Add some flair with a DIY painted wood bead necklace

May 15, 2012 2:11 PM by Laura Parke

Posted in Living / Crafts

DIY: painted wood bead necklace

Who doesn't love a new necklace to update your wardrobe every now and again?

With this DIY hand-painted wood bead necklace tutorial, you'll have a beautiful new accessory in your midst that will have you feeling stylish in no time. All it takes are a few easy-to-find supplies and a bit of patience. The necklace can be customized easily by the choice in paint colors, so really, the possibilities are virtually endless! This would be a great project to do with a group of friends. The best part? Everyone will leave with a new necklace to take home!

Materials

Craft supplies needed

Craft paint (We used DecoArt acrylic paint in sea breeze, royal fuchsia, orange twist, bright yellow and neutral gray.)
Small paintbrush
10 1-inch wood beads with predrilled holes
Painters tape
Necklace chain (one shown is 26 inches long)

Getting started

Before getting started, here's a helpful tip: Some beads will have wood residue where the hole was drilled. Simply take the end of your paint brush and push it through the hole and twist. This will loosen any wood particles stuck in there and make it easy to string your necklace after painting.

DIY necklace tutorial: getting started

DIY necklace tutorial: Directions

Step one

Tape off half of the bead, with exactly half of the bead showing. Do this to all of the beads you want on your necklace.

DIY necklace tutorial: taping wood bead

Step two

Paint the exposed side of the bead, leaving the tape in place. You will want to paint two beads exactly the same for each color you want on your necklace. For this example, we used five colors and ended up with ten beads.

DIY necklace tutorial: painting bead

Step three

Once the paint on the wood bead has dried, carefully peel back the painters tape.

DIY necklace tutorial: removing the tape

Step four

Line up the painted beads in the order you want them on your necklace.

DIY necklace tutorial: line up the painted beads

Step five

String the first bead onto the chain, making sure the wooden end goes on first. Take the second bead (of the same color) and string it onto the chain, but this time have the color side go on the necklace first, making the two color sides meet.

DIY necklace tutorial: beading onto necklace