Snowflake Bracelet

This bracelet can be put together in about FIFTEEN MINUTES !

You will need:
5 packs 10mm snowflake beads
10 mm pearl beads
1 mm elastic

Arrange your beads in a design you like and a length that will fit over your wrist.Bingo - a homemade bracelet made in minutes. I have had compliments about mine - comparing it to 'Links of London'.

Crystal rondelle necklace

This necklace looks hard to make but is in fact very easy to create.

You will need: 50 grams of size 8 seed beads One Tibet fastener Eleven 8 X 10mm crystal rondelle beads (£2.50 for 30 beads) Beading thread

Start with threading a needle on to 120cm of beading thread. Attach one piece of the Tibet fastener first. Then thread on 22 seed beads followed by one crystal bead repeat the process until you have used all eleven large beads. Attach the other part of the fastener. Then thread your needle back through the crystal bead. Thread on another 22 beads. Continue until you have been backwards and forwards along the length of the necklace four times.

I buy most of my beads on-line at www.totallybeads.co.uk I learnt how to make this with my friends at the local WI craft group in Ashby de la Zouch.

Embellished Fabric Brooch

This is a pretty brooch I learnt to make with my WI craft group. You simply get any scrap material to create a shabby chic result. For this brooch I used a cotton voile fabric and the grey tweed look one is in fact suit material.

Begin by simply making a paper template like below with 1cm intervals. Put this alongside your material as a guide - don't worry about rough edges it adds to the effect!

Next you gather up the each piece individually with a running stitch. Below you can see how I've moved the fabric to show the direction to sew. You then layer up the pieces as you wish and sew together.

You can then decorate the brooch with beads, buttons or whatever other sparkly things you have lying around in your needlework box. For the clasp, I stitched mine to the felt and the (little cheat) glued the felt on with a hot glue gun. If you don't have one just stitch it carefully :-)

Linda x

Firefly Twisted Neck Wrap Snood

This is a very easy to make and a great way to dress up a plain jumper or blouse instead of jewellery. One ball of wool makes two so you can give one to a friend as a gift :-)

For these I used Sidar (around £4.99 a ball) Firefly wool and 8mm needles. Cast on 20 stitches and knit every row (garter stitch) until the required length. Then to make up the snood, twist once and sew the ends together. What's more, they only take about an hour to make! Let me know how you get on with yours.

Linda x