Bead Soup Blog Party reveal is this Saturday

I’m a big fan of Lori Anderson’s blog Pretty Things. If you follow her blog, then you know this Saturday, February 26, is the big reveal for the Bead Soup Blog Party. Lori says, “This party has 210 beaders; 34 of them international designers from Russia, Poland, England, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Germany, Australia, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, and Ireland.”

So what is a Bead Soup Blog Party? It stirs together a design challenge, a bead swap, and a mixer to meet other beaders. The main requirement to take part is that you have a blog so you can join the party! Those who want to join the fun sign up and get matched to a Party Partner. The next step is mailing your partner a Party Pack from your bead collection. The party pack must include a focal, coordinating spacers or beads, and a special clasp–something more exciting than a plain lobster claw. When your party pack arrives by mail, you photograph the beads you received and post the photo on your blog. Then you create your masterpiece and photograph it. On Party reveal day, you post the photo of your masterpiece on your blog and then visit as many other blogs as possible to see what everyone created.

Lori says, “It’s been an amazing success for many people – an increase in blog traffic and followers, and increase in friendships, and in one case, a US blogger was discovered by a UK magazine and garnered a feature tutorial and the cover of a magazine.”

All skill levels can join the fun, so this is a great way to stretch your creative muscles, build your skills, and make new friends who share a passion for jewelry and beading. Join the party Saturday and see the creations unveiled and then look for your own chance to participate later this year. There are generally three opportunities each year.

You can also take a look at photos from Bead Soup Blog Parties from the past on Flickr.

If you like your Halloween crafts with a little bit of spooky charm and a whole lot of handmade personality, this Beaded Halloween Skeleton from CraftBits is a fun little project to add to your October crafting list.

This project uses simple supplies — white seed beads, black seed beads, 24-gauge wire or beading thread, scissors, and wire cutters — to create a small beaded skeleton that can be used for Halloween decorations, charms, party favors, or even spooky handmade jewelry. The original tutorial walks you through building the skeleton row by row, starting with a black bead at the top and working through the skull, body, arms, hands, legs, and feet.

What I like about this project is that it has that lovely “old-school craft book” feel. It is not overly complicated, but it does ask you to slow down and follow the bead pattern carefully. This is the sort of Halloween bead craft that is perfect for a quiet afternoon when you want something seasonal but not messy. No glue gun strings across the table, no glitter stuck to the dog, just beads, wire, and a little bit of patience.

The finished skeleton would be cute added to a Halloween keyring, made into a zipper pull, tied onto a treat bag, or hung from a mini Halloween tree. You could also make a batch of them for party decorations or classroom craft swaps. If you enjoy tiny seasonal makes, you might also like browsing the Halloween Crafts section on CraftBits for more spooky little projects to pair with it.

This is a good project for confident beginners who have used seed beads before. Younger crafters may need help with the wire ends and keeping the rows tight, but older kids, teens, and adults who enjoy bead crafts should find it very satisfying. I would suggest using a bead mat or a shallow tray, because seed beads have a special talent for rolling into the one place you cannot reach. Ask me how I know.

For supplies, small packs of black and white seed beads are easy to find, and Amazon is handy for basic beading wire, bead mats, and small jewelry pliers if you are building up a Halloween craft kit. If you prefer more unusual beads or want tiny skull charms to add alongside your skeleton, Etsy can also be a fun place to look for Halloween beading supplies.

This little skeleton is proof that Halloween crafting does not need to be huge or expensive to be fun. Sometimes the best seasonal projects are the small ones you can make in multiples, tuck into gift bags, or hang around the house for a bit of handmade Halloween mischief.

Best for: Halloween bead crafts, spooky handmade charms, beginner-friendly wire bead projects, Halloween party favors, and small seasonal decorations.

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