DIY Wooden Bead Necklace

Hello friends! Today I have a super cute and easy DIY project for you. We will be making wooden bead necklaces. This is a very simple project, but I love the way it turned out. If you want to add a fun and inexpensive piece of jewelry to your collection, follow along below.

Supplies

20mm unfinished wooden beads (found at most craft stores)

acrylic paint in your choice of color

thin satin ribbon

paper clips

Tools

paint brush

scissors

Paint the wooden beads with the acrylic paint. You can choose any number of beads you like, I made one necklace with 3 beads and another with 5. Odd numbers work best for this. In order to make it easier to paint, I unfolded a paper clip and placed my bead on it. This way I was able to paint all sides at once with an even coat. Make sure you use thin coats of paint to ensure the smoothest finish.

Let your beads dry in between each coat. Acrylic paint dries very quickly, so you won't need to wait long. I used 2-3 coats for each of my beads. To keep the paint from smudging, I placed my paper clip over the edge of a bowl and balanced the beads so they weren't touching the sides. Make sure to use a bowl you don't mind getting paint on in case the beads slip.

Once your beads are dry, string them onto the ribbon. The beads I purchased have holes large enough that the ribbon slipped through easily without the need for a needle or threader. Cut the ribbon to the length desired for your necklace. I wanted mine to slip over my head without a clasp so it is fairly long.

The last step is to simply tie a knot. That's it! I told you it was easy. I used a slip knot for my necklace so I can make it longer or shorter, depending on my mood. However, with a very grabby 9 month old, I may need to consider a double knot! 

Here is another necklace I made using 5 beads. The color is Martha Stewart metallic acrylic in copper. I love the subtle sheen this gives off. I highly recommend Martha Stewart paints. They are very high quality and come in the best selection of colors and finishes.

And there you have it! A fun and easy way to bring a pop of color into your wardrobe. If you decide to make one of these necklaces, make sure to take a picture and #HelloKelcey on Twitter or Instagram- I would love to see!

Happy crafting!