When it comes to making these pretty BoHo beads, you can see I was unable to stop at just one! Having recently done a Zoom presentation for a fiber group on making them, I thought I'd share the steps here in case you want to try it yourself. I bet you have the makings for these, or at least many of them, on hand! First off, let's start with the name. BoHo is a term that describes a free and unconventional style in fashion, home decor, art, and various crafts. The style became popular in the 1970s and it reflects Hippie and Bohemian influences that create a look with layers of color, texture, pattern, and trims. Sometimes the terms Gypsy and Bohemian are used interchangeably when describing the look. That's because of the Gypsy or Romany people who lived in the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. They had a unique style of dress and were known for their vagabond wandering lifestyle. Artists and hippies felt like kindred spirits and so were referred to as Bohemian. Then in the early 2000s the term BoHo Chic was coined, and we've embraced it since.
So with the concise history lesson complete, let's see what you'll need to make your own BoHo beads. In the photo above, starting at the left: core material for your bead such as a recyled plastic straw; fabric glue such as Aleene's or Fabri-Tac; small strips of fabric or ribbon (in the basket at top); metallic threads and floss (upper right); jewelry wire in both heavy gauge such as 18 or 20 and finer gauge such as 26; and assorted threads, fibers and yarns to trim the beads (eyelash yarn works nicely).
Here are some examples of core material. Some makers use paper straws, but I find they get a little soggy, so prefer to recycle plastic straws. You can see the various diameters in the photo. I find the narrower the core, the less "play" there is in the finished bead. On the far right is a plastic lollipop stick (with a small hole) which is my current favorite core material. You can find them in the cake decorating area of a craft store, or on Etsy. I've even seen other fiber artists who have used the plastic inner core of a spent ball point pen, which has a nice diameter.
You'll also want some fancy beads and findings such as jump rings, spacers, and bead caps. These pretty lampwork beads are ones I purchased from Sheila at BoHo Daydreams.
To make a bead, take a strip of fabric about 2 1/2" by 6". Vary these dimensions if you want a longer or fatter bead. Smear a little fabric glue along the core about the width of the fabric strip; press one narrow end of the fabric onto the core to secure it; then roll the strip around the core, keeping some tension on it; and finish with fabric glue to secure the end. Set it aside to allow the glue to dry. Because the core material is long, you may be able to make several beads at one time, or save the trimmed off core and use it later for other beads. The bead on the left, above, was made on a trimmed off piece. I added fabric glue to the outside and pressed some seed beads into the surface to give some added shine and texture. The bead on the right is made using batik fabric. One note: don't spend too much time choosing just the right fabric as you may completely cover it, or nearly so, as you add layers. You'll trim that core material before assembling the bead with other elements and findings to complete it.
You can see what I mean here. Once the glue is dry, it's time to add the next layer. In this case I wrapped the bead with eyelash yarn so not a lot of the fabric underneath shows. Again, I used fabric glue to secure the yarn at each end of the bead. A piece of styro-foam is handy to insert the core while the glue dries. There are some other beaded projects drying there, too.
If the eyelash yarn seems a little untamed, you can reign it in by wrapping it with fine gauge wire. The wire even comes in colors! I like to wrap barber-pole style down along the bead and then back up to achieve the criss-cross look. Finish the wire by wrapping it around one end to secure it, or "style" the end like this one by forming a decorative spiral.
Here's another way to tame the yarn. String a few seed beads on fine gauge wire and wrap the wire around the BoHo bead, spacing the seed beads as you go. This one is still on the lollipop stick core which will be trimmed with scissors so it's even with the ends of the bead.
And this example shows the use of metallic yarn to also contain the eyelash yarn. Once your BoHo bead has enough layers, and is to your liking, you're ready to complete it by assembling it on a heavier gauge wire with a loop for hanging. In our next "episode", I'll show you how to complete the BoHo bead along with some others options for the layers. AND, I'll show you a couple of uses for the beads. That's always a question people have. "What are you going to do with those?" I rarely have an answer when I start a project, but ultimately I'll find a use. More to come!
