Hooked on Needles

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Beaded Banners -- A Fun and Easy Beading Craft

Here is another type of project that I looked at in catalogs and on line for the longest time trying to figure out how it's done, and finally I just picked one that I liked and ordered it to satisfy my curiosity. Sort of like when I saw the Mitered Squares Baby Blanket and couldn't seem to "get it" so I bought some yarn and made it. Actually doing something is a pretty good way to see how it's done! That's my revelation of the day!

Anyway, back to this project...Beaded Banners. You've probably seen them around the neighborhood on front doors or hanging in windows, or maybe just in a craft catalog like Mary Maxim or Herrschner's or other similar places. I have made quite a few of them in all different shapes and sizes and for all different occasions, picking them up when they are on sale or when they come out with one I particularly like or that would make a nice gift for someone special.

Well, early this year Mary Maxim announced on their website that they would be holding a Beaded Banner design contest and there would be 10 winners, each one receiving a $100 gift certificate to their catalog. Here was my opportunity to take my liking for this craft one step further and design my own. So I printed out the blank template that they offered on their website for those wishing to enter the contest and I set to work with my freshly sharpened colored pencils and a few ideas in my head. I actually designed four banners, but only submitted one. It takes a Really Long Time to fill in all 3000+ little ovals! In fact, the one design I did submit, I had to re-do three times before I got it just right.

Anyway, long-story-short, several weeks had gone by past when they had said they were going to announce the winners, so I figured I was out of the running. But just the very next day after I had given up, I got a phone call from The Nicest Lady at Mary Maxim informing me that my design was one of the winners and my gift certificate would be coming in the mail shortly! What a thrill! And besides that, they were going to pick several of the designs to offer as kits in an upcoming catalog! Well, hot dawg! I couldn't believe it. I still don't know if mine was picked to be made into a kit, but I check their website frequently and anxiously await their Christmas catalog to see if it's in there since the design I did was most definitely Christmas.


Beaded Easter Cross BannerThis one in the picture is most definitely NOT Christmas! I made this one as an Easter gift for my oldest sister who is a nun and a teacher. She hung it in her classroom window and it was so pretty on a sunny day. You can see in the picture that all but the black beads are translucent and the design gives the effect of stained glass, in a beaded banner sort of way. Anyway, she liked it and I thought it was a fun design to do because of all the detail in it.

Coming up soon, I will have a picture tutorial on how these banners are made, just in case you are curious too! You will see that there really is no mystery to it and they are very easy and quite fun to make.

If you like Beaded Things, don't forget to sign up for my 100th post give-away which ends Wednesday, Sept 17th!

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5 Comments:

  • Hi Mary Grace,

    I love doing beaded banners. It took me a while to figure out it is peyote stitch! I've done quite a few myself and will buy the kits whenever I can. I recently purchased a program called BeadTool 4. It lets me design my own banners from pictures or just imagination. :) I even went to far as to get a tabletop paiter's easel (the one with the drawer in the base) and some friends made me a nice big double layer corkboard that fits perfectly in the canvas holders. This lets me work on the banners while they "hang" rather than flat. It's much easier on the back. I'd love to send you a picture of the setup. One thing I'd like to ask: how in the world do you decrease and increase on the edges or make the "teeth" shape on the bottoms? I can't figure that out!

    Thanks

    BTW my email address is marlengar@gmail.com

    By Blogger Unknown, At October 9, 2012 at 11:42 AM  

  • Hi. I have been trying to figure out a template for beaded banners to no avail. Would you be so kind to share a copy of it? I'd be grateful to you. Thanks. Lauri

    By Blogger Unknown, At August 7, 2013 at 9:25 PM  

  • Hi Laurie, thanks for writing. I hope you see this response here because I was not able to reply to your comment.

    Anyway, you can get beaded banner blank grids in two different sizes from Bonnie at this link: http://www.beadedbannerpatterns.com/blankgrid.php She has awesome beaded banner stuff. I hope this helps you!

    MGM

    By Blogger Mary Grace McNamara, At August 7, 2013 at 10:54 PM  

  • i was wondering if you could refresh me on how to start a left hand row. my instructions are taped down and it has been awhile since i worked on my piece and i cannot remember that part of the directions. thanks for any help.

    By Blogger wilddog-1978, At September 3, 2013 at 4:34 PM  

  • Hey Wilddog! Thanks for writing. I hope you see this response to your questions here since you did not leave any way for me to contact you.

    Anyway, here's a link to a picture tutorial I did on beaded banner making: http://www.hookedonneedles.com/2008/09/varsity-letter-music-beaded-banner.html I hope you will find the information you are looking for in there.

    MGM

    By Blogger Mary Grace McNamara, At September 3, 2013 at 11:22 PM  

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