I was cleaning out my closet this past week when I stumbled across my collection of seed beads. They brought back memories of making 12 safety pin pins for my Mom’s bunko group when I was younger. It then struck me that I could easily create some nerd themed pins now. Read on to find out how easy they are to make!

Materials:
Bead pattern
Safety pins (in various sizes from 1″-2″)
Seed beads
PliersInstructions:
1. Find or create a pattern you would like to recreate. Trust me, map out your beads before you begin! This will make things much easier, plus save you from having to redo bead lines. Simpler shapes work best and “8-bit” patterns tend to be a good option. I decided to go with Super Mario and a Minecraft Creeper.

 

2. Once you have a pattern, sort out which safety pins and bead colors you will need. As a rough guide, the 1″ safety pins will fit roughly 9 beads each and 8 pins across, the 1.5″ safety pins will fit roughly 15 beads each and 14 pins across, and the 2″ safety pins will fit 19 pins across. Use background/border beads as fillers if your pattern is smaller in either height or length.

3. Add seed beads to your pins according to your pattern. Remember to start beading with the top of the pattern since the pins hang upside down by their circle loops.

4. Once you have all your pins beaded, stretch the loop of your master pin open using pliers, and loop your beaded pins into place. Clamp the loop back into place to secure the beaded pins. You’re now ready to enjoy! Accessorize your favorite outfit or pin it to your bag or purse and show off your nerdy creativity.

Pointers:
Not all seed beads are created equal. You will find that your beads vary in height, width, and even hole size. To get the best results, try to match up beads of the same size proportion. Also, set aside beads with too small of holes for other projects.What pins do you plan on making? Let me know in the comments below!

Minecraft Creeper