What types of ideas have people come up with odd and end leftover beads.  I have gotten a lot of bead packs in the past, and also have one or two beads leftover from another project, and haven't been able to come up with any creative ideas as to what to do with them.  So, I thought I would see if others have come up with some good ideas.

I separate them into color categories (bright colors, blacks/whites, and earthy) until I have enough to put them all on head pins to make a dangle bracelet.  Here's one I did and called it  'Bead Soup'.  It sold as soon as I put it out on a table at an art show.

love the bracelet - I was going to suggest the same thing - the other thing you can do is make sets of earrings and have them on hand for gifts - I always try to keep 5 or 10 pairs of earrings on hand for quick gifts. The other thing you can do is make a non symetrical necklace - using various different colors - as long as you some metal in there it breaks up the colors - I try to stick to no more than 3 colors - and if you don't have enough beads - use chain to break them up.

You're a genius, Alice.  I LOVE that idea.  Thanks!

 

Laura

Ha -- I was going to suggest earrings, as well. It's usually what I do with my leftover beads. That, or I'll take an old shirt or jeans/skirt, and if it has a stain on it somewhere, I'll just bead embroider a flower on top it. :) Cathy

Hi,

I make pendants with my left over beads. I put them on a headpin, (maybe one, maybe several...some plain some fancy) then I attach a large jump ring or a lobster clasp. These sell like crazy....and people use the chains they already have! (I do provide a line of chains that will hold many of these pendants....but they sell by themselves best! That bracelet is beautiful btw!

Linda Aspenson Bergstrom

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Having lots of unmatched beads, I tend to throw a bunch on a tray, and let some combinations come up on their own - then I make cellphone charms, keychains (or just a big multidangle thingy to hang on a purse), and I seem to be making alot of single multi-link pendants.  My sister took me to the local bead store I haunt, and my 6year old nephew tagged along. He talked his mom into buying him a bunch of beads (saying "aunty can make me a keychain for my backpack").  Imagine - a 2" silver alligator, a 1/2" goldedged Canadian Mapleleaf charm, a 1" red pottery bead with a figure carved into it, and a 1 1/4" oval glass bead (clear with swirls of greens and golds and black-cos it looked like a dinosaur was trapped in it).  Any way you look at them, having mismatching beads can actually be a good adventure in trying out combinations you wouldnt normally consider. 

J

Hello!

I make beaded keychains with my leftover beads.  These are very popular!  I saw them selling in a bookstore for almost $8 and I thought....I can do that myself.  They can be any length you want.  I make them in college colors and those are particularly popular.  I am a teacher and I make these in my school's colors and give them to colleagues as little pick-me-ups.  Fun to make!  I posted a pic in the subscriber gallery....not sure yet how to post in a forum reply.

Happy Beading,

Sarah

 

Would you mind filling me in on how you posted a photo in your reply.  I can't figure it out!

Thanks in advance,

Sarah

All of my photos are in Photobucket.  If you hover your mouse over the image you want, a set of choices appear.  I click on the last one (IMG Code), do a right click, and then choose 'copy'.  Paste the photo here in the reply box.  Photobucket is all I use, so I can't tell you how the others work.

Alice

I take odd bits that other wise might hit the trash (Heaven forbid in the Kitty household) and string them on stretch cord. Odd charms, ugly beads, tiny keys etc. I call them crazy bracelets

Because I'm an amateur and don't sell what I make, I often have quite a few inexpensive beads left after a year or so.  I donate them to a social service agency at which my friend works, and others I know do, too.  They are used by the after school programs to allow kids to make their own bracelets (we keep it very simple), and to make gifts at Christmas time.  These kids can't afford such things, and they are thrilled and delighted with the fun and the beauty.  They are very talented, too!

 I donate beads I won't use to Gilda's club.  I am a member so I know how the various Gilda's clubs operate on shoe string budgets.  Women's shelters are also in need of craft kits & supplies.

I truly love what you did with your leftover beads -- I would have bought your bracelet in a heartbeat!  Very cool~

 

That seems nice...