Make a Bead Doll Necklace

Above left, the doll closeup. Right, the doll added to
the necklace. I used crystal like buttons and beads to 
shape our version of this bead doll craft.

       Bead and Button doll necklaces may be strung in many different ways using all sizes of beads. The possibilities are endless. Just right, is our version to give you a bit of inspiration.

Supply List:

• small needle-nose pliers
• fine wire
• bugle beads, seed beads, buttons and larger round beads
• clasps for closure of necklace or elastic
• fabric tape measure
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Twist a small loop twice around the tip of your needle-nose pliers to keep beads from sliding of the end of the wire. 
2. String on one round bead for the doll's shoe and then four bugle beds for her left leg. 
3. Then push this wire up through several stacked buttons to shape the doll's skirt.
4. Loop the wire through adjacent button holes down again and string on the remaining four bugle beads and round bead shoe. 
5. Twist a second small loop twice around the top of your needle-nose pliers to keep beads and buttons secured together.
6. Next cut a second 4 inch length of wire.
7. Thread this through the wire at the top of the doll's button skirt, fold it in half and thread both wire ends together through a single, larger waist bead.
8. For the doll's collar I used a tri-bead. For her head a colorful bead that has a skin color and for her hat a simple white button. String the double wire up through all of these layers.
9. Twist a small loop twice around the tip of your needle-nose pliers to keep beads and buttons from sliding of the end of the wire. 
10. Slip a small steel jump ring through the hole of the double looped wire tip so that the doll may be attached to a necklace later.
11. Twist a small loop twice around the tip of your needle-nose pliers to keep beads from sliding of the end of the wire for the third beaded wire. This should measure approximately four inches long; this will be the arms wire for the doll.
12. String on a tiny seed bead the same color as the doll's larger head bead.
13. Then add five slightly larger beads for the doll's puffy sleeves. 
14. Twist this length of wire between the collar and torso beads several times and repeat the pattern for the other arm. Twist a small loop twice around the tip of your needle-nose pliers to keep beads from sliding of the end of the wire.
15. Measure the length of elastic that your child will need to make a necklace that will be easily stretched about their neck. Use a fabric tape to do this. Give enough elastic so that it may be knotted easily.
16. Then students may be given additional beads to string onto elastic to make a necklace. String the doll through it's jump-ring onto the necklace before tying the ends together.
17. Older students may alternatively string a beaded wire the correct length and then add a closure of some kind at each end, string on the doll prior to closing the last end about the last ring.