beadsonline | Tutorial & Tips | Butterfly Dream Charm Bracelet Project

Tutorial & Tips

Butterfly Dream Charm Bracelet Project

  • The stunning butterfly charms are made up using Beads Online exclusive images. You will learn how to make up the charms and construct the bracelet with the full instructions below.

    Materials:
    1 silver brass Waterlily Wreath toggle ring
    1 silver engraved toggle bar
    20cm antique silver large etched 9.5mm unsoldered Chain
    5 vanilla 8/9mmCzech glass snail pearls
    2 marble pink 10mm lampwork tulip
    2 marble blue10mm lampwork tulip
    2 pink opal Czech glass three-petal flower bead
    1 aqua & blue2 0mm lampwork heart
    16 lilac mix Toho seed beads
    11 silver 6/1mm jump ring
    16 silver 4/0.8mm jumpring
    8 mixed colour Swarovski crystal 38mm silver head pins
    5 silver head pin with ball
    5 mixed colour 8/3mm lampwork glass rondelle
    5 silver 18mm round brass frame setting
    5 silver 18/13mm oval brass frame w/wings
    Diamond Glaze
    1 photo sheet (see below)

    You can download the picture sheet for the project here. The image will open in a new window, right click to save to your computer. Take to your photo shop and order a 6x4 print.

    View PDF instructions here

  • Tools you will need
    Round nose pliers
    Flat nose pliers
    Side cutters
    Scissors
    Tooth pick

    Techniques you need to know
    Opening and closing jump rings
    Wrapped loops

    You will learn
    To make picture charms with photos and diamond glaze

    Finished Size
    21 cm

Step 1 - Create the picture charms

Prepare your images. You can use your own or download and print our image out. To print it out by taking it to your photo shop and order 6x4 print. Alternatively you can use a lazer printer, don't use a jet printer as the images will bleed.

For this project we made up five- butterfly charm using the round setting. We also made up five letter charms (D-R-E-A-M) using the oval setting.

Cut images to fit the frame from your photo sheet. Place images in frame with small amount of Diamond Glaze on the back to stick it down. Apply a thin layer of the glaze on the top. This will give the charms a glossy glass like layer. Allow to dry (24 hours).

To avoid bubbles squeeze a little glaze on a scrap of paper to release any bubbles from the nose of the applicator bottle, then apply with steady pressure. If you still find bubbles, pop them with a tooth pick.

For a dimensional look apply diamond glaze in successive thin layers. If you put too much glaze the frame will go cloudy – it will take a while to dry but it will eventually clear up. If bubbles do appear in your glaze pop them with a pin. Learn more about creating picture charm here.

Step 2 - Clasp & Chain

Using a Swarovski pink head pin thread a seed bead and then through the middle hole on the toggle bar; form a wrapped loop. Open one end link of the chain and slide the newly created loop, close.

On the other side of the chain open the last link and attach the toggle ring.

Step 3 - Beads

Make a variety of beaded dangles to add to the chain:
Pearl dangles: Using a head pin with ball thread a pearl and seed bead; form a wrapped loop. Make up a total of five dangles.
Czech flower dangles: Using a Swarovski head pin thread a seed bead, Czech flower and seed bead; form a wrapped loop. Make up two dangles.

Lampwork flowers dangles: Using a Swarovski head pin thread a lampwork flower and a toho bead; form a wrapped loop. Make up four dangles.
Heart dangles: Using a Swarovski head pin thread heart bead and toho bead; form a wrapped loop.

Step 4 - Finishing

From the toggle ring count two links and with a separate 4mm jump ring attach a photo frame and a pink opal Czech flower dangle on one of the link.

Attach dangels on every second link in the following order: letter “D” sequence, picture charm & pink lampwork flower, letter “R” sequence, lampwork heart & blue lampwork flower, letter “E” sequence, picture charm & Czech flower, letter ”A” sequence, picture charm & blue lampwork flower, letter “M” sequence, picture charm & pink lampwork flower

To create the letter charm sequence refer to picture. The pearl dangle hangs off a 4mm jumpring.

Take care to make sure that all the picture charm faces the same way.

The kits includes everything you need to make up the charms and construct the bracelet. Order Beads Online butterfly dream kit.