Make your own glasses cord

Since a friend passed on the bead embroidery bug to me, neither boredom nor bad weather has affected me. Simple projects such as glasses strings can be done in just a few minutes. As you only need a few tools to do this, you can take a beading kit on holiday and keep busy on rainy days.

Currently, this technique is also popular in the fashion world. It is most often used to make jewellery. However, some designs come at an exorbitant price. Although most necklaces are the simplest method of production and are not real pearls, prices are in the three-figure range. With a set of pearls you can not only make multiple cords to glasses and the like, but you also pay less and can let your imagination run wild. In the meantime, I accept orders from friends; bead weaving can quickly become addictive.

The materials you need

• Beads from different colours and different sizes in plastic or in wood;
• crush beads/crush tubes (in DIY shops) ;
• glasses cord end (in DIY shops) ;
• iron wire or nylon (thickness: 0.3 mm, length: 60-70 cm);
• clamp (optional) or scissors :
• needle (optional);

Let yourself be inspired

On Instagram and Pinterest, you'll find lots of ideas under the term "Beading". Margrethe Hjort Hay is one of my favourite beading influencers. This 15-year-old Dane and young entrepreneur is the daughter of the founders of "HAY", one of Scandinavia's best-known brands in furniture and home accessories. She regularly posts her own designs and has already published a book entitled "Margrethe's Beads" in Danish. Just be careful when looking for designs: you might get lost on social media platforms and be intimidated by experienced bead designers. But you don't have to be. By choosing the right colour and size of bead, it's possible to create beautiful designs with simple sequences.

Difficulty level 1: stringing beads

Prepare all the beads you like. Divide up the different types on a plate or in a bowl. Nothing gets lost and even small beads are easier to grasp. Arrange the bowls in the order you want to remember them. This way, you can also check whether the colour palette suits you. Once you've decided on a sequence, you can start your string. Cut the wire to match your height. For people who are 1.75 m tall, for example, a length of 70 cm is recommended.

To begin, string on the crush pearls. As the name suggests, they can be crushed and allow you to replace the bow. As sunglasses can be heavy, I string on two of these beads. I add the rubber tips that will later be used to hold my sunglasses in place. Using the beginning of the thread, I pass through one of the holes in the rubber and pass it back through the two beads to be crushed, in the other direction. This creates a loop, which I reduce by pulling on the thread. The beads to be crushed must be close to the rubber. Make sure there is about 2 cm of thread left at the end. Later, you can thread the remaining piece of thread through the next beads and cut it off.

Next, take the pliers to crush the two metal beads, rubber loop included. When the beads stop moving, they will completely enclose the wire. Then you can string all the beads as you wish. If you want the pattern to be regular and end in the same order as it began, I recommend making a pause in the middle of the thread. Then arrange the rest of the beads in reverse order on the rest of the thread. This way you have the same pattern on both sides.

When you get to the end of the thread, thread two crush beads and the second rubber fitting again and repeat the same operation as at the beginning: form a loop, thread through the two metal beads again and crush them. Cut the rest of the wire after passing it through a few beads.

Difficulty level 1.05: daisies

To make flowers, I recommend using wire. As you have to pass through the same beads several times, it's easier to use a stiff wire. What's more, wire is still flexible, so you can adjust the shape of your flowers afterwards. If you prefer nylon wire, a needle will help you string the beads.

After stringing a few purple beads, I string five gold beads that will later form a flower. They form the top half. The number varies according to the bead in the centre. The larger it is, the more beads you need to use around it to avoid having holes.

With that, I thread a large brown bead, which represents the inside of the flower. Before stringing any more beads, I start again with the wire through the first of the gold beads in the direction of the knot. I complete the wire with four gold beads. These make up the bottom.

To finish, I pass the thread through the last of the top five beads and tighten the thread until a flower forms. The tighter you make it, the more beautiful the shape. If you're not happy with the result, you can add or remove beads.

Infinite possibilities

Once you've cleared the first hurdle, you'll see all the things you can do with the skills you've acquired. As well as a spectacle lanyard, you can also use other methods to create a keyring, necklace or bracelet. Bead weaving is all about always having things on you like your wireless headphones or smartphone while turning them into real jewellery.

Aside from the joy of doing it, I love the fact that I don't have to constantly search for my sunglasses. Thanks to the beaded cord, they hang next to my handbag and look good around the house too. My next project: earrings and new levels of difficulty. Follow me so you don't miss any of my projects and don't forget to share your results in the comments.