The Simple Things

Some years ago, I made diagonal peyote stitch earrings that are known as Russian leaves, and sometimes as feathers or arrowheads. I was so proud of having mastered the pattern, which took me three tries to figure out!

And guess what? The first time I wore them, I lost one.  The beaded section had slipped through the split jump ring I had used to attach it to the earring hook.

I’m almost embarrassed to say that it took me a few years to make another one … because it took me awhile to figure out a solution! LOL Yes, there was a time that the really simple things perplexed me!

So if you have had similar issues, here are a few wonderful, easy, inexpensive solutions:

• If you have a stash of jump rings of the split variety and don’t want to invest in new components, you can do a few things.
  • Slip a small gauge jump ring (4mm) through a size 8 bead, which you’ve beaded into your beading. The jump ring won’t slip out of the larger bead.
  • If your design has a beaded loop that slips over the ring, you could use an odd number of beads – placing a larger bead right in the middle – to help the beaded element hang on a large bead.
  • Another easy peasy solution is to add a dab of glue to the split. I cannot vouch for the longevity of this solution, but in a pinch, it will work! To secure it as best as possible, I suggest E6000 glue. If I used this option, I’d reinforce the solution by passing through the beads as many times as possible; four or five threads would be less likely to fall through the ring if the glue were to fall off.
  • And lastly, you can create a loop or ring of an odd-number of size 11/0 beads and then on a return pass, add a few size 15/0 beads to form a sort of picot at the mid-point. Pretty and slip-through proof!
• An alternate option is to use soldered jump rings, which you’ll incorporate into your beading. You then attach a split jump ring to the soldered one, which is then attached to the earring finding (hook, lever back, kidney wire, post).
• A lovely idea is to use an O bead instead of a soldered ring. Bead it into the top of the earring and attach it to the earring finding with a split ring. A small daisy spacer can also work!
• Thread guard and wire guardians are the final options. These specially made findings hold the thread. Tubed on either side, you pass your thread through one tube, add a few beads if you wish, slip the thread through your earring finding and then down through the other tube and voila! Secure, fray-proof, and pretty!

Hey! If you have a problem that needs a solution, feel free to leave a comment. I’m much better now at finding a good “fix” for beading malfunctions!

Onward Beadfolk! Cathy

(originally published June 16, 2021)