Jewellery Making: The Ultimate, Epic Guide -4

Before using any glue read the warnings and instructions on the packet. Many glues are unsuitable for children to use unsupervised.

Super glue may be used when very fast setting is required. It has a set time of 15 seconds with full bond strength after 1 hour. The surfaces to be joined need to be non-porous and must fit each other exactly.This glue is not recommended for use with plastics such as polythene and polypropylene or metal. Super glue can be used to dab on knots for extra holding, for example inside a calotte. Super glue tends to dry to a cloudier finish than epoxy resin.

Epoxy resin comes in two parts, the resin and the hardener, which must be mixed together in equal amounts. This is a very strong, high quality adhesive and recommended for most fixing in bead jewellery making. The mixing of the two parts forms a paste, allowing inconsistencies in the joining surfaces. A fast drying epoxy sets in 5 minutes, with full bond strength after 1 hour. Epoxy resin tends to dry to a clearer finish than Super glue. Mix equal amounts of epoxy resin and hardener (follow the pack instructions) on a clean disposable surface, with a dead matchstick or something similar.

Swivel clips have become a firm favourite with the recent popularity of the bag charm. They are easy to customize. Cut a length of chain and add a jump ring at either end. Attach one jump ring to the swivel clip and the other to a pendant for instant style. Small swivel clips are also available. They can be decorated in the same way and attached to zips, pencil cases and anything else that takes your fancy!

Keyrings - add a pendant to a key-ring with the strong jump ring provided.

Mobile phone clips - these are perfect items for the person who likes to decorate everything! Simply attach a pendant of your choice to the split ring provided.

Thread on your chosen beads being aware of the size of their holes. (Refer to guidance for using headpin. To hold your bead arrangement in place use a tiny crimp pushed up against the lowest bead, squeeze hard. A crimp cover will improve the finish. Cover the sharp point with a protector. This stops you and your pin admirers getting stabbed, and also anchors the pin so it doesn’t fall out whilst being worn.

Make pretty, beaded rings with 10 loop finger rings. Thread a bead onto a headpin. Make sure the hole is small enough so that the bead doesn’t slip off the headpin. Thread the headpin through a ring loop. Bend the headpin about 1cm under the bottom of the bead. Wind the headpin round itself in a tight spiral. To make this easier, grip the stem of the headpin just above the bend with flat nosed pliers. Wind the remainder above the pliers. Repeat the process on the remaining ring loops.

a) Use four stopper beads, two on each end. They should be large enough not to slip through the holes.

b) Start with a slip knot at one end of the thread, leaving a tail of approx 10cm. Add the first stopper bead, then take the thread up through one hole. Thread the second stopper.

c) Thread enough beads to fill the length of the hairslide. Add the third stopper to sit immediately above the second hole. Pass the thread down through the second hole, adding the fourth and final stopper sitting directly below the third. Return the thread back up and out through the third stopper. Add another length of beads.

d) Repeat until the hairslide is full, this may be two, three or more rows depending on the size of your beads. Pass the thread down through the second stopper and the hole in the hairslide. Untie the slip knot and tie a firm knot under the hairslide with the two ends of thread.