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Making beaded jewelry is often thought of as an "easy" craft. How hard is it to poke a string or wire through holes? However, the challenge in creating quality jewelry is all in the planning stages, where a good designer will combine technical know-how with an artist's eye to create a wearable masterpiece. A beaded choker is a fun project, but to make sure you end up with something you'll enjoy giving or wearing, follow the guidelines below:

1. Don't make it a "choke-her"!

A choker should be large enough to sit at the base of the wearer's neck, slightly above the collarbones. It should not remain high on the neck by squeezing and cutting in. Such a necklace might be tolerable for a few minutes, but will quickly become irritating. Make sure to measure and plan accordingly.

2. Do you need closure?

To avoid the hassle of using a clasp, buy some memory wire (in necklace size, not bracelet size). Memory wire keeps it's curved shape after being deformed. You'll need to glue a small bead onto one end of the wire with superglue. After it dries (in a about a minute or two), you can string the rest of the necklace, glue on another end bead, and snip off any excess wire. The result is a strand of beads that can be wrapped around the wearer's neck. There it will stay, held only by its natural tendency to keep its curved shape.

Memory wire allows the same item to fit almost anyone. A smaller person might have a necklace or bracelet that wraps around twice, while a larger person may only have it wrapping one and a half times, but it will look great and feel comfortable on both. If you are making the choker to sell or give as a gift, memory wire is the way to go.

If you do want a clasp, avoid spring clasps or lobster claws, as they are just too difficult to open and close on a choker. Toggles, hook-and-eye claps, and magnetic clasps are all good choices. However, a magnetic clasp will only hold for light necklaces. If your choker is made of heavy glass or stone beads, opt for the toggle or the hook-and-eye.

3. Two strands are better than one.

Slider beads, long narrow beads with two holes, are a staple of bracelet making but work well for chokers. Using a few slider beads can create a wide, flat appearance by keeping two strands of regular beads together. Sliders are way to give your choker more visual impact if you're using small beads.

The sliders themselves are often striking accents. Metal sliders with scintillating Swarovsky crystals are easy to find. Crystal colors can be chosen to match or complement your other beads.

4. Don't get strung out.

Make sure to use a bead palette or some other surface to lay out your beads before you begin stringing them. This will allow you to make changes and improvements to your design, and more importantly you'll know whether or not you have enough beads to do what you're planning. It can be very frustrating to get to the end of a project and find out you're a few beads short!

Learn more about this author, Raven Lebeau.
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