How to Make a Beaded Puff Bezel

Intro:

All manner of cabochons and crystal components can be made into jewelry items by adding a bezel around the edge. The bezel allows the item to be hung from a chain or earring or be incorporated into a larger design.

A puffed bezel is a little more detailed, but not complicated. It gives a smooth finished touch to such crystal components as Swarovski rivolis which have a very fine edge, and benefit from added color to enhance their sparkle and shimmer.

To make a puffed bezel, I start with a two needle, three row peyote strip. This method allows the initial base of the bezel to be adjusted without taking out complete rows of peyote.

Step 1. Cut off about 4 to 5 feet of beading thread and thread a needle onto each end. Pick up one size 11 seed bead on each needle and pass both needles through a third size 11 seed bead. Slide this 3 bead unit to the center of your thread and and pull the thread taut. Repeat as often as needed to make a strip that will fit easily around your rivoli. For a 12 mm rivoli I made 14 units with Japanese seed beads. Different types of beads may take more or less units. You don't want your strip to be sloppy big around your rivoli, but you don't want it to fit exactly either. About the width of one bead all the way around the rivoli is ideal.

Step 2. Join your peyote strip into a circle by passing the right thread on the single bead end through the right bead on the 2 bead start end and the left thread through the left bead.

Step 3. Lay one thread aside and working on one side of your peyote strip, peyote around with size 15 seed beads. Be sure when you reach the end of the round you “step up” for the next round so that your thread is coming out the first bead you added in this round. Your work will start to cup.

Step 4. Work one more round with size 15 seed beads. When you reach the end, step up then work your thread back to the row of size 11 you started working the size 15's into. Lay that thread aside and work the other side in the same way with the other thread.

Step 5. Before you finish the second row of size 15's on the second side, slip your rivoli into the bezel and complete the row the same way as you did on the first side. Now you're ready to add the embellishing puff.

Step 6. Pick up 3 beads (you can use size 11's or size 15's. I used size 15's) and pass through the next size 11 bead. Note: The pictures are showing only the three rows of size 11's in the bezel. Continue around until you've put a picot between each size 11 seed bead. Lay that thread aside and work with the other thread.

Step 7. Pick up one seed bead the size you made your first row of picots with. Pass the thread through the center bead of the corresponding picot on the first side, pick up one more bead and pass through the next size 11 bead. Now you will have a “puff” over the center bead of the three row start. Continue around until you've worked all the picots together.

Step 8. You can either leave this as it is, or add two beads between each picot, as I did in the earrings shown.

Comments (3)

ShirleyP said:

	... This looks difficult even with your great instructions. It's obvious you know your stuff. I love bead work but can't do it for long periods because it tires my eyes.
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April 23, 2010
Votes: +2

jswana said:

	... I am not familiar with this but you certainly described it well. I actually thought I was going read about food. I am going to find out more about this interesting item. thanks for sharing.
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May 02, 2010
Votes: +0

Margie Lynn said:

	... Great instructions, I have done beading but nothing like this. Beautiful.
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September 05, 2010
Votes: +1