Introduction and Materials

If you make some pumpkin beads, you can create this fun Pumpkin Vine Necklace to show them off. You could also substitute lampwork pumpkin beads or any type of bead you can find that looks like a pumpkin if you don't want to make them yourself.

You’ll need:

4 pumpkin beads about 10 grams size 11 green seed beads
Craft wire (I used 34-gauge.)
Beading wire (size .014 or .015 works well)
Crimp beads or clam shells
Wire cutters
Round-nosed pliers
Flat/bent nosed pliers
Narrow dowel or jewelers’ files

The PC Pumpkin Beads

You'll need four pumpkin beads, and if you want to make them yourself rather than purchase pre-made pumpkin beads, follow my instructions for making Polymer Clay Pumpkin Beads. Even if you haven't worked with polymer clay that much, you will find these pretty easy to make.

Assemble First Part of Pumpkin Necklace

1. Cut a piece of beading wire about 20 inches long.
2. Add a crimp bead or clam shell to one end of the wire.

3. String on about 6 inches of green beads. For stringing seed beads onto beading wire, I find it easiest to place a small pile of beads onto the corner of my bead board. Then I pierce the wire through the beads. Usually, I can get a few on at a time this way.

4. If you used a crimp bead, tuck excess bead wire down through the beads that are next to your crimp bead.

5. Add on a pumpkin bead - stem first.

6. String on 15 green beads.

7. Add on a pumpkin bead - stem first.

8. String on 10 seed beads.

9. Repeat steps 5 - 8, but turn the pumpkin around so it is bottom first.

10. String on 6 inches of green beads.

11. Finish off with a crimp or bead tip. Tuck beading wire into beads if using a crimp.

12. You could finish here, but to add a vine look to your necklace, continue.

Start Vine with Beads and Wire

13. Set your necklace aside for awhile, and cut about 4 inches of craft wire.
14. Use round nosed pliers to make a small curl at the end of the wire.

15. Thread on green beads until all but about 1 inch of the wire is covered. (You need to have some room left on the wire for the beads to move around for the next step.)

Coil Beads and Wire

16. Curl the opposite end of the wire.
17. Now wrap the beaded piece of the wire around a narrow dowel. I found the handle of a jewelers’ file worked perfectly.

Attach Bead Vine to Necklace

18. You are now ready to attach the curl to your necklace. Pull the curled piece out a little.
19. Then find the approximate middle of the curled piece and position it above the stem.

20. Then bend the curled piece in half, and wrap it around the beaded cord. You may want to wrap it a few times to make it secure.
21. Add a curly piece of vine for each pumpkin bead if you wish.

Here’s a picture of the necklace where half has the vine and half doesn’t, so you can decide which you like best. I think it would look cool to add even more vine pieces up and down the necklace. However, the choice is yours.