DIY beaded napkin rings ~

 

How about an instant gratification craft? Try these DIY beaded napkin rings ~ and customize them to your liking! 🙂

You need 3 things for these napkin rings ~ memory wire, assorted beads, and small needle-nose wire-cutting pliers. An hour or two of easy crafting time and you have custom DIY beaded napkin rings!

Memory wire is stiff, coiled wire – sort of like a Slinky {for those who remember that!} ~ and it comes in different sizes. I pick it up on the beading and jewelry aisle at the craft store. I use the 2 inch size for napkin rings.

I had some wooden beads and mother of pearl beads in my craft stash, and bought some turquoise to add-on for this batch. I love this bluwaterstyle sea and sand combination. These plastic stacking pill cases are great for organizing or storing beads while working on a project. I always pick up a few if I spot them on sale at the drug store.

Here’s the only technique you need for this project. Cut the wire with your pliers into sections that make 3 complete loops ~ each cut section is one napkin ring. Then grasp the end of the first section with your pliers and twist it around the end of your needle-nose pliers to form a small loop. The loop should be slightly larger than the inside of your first bead to hold it in place. That’s it ~ start adding your beads!

I like to count out my beads into separate containers and then layout one set to get the basic pattern. It’s easier for me to work out the count and pattern one time. Even though the pattern is not exact, I do like to have a general idea for the repeat.

It takes minutes to load the beads on the memory wire. I like 2 complete loops filled with beads, though I start with 3 loops of wire. This gives me some extra to hold while beading and then enough at the end to twist a closing loop, before snipping of the excess. Of course it’s nice to make a few more loops of beads if that is the look you want ~ it just takes a little more time and more beads. 🙂

An hour later and I have a set of four DIY beaded napkin rings in a favorite combination of colors!

These are so easy to mix and match ~ choose colors for seasons or your favorite tableware.

It’s a nice casual look for your table.

Here’s another set I made earlier with colorful glass beads. These add some sparkle to the table!

Hope you give these a try. It’s a fun project to do with kids, or just to enjoy a quiet hour on your own. It’s nice doing some quick projects along the way, while I have some bigger things in the works! Check out this project for some more instant gratification.

A little table bling is always a good thing y’all ~~~