Make your own wooden bead Christmas decorations with copper wire. Follow four photo tutorials: a simple star, a snowflake, a double star and a small spiral Christmas tree.
Hang your handmade ornaments on the Christmas tree or in a window, or add them to a wrapped gift. Combine natural wooden beads with gold- or silver-coloured beads. This is a lovely family project, with an adult helping to cut and bend the wire.
Materials for wooden bead Christmas decorations
Choose one of the two bead kits below, or use beads and wire you already have. For the designs shown, you will need:
- Round wooden beads in 6 and 8 mm for the stars and snowflake. For the tree, choose the size and number of beads to suit the shape you want.
- Copper wire in 0.5 mm for the three flat designs. For the tree, you can use 0.8 mm wire to make a firmer spiral.
- Hanging cord and, if you wish, a small star-shaped wooden bead for the top of the tree.
Gold-plated copper wire, 0.5 mm, on a spool of approx. 9.5 m is also available separately. The lengths listed with each design are for one ornament; a spool contains more wire.
Choose a bead kit with gold- or silver-coloured details
Both kits bring together the main materials: mixed natural wooden beads, gold- or silver-coloured wooden beads, cord, copper wire in 0.5 and 0.8 mm, and instructions. Choose the bead colour you prefer.
Christmas decoration kit with gold-coloured wooden beads
View the kit with gold-coloured wooden beads
Add the kit with gold-coloured beads to basket
Christmas decoration kit with silver-coloured wooden beads
View the kit with silver-coloured wooden beads
Add the kit with silver-coloured beads to basket
Each button adds one kit to your basket. The colour choice refers to the beads. Pliers and wire cutters are used alongside the kit and can be bought separately if you need them.
Tools
Use wire cutters to trim the wire and either chain-nose or flat-nose pliers to hold, bend and tighten it:
Go straight to a tutorial:
Wooden bead star
For one star, you will need 30 wooden beads in 8 mm, approx. 55 cm of 0.5 mm copper wire and hanging cord.
1. Cut approx. 55 cm of 0.5 mm copper wire. Thread on 12 of the 30 beads.
2. Form a circle and twist the wire ends together to close the ring. Leave a short tail of approx. 5 cm and work with the long end.
3. Thread 3 new beads onto the long wire end. Skip 1 bead in the ring and pass through the next one. Gently tighten the wire; chain-nose or flat-nose pliers can help.
4. Thread on another 3 beads. Skip 1 bead in the ring and pass the wire through the next bead.
5. Tighten the wire. The first 2 points of the star are complete.
6. Continue around the ring: add 3 beads, skip 1 bead in the ring and pass through the next one.
7. Wrap the long wire end around the wire of the inner ring a few times. Make sure both ends are secured.
8. Trim the excess wire. Your star is finished. If you wish, pass a thin cord through one of the outer beads to hang it up.
Wooden bead snowflake
For one snowflake, you will need 48 wooden beads in 6 mm, approx. 65 cm of 0.5 mm copper wire and hanging cord.
1. Cut approx. 65 cm of 0.5 mm copper wire. Thread on 6 of the 48 beads.
2. Form a circle and twist the wire ends together to close the ring. Leave a short tail of approx. 5 cm.
3. Trim the excess short tail once the ring is closed. Keep the long wire end to make the arms of the snowflake.
4. Thread on 5 new beads. Pass the wire back through the second-to-last of these 5 beads, leaving the last bead at the tip.
5. Gently tighten the wire.
6. Thread on 2 new beads and pass the wire back through the first of the 5 beads.
7. Tighten the wire so the beads sit close together, as shown in the photo.
8. Pass the wire through the next bead in the inner ring.
9. Tighten the wire. You are ready to make the next arm in the same way.
10. Thread on another 5 beads and pass the wire back through the second-to-last of these 5 beads.
11. Add 2 beads and pass the wire back through the first of the 5 beads.
12. Tighten the wire.
13. Continue around the inner ring until the snowflake has 6 arms.
14. Wrap the wire end around the wire of the inner ring a few times, then trim the excess. If you wish, pass a thin hanging cord through one of the outer beads.
Double wooden bead star
For one double star, you will need 18 wooden beads in 8 mm, 24 wooden beads in 6 mm, approx. 80 cm of 0.5 mm copper wire and hanging cord.
1. This design uses beads in two sizes: 6 and 8 mm. Cut approx. 80 cm of 0.5 mm copper wire.
Thread on 12 beads, alternating 1 large and 1 small bead. Form a circle and twist the wire ends together. Leave a short tail of approx. 5 cm and trim the excess once the ring is closed.
2. Thread 2 large beads onto the long wire end. Skip a small bead in the ring and pass through the next large bead.
3. Tighten the wire. Add another 2 large beads, skip a small bead in the ring and pass through the next large bead.
4. Continue around the ring in the same way. After the final pair, pass through 2 large beads so the wire comes out of the first large bead you added in the outer round.
5. Tighten the wire. Thread on 3 small beads and pass through the next large bead.
6. Tighten the wire. Pass through the next 2 large beads so the wire comes out in the outer round again.
7. The first point is complete. Continue adding 3 small beads at a time. Pass the wire through a total of 3 large beads between each group of small beads.
8. Continue until the star has 6 points. Wrap the wire end around the wire in the star a few times and trim the excess.
9. Your double star is finished. If you wish, pass a thin hanging cord through one of the outer beads.
Spiral Christmas tree with wooden beads
For the tree, choose wooden beads to suit the size you want and an optional small star for the top. You can use 0.8 mm copper wire for a firmer spiral. The wire length and number of beads depend on the height and width of your tree.
1. Thread on 1 bead and bend the short wire end around it. This bead acts as a stopper to hold the other beads in place.
2. Thread on the number of beads you want and shape the wire into a spiral. Make each turn gradually smaller towards the top. When you are happy with the height and shape, you can add a small star at the top.
3. Bend the wire end at the top to secure the beads, then trim the excess wire.
4. Your wooden bead Christmas tree is finished. Gently adjust the spiral until you are happy with its shape.
Tips for bead sizes, hanging and reusing your ornaments
If you use different beads, choose holes wide enough for the wire to pass through more than once. Changing the bead size also changes the dimensions of the ornament and the amount of wire needed. Use the listed sizes to follow the photos closely.
Choose a thin cord that fits through the bead hole alongside the wire. Hang the ornaments on your Christmas tree or in a window, or add them to a gift, then keep them to use again next Christmas.
Printable guide to wooden bead Christmas decorations
Would you like to keep the instructions beside you as you work? Download the original guide with photos of all four designs. The text in the PDF is in Danish.
Download the printable guide in Danish (PDF)
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