Halloween Danglers: Because Apparently My Keys Needed Costumes Too
There are certain times when I walk into the craft room with absolutely no plan whatsoever.
This was one of those times.
There were Halloween beads on the desk. There were charms. There were clips. And apparently that was all the supervision I required before ghosts, pumpkins, bats, mummies, witches and a few suspicious-looking characters started turning into Halloween danglers.
And honestly? I love these little guys.
They’re a fun way to use some of those fabulous focal beads that can sometimes be a bit much for a bracelet but deserve considerably more attention than sitting in a bead bin until next October.
And some of these Halloween focal beads are just too darn cute not to use.
So… What Exactly Do You Do With a Dangler?
Pretty much anything that could use a little personality.
Clip one onto your keys, handbag, backpack, lunch bag, zipper pull or craft tote. They also make cute little gifts, especially when you want to give someone a Halloween treat that doesn’t involve handing them another 47 miniature chocolate bars.
They’re also a great little project if you have leftover beads from other Halloween makes. You don’t need many supplies, and there’s no need to make two exactly alike.
Which is fortunate, because apparently I am incapable of doing that anyway.
Start With the Star
If you’re making your own, here’s the easiest way I’ve found to get started:
Pick the focal bead first.
Design Tip: Pick the focal first. Let it choose the color palette for you.
For these, I started with the character—a ghost, pumpkin, bat, mummy, witch or whatever other little Halloween troublemaker caught my eye.
I found some really fun Halloween silicone focal beads on Amazon, and they make this kind of project ridiculously easy because most of the design work has already been done for you.
Halloween Silicone Focal Beads
Other suggestions:
100 Piece Silicone Halloween Beads
Once you’ve chosen your focal, let it pick the rest of the design.
Pull two or three colors from it. Mix up the sizes and textures of your supporting beads. Repeat at least one color somewhere else in the design, and then finish everything off with a coordinating charm.
That’s really it.
A Little Design Tip
If your dangler starts looking like the entire Halloween aisle fell on it, take something away.
The focal bead should still be the star.
You can have pumpkins, stripes, rhinestones, skulls, tassels and charms—but they don’t all have to fight for top billing. Sometimes one great focal with a few quieter supporting beads makes the cutest design.
Apparently even Halloween beads need to learn how to share the spotlight.
Tiny Projects Are Sometimes the Most Fun
That’s probably what I enjoyed most about making this collection. Each dangler became its own tiny project.
One could be spooky. One could be cute. Another could be completely ridiculous. And one could look suspiciously like Halloween exploded all over my craft table.
There really aren’t many rules.
Just choose your star, borrow a few colors from it and have some fun with the rest.
And because they’re quick little projects, you can sit down intending to make one.
Which is adorable.
Because clearly that is not what happened here. 😂
Somehow I ended up with an entire Halloween gang staring back at me from the craft room.
Now the only question is—which little troublemaker is your favorite?
Coffee in hand & something always on the craft table,
Julie — The Paper Artist
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Think of it as helping to keep this little corner of the internet supplied with paper, ink, beads… and, most importantly, coffee. Because apparently creativity requires caffeine and an alarming number of craft supplies.
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