Beading beyond Jewelry: Crafts – Home & Yard Decor

Bead crafts are a fun and creative way to express yourself while making something beautiful and useful, or preserving a memory of someone dear to you. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced crafter, there is something for everyone in the world of bead crafts. . . beyond jewelry.

Our featured image is made by taking apart some of my mom and dad’s old jewelry pieces and trinkets and creating some art for my wall. These were my first pieces, so I’m definitely a beginner. Every piece carries a story and I cherish each one. Every time I look at them they remind me of mom and dad. Notice the belt buckle used as a flower pot, or the ear-rings turned into a plant or flower. We even added an arrow-head found by my dad while hiking decades ago.

We used pliers to cut the backs off belt buckles, ear-rings, pins, or to cut chains. We used jewelry glue, hot glue, and gorilla glue to prepare and cover the boards and hold our pieces on our boards. We added splashes of beads from broken necklaces to fill in our art work.

We did add some purchased metal jewelry trim to also fill in places. The small owls and butterflies reminded us of the owls and butterflies my parents had regularly in their yard in Tucson, Arizona. The music notes were sprinkled in to remind us of the beautiful music mom played on the piano. The small keys reminded us of old locks we use to open, but if you have authentic old keys and trinkets, they can be added to your projects as well.

You can get almost any type of embellishments pertinent to your loved one’ s interest in the charm section of jewelry. Look around at what you have and what the store and internet offers. Gather supplies and start laying out projects. Look on the internet, Pinterest, or YouTube under “vintage jewelry” for additional ideas, and use up grandma’s jewelry.

Be creative. It’s like a puzzle you are putting together.

Another popular and colorful type of bead craft is home decor and yard art. You can use beads to create many kinds of yard decor, beaded frames, beautiful wall hangings, curtains, and even lampshades. You can also use beads to embellish pillows, tablecloths, and other household items. Get creative by looking on Pinterest too. People around the world are sharing some great ideas.

If you are looking for a fun and educational activity for children through adults, bead crafts are a great choice. Beads can be used for more than a necklace or bracelet. Beading helps develop fine motor skills and encourages creativity and imagination. Plus, who doesn’t love making their own wall art, key chains, bead pets, or decorated frame. Beaded crafts add a pop of color to any shelf or corner and make great gifts for family and friends.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to the types of beads you can use, from plastic, metal, glass, crystal, clay, or wood.



Overall, bead crafts are a versatile and enjoyable hobby that anyone can do or do together with kids, grand-kids, friends, school classes, and Seniors. There is no limit to what you can create with beads.