(Note – If you’re new to my page, this is how it works: At the beginning of each week I randomly draw a new project from my Challenge Bucket, then see what I can create before the week is over. You can read all about my Creativity Challenge here.)
I’m sure we can all agree that this summer has flown by. I really shouldn’t be surprised by this, as it happens every single year! There is so much to be thankful to the Lord for though, and as I look back on pictures of our excursions my heart bursts with gratitude. What a gift.
As fun as it all has been, I really am in desperate need of a routine again. Anyone else feeling that? And if I’m going to try to get back into routine, I’m starting with the most fun routine I have and that’s these Creativity Challenges. This week I reached in my Challenge Bucket and pulled out… Wooden Beads!
Last summer I volunteered in the Craft Shack at camp, and one of the crafts we came up with was some adorable little pipecleaner people that required wooden beads for heads.
In preparation for the craft, I went on a search for a bulk amount of one-inch wooden beads. The best deal I could find was an assorted pack from Amazon that included 100 of the beads I needed… and 900 others of various sizes.
As I tucked away the extras in my craft drawer, I determined that one day I would find a craft to use them on. Well, it looks like “one day” has arrived!
I really didn’t have many ideas of what I wanted to do with the beads, but a few months ago a friend had sent me a short video of a vase made of wooden beads. In the video, the crafter put beads on skewers then glued them to a base to make the wall of the vase. I liked this idea but didn’t have the right supplies for that particular method, so I began to devise a plan on an alternative build.
I grabbed a hurricane vase I’d bought at the dollar store last year, then fished a roll of sturdy black wire out of my supply drawer. I decided I would create a circular base around the vase, then attempt to string beads on wire up the sides. This was definitely going to be a make-it-up-as-I-go project.
After creating the base ring, I made a few attempts to find a pattern of sizes I liked for the wall. Once I did, I simply repeated it around the vase.
Once I’d strung up enough wires to surround the vase, I looped the tops of the wires then fed an upper ring wire through the loops, adding in spacer beads as I went.
Securing the tops of the wire walls with the spacer beads was going well. So well that I didn’t even consider the length I was making. If you look more closely at that last photo you’ll see exactly how off base I was. All I could do was roll my eyes at my oversight, pull out the top wire and try again with different sized beads. And then one more time because it still wasn’t right!
Finally, on my third attempt I successfully fit the top ring to the vase. Then I realized I also would need to re-space the bottom. After a generous amount of fiddling, it eventually came together.
It’s a lot rounder than I’d originally envisioned it, but I think it’s a cute little piece of decor. I set a candle in it then tried it in a couple places around the house. My favorite is as a centerpiece on our table, accented with a bit of greenery encircling it. I think it could be a fun autumn decor piece as well, as it is a bit reminiscent of a pumpkin.
My craft drawer is now about 400 beads lighter so we will call this one a success.
Thanks for checking out my project this week!
That’s really cute. It turned out well.
Thanks Beth!
That looks great and I love the idea of the pumpkin….lime painting the beads and using for a candle to welcome trick or treaters!
Yes! That would be so cute!