How to make a seed bead necklace

This is the second project in our Egyptian-style jewellery set - how to make a seed bead necklace!

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Holly Spanner

Published: July 8, 2024 at 10:44 am

We love seed beads here at Gathered. They are so versatile and can be used for all manner of craft projects - from shaker cards, to beaded keyrings and embroidery, even included in knitting and embroidery projects. If you fancy learning how to do beaded crochet or learning how to make a seed bead brooch - check out our free tutorials!

This Egyptian inspired seed bead necklace is part of a three-part series, where we show you how to make a matching set of seed bead jewelry – seed bead earrings, a seed bead necklace (this post) and seed bead bracelets. The turquoise, ivory and gold seed beads are ideal for sun-soaked summer months – but you can switch up the colours to suit season or recipient.

Looking for more beautiful seed bead tutorials? Check out these beautiful beaded creole earrings, or how about this gorgeous bead weaving necklace tutorial.

We love seeing what you make, so don’t forget to share your craft projects with us on Facebook and Twitter, too!

If you would like to learn how to make the seed bead bracelet in the photo above, check out our easy guide, how to make seed bead bracelets.

To make this seed bead necklace you will need:

63 gold seed beads
40 turquoise seed beads
56 ivory seed beads
3 gold-plated 10mm coin charms
Gold-plated earring fittings
Gold-plated jump rings
Gold-plated lobster clasp
60cm of gold-plated rollo chain, 2.5mm links
5cm (2in) long, gold-plated headpins
Jewellery making tools

How to make a seed bead necklace

Size

60cm (23½in)

Step 1

How to make a seed bead necklace

To start your seed bead necklace, cut two 30cm (11¾in) lengths of chain. Open three small jump rings and attach a coin charm to each one. Close the jump rings. Trim the head off a headpin and form a small loop on one end with round-nosed pliers.

Pick up four gold seed beads, a coin, three ivory, a coin, three ivory, a coin and then four more gold beads. Bend the headpin over at the end of the beads. Trim the tail to 7mm then form a loop again.

Step 2

How to make a seed bead necklace

Use two pairs of flat nose pliers to align the loops at each end of the bead bar so that they are level. Open one loop and attach it to the bottom link on one of the chain lengths. Close the loop again. Repeat at the other end of the bead bar, attaching it to the end link on the second piece of chain of your seed bead necklace.

Step 3

How to make a seed bead necklace

Make five bead bars with four gold beads, six ivory, four gold. Make five bead bars with four turquoise, ivory, gold, ivory, gold, ivory, gold, ivory and four in turquoise. Open the loop at one end of a turquoise bead bar and attach it to the second link on the chain. Attach the opposite loop to the second link on the opposite chain.

Step 4

How to make a seed bead necklace

From now on you will miss a link in the chain and attach a bead bar to the third, fifth, seventh (and so on) links at each side. Alternate the colour of the bars to create the pattern as shown. Using small jump rings, attach a large jump ring to one chain end and a lobster clasp to the other until you have finished your seed bead necklace.

How to make a seed bead necklace

Once you’ve made your seed bead necklace or any of our other jewellery making projects, be sure to tag us in a picture on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook – we love to see when you’ve made one of our projects!

Staff Writer, BBC Science Focus

Holly is the Staff Writer for BBC Science Focus and looks after the popular Q&A section. She holds an MSc (distinction) in Geoscience (Space and Climate Physics) from UCL, and specialises in astronomy and earth sciences. Before joining Our Media, she worked as a geoenvironmental consultant and engineer, informing on ground risk and remediation in the north of England, while hunting for exoplanets in her spare time. Alongside this, she was regional editor of a popular theatre website for nine years, and has a solid background in curating and developing content for the digital space. Holly is also an artist and illustrator, and regular contributor to the craft website, Gathered. She has previously worked with the RSPB, English Heritage, Disney, Pilot and Brother, as well as on BBC Good Food magazine, Home Style magazine, and Papercraft inspirations magazine. She enjoys photography and has a sustained interest in antiques.