Retired - Fern Hill Necklace

Note: Components and tools listed within this INSTRUCTIONS box and the printer-friendly PDF, if available, may have been discontinued since this project was published. Refer to the PURCHASE COMPONENTS and TOOLS AND OTHER SUPPLIES sections for current availability.

1. Begin by stitching the central fern part separately. To do this, cut a length of Fireline thread at about six feet long, and single-thread your needle with it.
2. Add a stopper bead to your thread, about 8 inches away from the end.
3. Onto your needle, thread fifty four 11/0 marbled avocado Toho beads. The latter twenty one beads are going to be the center part of the fern frond. Skipping the very last bead (the bead closest to your needle) thread your needle back through the second to last bead.
4. Add two additional seed beads, skip the last bead, go back through other bead, and thread up into one of the center part of the fern frond.
5. Repeat the previous step, with the beads this time coming out of the right side of the frond.
6. Continue to work your way up the center part of the frond like a ladder, adding an extra bead each step up the ladder, creating "leaves" of increasing size on both the left and right sides of the center of the frond. Stop when the "leaves" are ten beads long. This is the right-most frond of your three-frond centerpiece.
7. Thread your needle back through the initial fifty four seed beads, until you are sixteen beads away from the last "leaf" of the fern frond you have just created.
8. Thread an additional twenty one seed beads onto your needle and repeat the steps necessary to create a fern frond here. This is the very middle frond of your three-frond centerpiece.
9. Thread your needle back through the initial fifty four seed beads, until you are sixteen beads away from the last "leaf" of the fern frond you have just created.
10. Thread an additional twenty one seed beads onto your needle and repeat the steps necessary to create a fern frond here. This is the left-most frond of your three-frond centerpiece.
11. Tie your thread in an overhand knot around some thread between two nearby beads, and weave in the remainder of your thread.
12. Remove the stopper bead from the other end of your thread and repeat the previous step.
13. Trim off all excess thread and set the fern centerpiece aside.
14. Open two oval jump rings and thread one each through the loops on either side of the antiqued gold plated fern connector bar. Close the jump rings once more and set the connector aside.
15. Cut a length of Soft Touch very fine beading wire at two feet long.
16. Thread the very end of the wire through your big eye needle and bend it downward. Thread your needle through the center length of seed beads from which the fern fronds hang, and center the entire fern piece on the wire. Remove the needle from the wire.
17. Onto each end of the wire, thread a 4mm mottle green druk, a 3mm gold fire polish bead, and another mottled green druk.
18. Now thread each wire end through each of the oval jump rings connected to the antiqued gold fern connector bar.
19. Onto each half of the necklace, thread on seven and a half inches of alternating mottles green druks and gold fire polish beads. Thread a crimp bead on the end of both halves.
20. Thread the end of both halves of the necklace through its own respective closed jump ring, back through each crimp bead and several consecutive beads on the strand, pull the wire snug, and crimp the beads.
21. Use two more oval jump rings to attach the toggle clasp, one half per necklace side. Trim off all excess wire.

• JSK-0158 - Toho Round Seed Beads 11/0 1209 'Marbled Opaque Avocado/Pink' 8 Gram Tube
  Project uses 190 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• XCR-5413 - Soft Flex, Soft Touch 7 Strand Very Fine Beading Wire .010 Inch Thick, 30 Feet, Satin Silver
  Project uses 2 feet. You will need 1 package.


• XCR-1280 - FireLine Braided Beading Thread, 4lb Test and 0.005 Thick, 15 Yards, Crystal Clear
  Project uses 20 feet. You will need 1 package.


• FCL-7510 - Nunn Design Antiqued Gold 24kt Plated Round Toggle Clasp Ring 18.5mm (1)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• FCL-7214 - Nunn Design Antiqued 24kt Gold Plated Fern Leaf Toggle Clasp Bar 20mm
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• BCP-33200 - Czech Fire Polished Glass Beads 3mm Round Matte Metallic Gold (50)
  Project uses 60 pieces. You will need 2 packages.


• BCP-74300 - Czech Glass Druk Round Beads 4mm Lt Olive Picasso (100)
  Project uses 60 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• FCO-3472 - Nunn Design Antiqued 24kt Gold Plated Pewter Fern Connector Bar 33mm (1)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• FCR-1200 - Beadalon Gold Plated Crimp Beads 1.3mm (85 Beads)
  Project uses 2 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• FJR-4024 -
  Project uses 2 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• FJR-3916 - 22K Gold Plated Open Jump Rings Oval 4x6mm 20 Gauge (50)
  Project uses 4 pieces. You will need 1 package.

• XTL-5600 - Xuron Sharp Flush Cutter Pliers - Wire/Soft Flex
• XTL-5511 - Beadsmith Jeweller's Micro Pliers Chain Nose Flat Nose
• XTL-5700 - Fiskars 5 Precision Tip Scissors - Super Sharp
• XTL-5230 - Double Notch Crimping Pliers - Works on 2mm And 3mm Crimps
• XTL-3164 - Beadsmith 5 Inch Big Eye Beading Needles (Set of 4) - Easy Needle To Thread