The long and small of it

To make a long necklace that is elegant as well, you don't always need big beads — you can use small beads to make a big impression.

Just follow these directions:

STEP 1

Take a smooth spring wire and cut a small piece with the help of a wire cutter. Hold one end and twist with a plier to form a loop.

STEP 2

Slide in a very small golden-coloured bead from the open side of the wire.

Follow this up with a bigger copper bead of a different shape, as shown in the picture.

Make a series by using the golden and copper beads alternately.

STEP 3

Take pieces of wire that are around 1cm in length and twist them to form individual loops.

Insert these circular loops between the golden and copper beads.

This piece of circular wire will be used to hold smaller beads, as shown.

STEP 4

Get small crystal beads and big, rectangular beads that are made from glass or any other attractive material. String the beads through a wire nail.

Leave more than a 1cm space and cut the wire and loop it in a circle — short for small beads and long for the big ones. Wire nails are available in the market.

STEP 5

Now everything is ready to fix together. We only need to string the different sets of beads together and the necklace will be ready.

With the help of pliers, open out the chain links, loop different bead sets together and pinch them shut again.

Use this technique to string the beads throughout the necklace, following a certain pattern.

You can see in the picture the design I have made but you could make any design you like.

STEP 6

The section of the necklace that will hang from the neck need not be so heavily designed.

It could be simpler. A simple design will not only look better, it will ensure that the necklace rests comfortably on the neck.

As you see in the picture, I have made the design in the centre section with the same beads but by putting them together in a different way.

STEP 7

This is how the necklace will finally look. It is a nice combination of copper and brown.

Inserting a small crystal will also make it attractive. Yes, small beads do make a big impression. I wish you all the best.

— Gulsen Dikturk is a UAE-based art enthusiast