How to Make a Cross With Seed Beads

Seed beads are very small glass beads that are popular in loom work, jewelry making and cross-stitch. Today most quality seed beads are made in Japan or the Czech Republic. Lower-quality seed beads are made in India, China or Taiwan. These low-quality beads are dyed and may transfer their color onto your skin or clothing. Many jewelry makers thread the beads onto wire so that they can easily create shapes. This process can be adopted to make a cross out of seed beads.

Instructions

1

Cut off 14 inches of wire to make a small cross. To make a larger cross, cut off 20 or more inches.

2

Bend up one end of the wire so that you can string the beads from the other end without them falling off.

3

String the beads onto the wire until 6 inches of wire is covered.

4

Form the cross by straightening the wire vertically in front of you. When you get about 2 inches up, turn the wire 90 degrees to your left for about 1 inch. Bend the wire up again for inch. Bend the wire horizontally to the right for 1 inch. Bend the wire vertically again for another inch. Bend the wire horizontally right for inch to create the top edge of the cross. Now you will have created the left half of the cross.

5

Add more seed beads to the wire to complete the right half of the cross, which should use 6 more inches of seed beads. Complete the right half of the cross. If you run out of seed bead covered wire, simply add more beads.

6

Twist the two ends together so that the first and last bead you strung are side by side. Cut the excess ends of the wire with the wire cutters and tuck the attached edges in the back of the cross.