Glue
Glue is a vital component of jewelry
making. It prevents knots from coming untied and keeps beads secure.
Bead glue or cement—sold in most
craft shops—is typically used to seal
knots. The glue comes in a small
tube that has a needle-like applicator.
Instead of using the applicator,
which can be messy, put a few drops
of glue on a needle or straight pin
and apply the glue to your knots,
making sure you don’t spread the
glue to the surrounding beads. If no
glue is available, clear nail polish will
suffice for securing knots.
A hot-glue gun and glue sticks will
come in handy for tasks such as
attaching a large stone to a pin back.
You should also have an industrial
strength adhesive or sealant on
hand. Most bead stores carry large
tubes of this type of glue—it’s very
handy for securing beads or wire
to other objects, like picture frames
or mirrors.
basic tool kit:
To complete the projects in
this book, you’ll need the
following tools:
• Craft scissors
• Wire cutters
• Pliers
Tools
You may have seen the larger versions of these tools at the hardware
store. Jewelry-making tools are smaller and made for doing delicate
work. They’re available at most craft shops.
Craft scissors
Used for everything from cutting lengths of wire to trimming strands of
ribbon. They are indispensible.
Wire cutters
Wire cutters come in a variety of styles. Diagonal cutters allow you to trim
hard-to-access areas. A sturdy set of end cutters should serve you well for
the projects in this book.
17
Larkcrafts.com
Beading Vintage-Style Jewelry by Marty Stevens-Heebner and Christine Calla.
40| June-July | RitzyToo! | RitzyToo.com