People Pins

These pins from The Bead Studio make a great gift.

Materials:

1½ yds of 24g wire
1 large body bead (teardrop, bi-cone or conical shape)
1 head bead (8-10mm with 2-3mm hole) - resin beads are perfect
Assorted beads (2-6mm): At least 4 small teardrop or tapered beads with lengthwise hole
Metal spacers
Seed beads
Other small beads (approx 36-40)
E-Beads
Charms (optional)
2” coil pin with clutch
T-pin
Wire Cutters
Chain-nose pliers

Steps:

Cut wire into four equal pieces.
For the legs: coil end of 2 wires using T-pin as coiling tool. Add assorted beads for legs (about 1¼ - 1½ inch long), ending with a tapered bead so that the legs flow smoothly into the body. Bring wires up through the body bead.
For the arms: use a new piece of wire, add hand bead or charm and fold wire in half. Add assorted beads to form arms ending with a tapered bead. Remember: you are using 2 wires, so the hole size has to be slightly larger than the legs. E-Beads work well. Bring leg and arm wires up through the head bead. You may need a bead cap or tapered bead as a neck to help the transition from body to head.
Place pin down through the head. Put the clutch on the end of the pin. Using the head as leverage, bend the pin back to a right angle. Place tip of chain-nose pliers on pin at base of head and bend straight down creating a jog in pin. This allows the pin to hang properly when worn.
Add beads for hair & coil off ends. If you prefer coiled wire hair start at base of head & coil wire with T-pin.
Style the hair - and it’s ready to wear!