3 Strand Tigertail Necklace

Quick and easy to make, and using only a few beads you could make a pile of these to go with all your outfits.

What you need:

• 1+1/2m Tiger Tail Wire 
• 3 x Lampwork Focal Beads 
• 6 x 4mm Crystal Bicone Beads 
• 12 x 6mm Round Beads 
• 36 x 4mm Round Beads 
• 20 x Crimp Beads 
• 1 x Bolt Ring Clasp & Tag 

What you do:

• Cut the Tiger Tail into 3 equal lengths of 50cm each.
• Slide onto all three lengths a tiny silver crimp bead (just slightly off centre from the middle) and squeeze tightly onto the wire using flat-nosed pliers or a special crimping plier. (This little bead then holds the rest of your design in place) 

• Thread a 4mm crystal Bicone bead onto the slightly longer end of the 3 wires pushing it up close to the crimp bead, add a lampwork Focal Bead and another Crystal Bicone.
• Slide on another crimp bead to hold this whole cluster of beads in place and crimp to secure. This is your centre cluster. 

• Take 3 x 6mm round beads and thread one bead onto one wire as shown in the photograph. Make sure they sit slightly apart.

• Thread on a crimp bead onto all 3 wires and crimp in place to hold the 3 beads secure. Repeat this on the other side of your centre cluster.

• Now add another cluster the same as your centre cluster to each side of the design, then add the 3 bead cluster again.
• On your wire now, you should have 3 lampwork clusters and 4 x 3 bead clusters.

• To one side of the design, take 6 x 4mm round beads and add 2 beads to each of the three wires, secure in place with a crimp bead. Repeat this cluster twice more (making 3 clusters in total), repeating on the other side of the design.

• Trim the Tiger Tail on both sides, to make an equal length.
• Onto one side slip on a crimp bead and the clasp tag. Tuck the Tiger Tail back through the crimp bead and squeeze to secure. (If you cannot get all three lengths back through the crimp bead, do not worry, just poke through what you can and trim the excess off) 

• Trim off any excess Tiger Tail as close to the crimp bead as possible.

• Repeat steps 11-12 on the opposite side of the Tiger Tail using the Bolt Ring.

© Sue Simmons / The Bead Shed 

2006