Description
About Honeycomb Beads
Honeycomb beads are another two-holed variety of seed bead. They measure about 6mm and are hexagon shaped. So they will lock together into a honeycomb pattern, or also mix well with other seed beads, like the Superduos I have used here. You can find a full blog about Honeycomb beads here.
I was sent a sample of these beads as part of my work with the Beadsmith Inspiration Squad and it took me a while to get comfortable using them. I could see lots of shapes I wanted to make with them, but working out the thread paths proved more challenging than I expected! So this necklace was the first of my creations and, once I had the first motif, I was away!
Honeycomb Beads Necklace
You will make this necklace in two stages. First you will be using the Honeycomb beads, Superduos, 4mm round beads and size 11 seed beads to make the focal section. This consists of the same simple motif repeated five times to create a V shaped series. The thread path is simple and basically consists of stringing, so this design looks a lot more complex than it actually is!
I then added a separate chain to the two ends of the focal section. I made the chain using spiral stitch, but you could actually use any type of beaded rope for this project. Then, I finished off the necklace with a beaded clasp, made in Peyote stitch.
Again, if you are looking to speed up the time it takes to make. Or if you simply don’t feel so confident with basic bead-weaving, you can just use an ordinary shop-bought clasp. You could even just string beads for the chain section if you are still at beginner level. So this is an adaptable project that can be made as simple, or complex, as you wish.
I have recommended Miyuki brand seed beads for this project as they have generous sized holes that really helps with the spiral stitch. It should work with other size 11 seed beads. But you should be aware that there are slight differences in size between different brands.
If you are looking for more projects that use Honeycomb beads, then you can find some ideas here.
