bugs youll love to have around. Sort through your bead stash and look for beads shaped like

wings, feet, and bug bodies, keeping proportions in mind. In this case, gathering the beads can be just as much fun as making the project. Incorporate these critters as a fun decoration just about anywhere. Hang them in a window, adhere them to picture frames, flower pots, and candles, tie them on gifts, or add a pin back and show off your new garden friend just in time for summer. Before you know it, youll want them everywhere!

Push the beads together, leaving a little space between them for attaching the wings or feet.

stepbystep
All four bugs are made using the same wire techniques. First, make the body, starting at the bottom and working up to the head. Then add the antennae and form the wings or feet. Finish by attaching a pin back or using one of the other finishing options. All the wirework is done with your fingers. Chainnose pliers can be used to tuck in the wire ends, but dont use them to twist the wire it will break.

antennae String a 4mm crystal on one of the wires about 12 in. (13mm) from the head bead and fold the wire over the crystal (photo c). Grasp the crystal and the wire with your index finger and your thumb. Twist the wires together between the crystal and the head bead to form an antenna (photo d). Repeat with the other wire. Hold both wires together and bring them down against the head bead. Wrap the wires around the neck, between the head and body bead (photo e). Make two wraps and end with the wires in the back. Dont cut the wires. wings If you are making a caterpillar, skip this section and go to the instructions for making feet. Hold the wires in place at the neck, wrap one wire around the other, and separate the wires so they go in opposite directions (photo f). String a wing bead on one wire, leaving about 18 in. (3mm) between the wing bead and the neck. Bend the wire down along the back of the bead and wrap it around the wire exiting from the body (photo g). For beads that are top drilled or have two holes, you wont need to bring the wire down against the back of the bead. For the bumblebee on p. 110, I strung a 3mm silver ball after the wing bead and then brought the wire back through the wing bead so it would spin. Then in steps 3 and 4, I made the wire loops larger than the wing beads. Form a decorative loop against the front of the bead (photo h). Make another wrap to secure the loop. Make a large loop around the outside of the bead and secure it with a few wraps (photo i). End with the wire in the back. Do not trim the wire. Repeat steps 2-4 with the other wire. Repeat steps 2-4 to make a second wing below the first on each side. Go to the instructions for adding a pin back or other finishing techniques.
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feet Sting a foot bead on one of the wires about 14 in. from the body beads. Fold the wire over the foot bead and twist the wires together, ending with the long wire crossing the front of the bug (photo j). Repeat with the other wire. Wrap each wire in opposite directions between the body beads to the back. Twist the wires together for the length of the body bead below. Separate the wires and bring one wire around each side to the front and cross the wires between the beads (photo k). Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make additional pairs of feet. Go to the instructions for adding a pin back or other finishing techniques. pin back Look at the shape of your bug and decide if the pin back should be placed vertically or horizontally. Weave each wire through a hole on the pin back. Pull the wires taught and twist them together (photo l). Secure the pin back by weaving the wires up behind it and back down against the twist made in step 2. Trim the wires about 18 in. (3mm) past the bottom of the pin back. Use chainnose pliers to bend the wire ends behind the pin back. Gently adjust the wings and tail. other finishing techniques For a creature that will be glued to a picture frame, candle, etc., secure the wires with a couple of twists between the wraps for the wings or feet. Trim the wires just past the twist and use chainnose pliers to tuck the ends in. For a plant decoration, continue twisting the wires to form a stem that can be inserted into a pot of soil (photo m). Twist in a thicker gauge wire for a longer, sturdier stem. For a hanging critter, twist the wires together as described for the plant decoration. Then make a wrapped loop (see Basics, p. 180). Bend the loop up and against the back of the bug (photo n). w
Bug kits are available for purchase. Contact Kelly at (503) 681-9578, krelly.designs@verizon.net, or www.krellydesigns.com.

body Cut a 36-in. (.9m) piece of wire and fold it in half. Bumblebee: Gently twist 14 in. (6mm) of wire at the fold to make the stinger (photo a). Then go to step 3. String a 4mm crystal or a small bead on one wire against the fold. Working from the bottom up, string the beads over both wires as follows: Dragonfly: String Czech fire-polished and glass beads with silver spacers, the body bead, and the head bead (photo b). Butterfly: String the body bead and the head bead. Caterpillar: String a repeating pattern of 10-12mm beads and rondelles or silver spacers followed by the head bead. Bumblebee: String yellow and black beads for the body followed by the head bead. If the bead strung next to the stinger has a large hole and slides off the wire, string a small bead that fits snug against the wire twist before stringing the body beads.
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materials
all 24-gauge craft wire pin back with 2 or 3 holes 3 4mm Swarovski crystals (antennae and end of tail) dragonfly 10mm round or heart-shaped beads (head) 18-20mm oval or teardrop-shaped beads (body) 4 15-22mm pressed glass leaves (wings) 3-4 6mm Czech fire-polished beads (tail) 4 6mm rondelles (tail) (optional) 3-6 4-6mm flat silver spacers butterfly 6-10mm round or heart-shaped bead (head) 15-20mm bead (body)

2 12mm heart-shaped beads (wings) 2 15-20mm flat teardrop or oval beads (wings) caterpillar 6-10mm round or heart-shaped bead (head) 3-4 10-12mm lampwork beads (body) 2-5 4-6mm rondelles or flat silver spacers (body) 4-6 4-6mm heart-shaped beads (feet) bumblebee 8mm round bead, yellow (head) 2 6mm beads, yellow (body) 2 6mm rondelles, black (body) 2 6-10mm heart-shaped beads (wings) 2 3mm round silver beads (optional) Tools: wire cutters; chain- and roundnose pliers (optional)

Bead & Button June 2004

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