Jewelry Making

DIY Jewelry, Beads And Patterns

Magazine Review: Bead Trends

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   Bead Trends is more than a magazine, much more. I just got the Sept/Oct 08 issue and was really suprised to see how thick this issue is,  it’s really like a softbound book.  Their love of creating jewelry is evident in the magazine which is filled . Filled with juicy photos and projects and thin on advertising,  Bead Trends sets itself apart from the other jewelry craft magazines.  The projects range from beginner to advanced so there is something for everyone.  In addition to all the projects, each issue contains a “Designer Highlight” article and “Fabulous Findings” section to bring you the newest and most interesting new things to create with.

The Sept/Oct issue contains a great article about paper quilled jewelry that is gorgeous and stunning lampwork bangles projects.  It may be a bit hard to find in your local book or jewelry supply store, if they don’t carry it tell them about it. You can also buy single issues online directly from the publisher or splurge on a years subscription..

Comments

  2. It is great to read your review. It could not be more spot on with the vision we have for our publications. We will always only allow a small percentage to go to advertising as we want the publication to stay tru to submission and great photography.
    If you could ad one more plug to this article it would be that we want submission to keep in the publication and to keep the variety high. We do not have a design team making jewelry all day so to keep the magazine full of great projects we rely on our readers to send in their submissions.
    If you could and also spread the word to others that we are always looking for more variet and new submitters that would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks for the great review…

    Publisher
    David Ross

  3. I am so happy to find a review of this publication. I subscribe to all the major beading and jewelry magazines and I agree that Bead Trends has completely set itself apart and, I would dare say, above the others.

    The photography is what propels this publication in the stratosphere. No other takes such care to showcase the designs. It is consistently raising the bar on true artistry and it is amazing how beautiful the pieces look.

    The fact that the magazine submissions is all reader based designs is wonderful. It proves that there are talented designers in every corner of the world, and you don’t need any formal training or a title to be the next great thing. I do love to see a consistent take on things with a design team as with other publications, but Bead Trends affords the rest of us an opportunity to shine. I am one such designer. My star has never shone more bright than in the pages of Bead Trends.

    I have been very fortunate to have my designs chosen for this publication many times. I am always humbled that they like what I do. I won’t ever be able to repay them for what they have done for me professionally and personally. I have no trouble believing that I am an artist when I see my work represented in the pages of this magazine. It is sublime.

    I would definitely encourage anyone who is interested in trying new designs, whether beginner or advanced level, to subscribe to this publication. The lean advertising makes the cost quite a bit more than the others, but I find it is worth it.

    Worth. Every. Penny.

Have you read?

10 DIY Recycled Christmas Jewelry Ideas

Turn old Christmas cards, broken jewellery, bottle caps, gift wrap, burnt-out Christmas lights, and forgotten beads into festive recycled Christmas jewelry with these clever DIY tutorials.

There is something wonderfully satisfying about making Christmas jewelry from things that might otherwise end up in the bin. Old Christmas cards, broken costume necklaces, bottle caps, leftover wrapping paper, odd beads, single earrings, and even those dead Christmas light bulbs all have a bit of festive life left in them if you look at them with crafty eyes.

I have a soft spot for recycled Christmas crafts because they feel a little more personal. Anyone can buy a pair of novelty earrings from a shop, but turning last year’s Christmas cards into beads, or making angel charms from broken jewellery, gives the finished piece a story. And honestly, at this stage of life, I am far more interested in a good story than another plastic bauble rolling under the couch for Aloo to find in February.

These DIY recycled jewelry ideas include upcycled earrings, bottle cap pendants, Christmas light jewelry, paper bead earrings, recycled gift card necklaces, angel charms, Santa bead ornaments, and altered art pendants. Some are directly festive, and others are clever recycled jewelry techniques that can easily be made Christmas-ready with holiday colours, old cards, wrapping paper, glitter, charms, or beads from your stash.

If you love sustainable crafting, handmade Christmas gifts, or jewellery making that uses what you already have, this roundup is a lovely place to start.

DIY Recycled Christmas Jewelry Ideas To Make From Your Stash

1. DIY Christmas Angels From Upcycled Jewellery

This is exactly the sort of recycled Christmas jewelry project I love because it turns broken necklaces, odd beads, and old costume jewellery into sweet little angel charms. The finished angels can become earrings, pendants, keychains, decorations, or bracelet charms, which makes them handy for gift-making. These would be especially meaningful if you used beads from a sentimental piece of jewellery that is no longer wearable.

2. Vintage Bead Santa

This CraftBits tutorial uses vintage jewellery that is no longer wearable to create cute little bead people, including Santa-style Christmas characters. You could turn them into pendants, brooches, bag charms, keychains, or Christmas necklace charms depending on how you finish them. It is a lovely way to keep old beads in circulation instead of letting them sit forgotten in a tin.

3. Sustainable Sparkle: Eco-Friendly Christmas Earrings

This tutorial repurposes old Christmas decorations into festive earrings, which is such a clever idea if you have little plastic picks, glittery berries, tiny ornaments, or trims that are too nice to throw away. The project shows how simple findings and glue can transform unwanted holiday decor into wearable Christmas accessories. I like this one for anyone who has a “maybe useful one day” box of Christmas bits under the craft table.

4. How To Make Recycled Christmas Light Jewelry

If you have a strand of Christmas lights that no longer works, don’t toss the whole thing straight away. This tutorial shows how to turn the little bulbs into holiday jewellery using jump rings, earring hooks, necklace chain, jewellery glue, and basic tools. It is quirky, nostalgic, and perfect for anyone who likes Christmas jewellery with a little retro sparkle.

5. Santa Bottle Cap Necklace

Bottle caps are brilliant for recycled Christmas jewelry because they already have that perfect little pendant shape. This Santa bottle cap necklace tutorial uses a printable image, bottle caps, epoxy stickers, and glue to create a festive necklace that would also work as a party favour or gift topper. You could make a whole batch using Santa, snowmen, gingerbread, vintage Christmas cards, or tiny family photos.

6. Resin Bottle Cap Bracelet

This CraftBits resin bottle cap bracelet is not Christmas-only, but it is a wonderful recycled jewelry technique to adapt for the holidays. Use old bottle caps, tiny Christmas images, scraps of wrapping paper, glitter, sequins, or miniature charms to create festive bracelet links. It would be a fun handmade gift for someone who likes chunky, playful jewellery.

7. Paper Bead Christmas Tree Earrings

These Christmas tree earrings are made from paper beads, and that makes them perfect for using up old Christmas wrapping paper, holiday scrapbook scraps, or even nice sections from old cards. They are lightweight, inexpensive, and look surprisingly polished once sealed. I especially like these for teacher gifts or craft stall makes because they are festive without needing expensive supplies.

8. Recycled Paper Beads

This CraftBits tutorial teaches the basic technique for making beads from recycled paper, junk mail, flyers, or any paper you already have. For Christmas jewelry, try using old wrapping paper, Christmas cards, sheet music from carols, catalogues, or red and green magazine pages. Once you have the beads made, you can string them into necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or charm dangles.

9. Altered Art Glass Slide Jewelry

Glass slide jewellery is a beautiful way to preserve tiny paper images, and it works so well with recycled Christmas cards. Cut out a small angel, snowflake, holly sprig, vintage Santa, or nativity detail from an old card and sandwich it inside the slide to create a pendant. This is a lovely grown-up recycled Christmas jewellery project if you want something more arty and keepsake-style.

10. How To Make A Necklace With Recycled Gift Cards

Old plastic gift cards are easy to forget about once the balance is gone, but this tutorial turns them into a modern recycled necklace. For a Christmas version, use red, green, silver, gold, or patterned gift cards, or cut shapes from old holiday-themed cards. This is a smart idea for anyone who likes bold, graphic jewellery and wants a recycled project that does not look too obviously “Christmas craft.”

Tips For Making Recycled Christmas Jewelry Look Gift-Worthy

The trick with recycled Christmas jewelry is to make the finish feel intentional. File sharp edges, seal paper beads, add a little polish with jump rings and proper findings, and choose a simple colour palette so the pieces look designed rather than thrown together after too much fruitcake.

Red, green, gold, silver, pearl white, icy blue, and clear crystal are all easy Christmas colour choices. If you prefer a softer vintage look, try old book pages, sheet music, muted gold, cream pearls, and tiny brass charms. For something more playful, use bright wrapping paper, glitter, jingle bells, recycled plastic, or novelty Christmas card images.

It is also worth saving broken jewellery throughout the year. A lone earring can become a pendant. A broken bracelet can be turned into charms. A pearl necklace with a snapped string can become angel beads. Even a Christmas decoration that has lost its hanger might have one last life as a brooch, necklace, or pair of earrings.

More Recycled Jewelry Inspiration

For more recycled jewellery ideas, you may also like CraftBits’ Computer Keyboard Earrings or Guitar Pick Necklace, both of which could be adapted into fun stocking stuffers for teenagers, music lovers, or the tech person in your family.

Recycled Christmas jewelry is such a lovely reminder that handmade gifts do not need to begin with a shopping trip. Sometimes the best materials are already sitting in a drawer, tangled in the bottom of a jewellery box, or tucked inside last year’s Christmas card pile waiting for a second chance.