New craft to play with!! Wooden beads necklaces! :D

I am still playing with my sewing machine but have also found another new craft to play with.

WOODEN BEADS NECKLACES! 


20/7/13 UPDATE EDIT: I have found that Jo Sonja's Polyurethane Gloss Varnish works the BEST without the paint coming off the wooden beads and the gloss stays on when you rub really hard on it. Unlike the Helmar Acrylic Sealer gloss that turns matte-ish when I rub really hard (even after a few days of curing). The Krylon varnishes (satin and gloss) sprays are absolutely useless even if I applied a few coats. The colours rub off on each other.

I have always loved chunky jewellery but didn't really get into it until I bought a nice chunky acrylic beads necklace a few weeks ago... then I thought, I should make my own!! Had to finally decide on wooden beads so I can customise my own colours rather than go with the acrylic coloured beads, although they are super cute!!

I used a few coats of acrylic paint and then varnished them with acrylic sealer. Some tutorials suggested that just the acrylic paint will do but sorry I don't think that's enough! The acrylic sealer protects the acrylic paints from rubbing against the other painted beads and lasts longer, if that makes sense... I tested a necklace I made with just the acrylic paint on.. doesn't work too well for me! :( So I "acrylic sealed" the wooden beads, they look and feel so much better without the chalky/raspy feel of the dried acrylic paint. Also there's no fear when the beads get wet (from the rain!) without a bit of the colour coming off! The acrylic sealer makes the coloured wooden beads look like lollies! :D

**Tested with the Krylon Satin and Krylon Matte varnish spray (both are toxic fumes until the varnish is fully dry..!?), the acrylic paints still rub off each other even if the beads were sprayed with 2-3 varnish coatings. The only way it works for me is to paint the acrylic sealer with a brush! More work but more satisfying to know that the colours won't rub off on each other! Plus the acrylic sealer is acid free and non-toxic.**

The necklaces are stringed with either hemp or waxed cotton cord and finished with button closure.

I call this AUTUMN necklace that I made for my friend/colleague who loves autumn colours!

Hand painted individually (except the dark brown and light wood colour: dyed) with several coats of acrylic paint and varnished, double stringed with brown cotton cord and finished with button closure (sorry, didn't take a photo of it!!)

I made this one for another friend/colleague who loves red and green. My initial thought was to alternate the colours but thought that would be too "Christmasy". So I painted red colour on 8 beads and 3 different shades of green on 3 beads. 

Hand painted beads with several coats of acrylic paint, varnished and double stringed with black hemp, then finished off with button closure.. (Sorry again! No photo of that...)

 Please excuse my doggie's ear photobomb. He loves to hover when I take pictures!

Anyway, thank you for looking at my blog! I truly appreciate it even if you came here by accident... :)