Description
Piggy Beads Spiral Necklace
For this project you will need Piggy beads, O beads, 4mm pearls, Miyuki triangles and size 11 seed beads. You can make the design as a necklace or bracelet. Simply alter the length: the instructions give materials for a 16″ necklace. Make the main necklace/bracelet using simple tubular netting combining the shaped beads and seed beads.
I used a Peyote stitch clasp to finish the jewellery, but you can replace this with a shop-bought clasp if you prefer. If you are unsure about the difference, then you can find a lot of information about choosing clasps in my book, ‘Beaded Clasps‘. Or, for a quicker introduction, check out this blog.
Helpful Information
The Piggy Beads Spiral necklace originally appeared in Digital Beading Magazine in February 2015. I created the design as my first experiment with Piggy Beads.
If you have never used Piggy Beads before, then this blog will tell you all about them and give you some tips for using them successfully. As this was a first experiment, the techniques I used are quite simple. I wanted to experiment with the two holes on the Piggy beads and use them to create a two-layered effect. So you will be working a central tube first and then adding the spiral effect around this. You will be using the second hole on the Piggy beads with pearls and O beads to create the interest.
I used the Triangle beads for effect in the design. But if you don’t have any in your stash, you can replace them with a coloured seed bead instead.
The trick to getting this design to work is to use good tension. I find that netting can be tricky as the tension will easily slip. If you also have this problem, then you can try going round each row for a second time to ensure that the beads are all held firmly in place. Just remember to keep a note of the end of the row so that you remember to step up!
Happily, the mix of bead types you will be using will really help you to see the start and finish of the rows in this pattern. Again, when you come to add the spiral embellishment, you might want to reinforce it by passing through all your beads again. Hopefully these tips will help and I hope you enjoy creating your own Piggy Bead Spiral!
