Flying friends and

crawling critters

Make fun bug accessories with wire and beads

by Kelly J. Nicodemus-Miller

These delightful garden creatures are the only

bugs you’ll love to have around. Sort through

your bead stash and look for beads shaped like

wings, feet, and bug bodies, keeping proportions in

mind. In this case, gathering the beads can be just as

much fun as making the project. Incorporate these

critters as a fun decoration just about anywhere. Hang

them in a window, adhere them to picture frames,

flower pots, and candles, tie them on gifts, or add a pin

back and show off your new garden friend just in time

for summer. Before you know it, you’ll want them

everywhere!

stepbystepAll four bugs are made using the samewire techniques. First, make the body,starting at the bottom and working upto the head. Then add the antennae andform the wings or feet. Finish by attach-ing a pin back or using one of the otherfinishing options.

All the wirework is done with yourfingers. Chainnose pliers can be used totuck in the wire ends, but don’t usethem to twist the wire – it will break.

bodyCut a 36-in. (.9m) piece of wire and

fold it in half. Bumblebee: Gently twist 1⁄4 in. (6mm)

of wire at the fold to make the stinger(photo a). Then go to step 3.

String a 4mm crystal or a small beadon one wire against the fold.

Working from the bottom up, stringthe beads over both wires as follows:

Dragonfly: String Czech fire-polishedand glass beads with silver spacers, thebody bead, and the head bead (photo b).

Butterfly: String the body bead andthe head bead.

Caterpillar: String a repeating patternof 10-12mm beads and rondelles or silver spacers followed by the head bead.

Bumblebee: String yellow and blackbeads for the body followed by the headbead. If the bead strung next to thestinger has a large hole and slides off thewire, string a small bead that fits snugagainst the wire twist before stringingthe body beads.

Push the beads together, leaving a little space between them

for attaching the wings or feet.

antennaeString a 4mm crystal on one of

the wires about 1⁄2 in. (13mm)from the head bead and fold the

wire over the crystal (photo c). Grasp the crystal and the wire

with your index finger and your thumb.Twist the wires together between thecrystal and the head bead to form anantenna (photo d). Repeat with theother wire.

Hold both wires together and bringthem down against the head bead. Wrapthe wires around the neck, between thehead and body bead (photo e). Maketwo wraps and end with the wires in theback. Don’t cut the wires.

wingsIf you are making a caterpillar, skip thissection and go to the instructions formaking feet.

Hold the wires in place at the neck,wrap one wire around the other, andseparate the wires so they go in oppositedirections (photo f).

String a wing bead on one wire,leaving about 1⁄8 in. (3mm) between thewing bead and the neck. Bend the wiredown along the back of the bead andwrap it around the wire exiting from thebody (photo g). For beads that are topdrilled or have two holes, you won’tneed to bring the wire down against theback of the bead.

For the bumblebee on p. 110, Istrung a 3mm silver ball after the wingbead and then brought the wire backthrough the wing bead so it would spin.Then in steps 3 and 4, I made the wireloops larger than the wing beads.

Form a decorative loop against thefront of the bead (photo h). Makeanother wrap to secure the loop.

Make a large loop around the out-side of the bead and secure it with a fewwraps (photo i). End with the wire inthe back. Do not trim the wire.

Repeat steps 2-4 with the other wire.Repeat steps 2-4 to make a second

wing below the first on each side.Go to the instructions for adding a

pin back or other finishing techniques.

feetSting a foot bead on one of the wires

about 1⁄4 in. from the body beads. Foldthe wire over the foot bead and twist thewires together, ending with the longwire crossing the front of the bug(photo j). Repeat with the other wire.

Wrap each wire in opposite directions between the body beads tothe back. Twist the wires together forthe length of the body bead below. Separate the wires and bring one wirearound each side to the front and crossthe wires between the beads (photo k).

Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make additional pairs of feet.

Go to the instructions for adding apin back or other finishing techniques.

pin backLook at the shape of your bug and

decide if the pin back should be placedvertically or horizontally.

Weave each wire through a hole onthe pin back. Pull the wires taught andtwist them together (photo l).

Secure the pin back by weaving thewires up behind it and back downagainst the twist made in step 2.

Trim the wires about 1⁄8 in. (3mm)past the bottom of the pin back. Usechainnose pliers to bend the wire endsbehind the pin back.

Gently adjust the wings and tail.

other finishing techniques For a creature that will be glued to a picture frame, candle, etc., secure thewires with a couple of twists betweenthe wraps for the wings or feet. Trim thewires just past the twist and use chain-nose pliers to tuck the ends in.

For a plant decoration, continuetwisting the wires to form a stem that canbe inserted into a pot of soil (photo m).Twist in a thicker gauge wire for alonger, sturdier stem.

For a hanging critter, twist the wirestogether as described for the plant deco-ration. Then make a wrapped loop (see“Basics,” p. 180). Bend the loop up andagainst the back of the bug (photo n). w

Bug kits are available for purchase. Contact Kelly at (503) 681-9578, krelly.designs@verizon.net, or www.krellydesigns.com.

112 beadandbutton.com

materialsall• 24-gauge craft wire • pin back with 2 or 3 holes• 3 4mm Swarovski crystals (antennae and

end of tail)dragonfly• 10mm round or heart-shaped beads (head)• 18-20mm oval or teardrop-shaped beads

(body)• 4 15-22mm pressed glass leaves (wings)• 3-4 6mm Czech fire-polished beads (tail)• 4 6mm rondelles (tail) (optional)• 3-6 4-6mm flat silver spacers butterfly• 6-10mm round or heart-shaped bead (head)• 15-20mm bead (body)

• 2 12mm heart-shaped beads (wings)• 2 15-20mm flat teardrop or oval beads

(wings) caterpillar• 6-10mm round or heart-shaped bead (head)• 3-4 10-12mm lampwork beads (body)• 2-5 4-6mm rondelles or flat silver spacers

(body)• 4-6 4-6mm heart-shaped beads (feet)bumblebee• 8mm round bead, yellow (head)• 2 6mm beads, yellow (body)• 2 6mm rondelles, black (body)• 2 6-10mm heart-shaped beads (wings)• 2 3mm round silver beads (optional)Tools: wire cutters; chain- and roundnose pliers (optional)

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Bead &Button • June 2004 113

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