DIY | Beaded Angel Pendants

Make Your Own Cute Angel Pendants

The angel as a symbol is not just for Christmas. In many religions, the angel symbolises divine love and many people also associate them with personal guardian spirits that protect and accompany each person.
The cute little beaded angels we show you in this inspirational blog post are easy to make. You simply string the chosen beads on a headpin and finish the pendant by winding a loop. 

For our examples, we use them as pendants in earrings, but they are also ideal as small charms for a bracelet or as jewellery pendants for a necklace. You mix and match the beads and create your very own variations.

Here you can find instructions on how to make the loop.

The Smyks range of beads includes a variety of angel wings. 

Here are some of the beads and ear wires we used for our examples:

Small wings, 12x2.5mm, gold-plated brass
Cubic zirconia beads
Small freshwater pearls
Small shell pearls
Spacer beads with crystals, gold-plated brass
Flower bud, coral imitation
Earwires with ball, gold-plated sterling silver
Earwires with zirconias, gold-plated sterling silver
Ear studs with zirconias
Earwires with ball and chain, gold-plated sterling silver
Headpins with plate, gold-plated sterling silver

+  Pliers set with 4 basic jewellery pliers

Hoops with curved wire, gold-plated sterling silver
Ear studs with flower and CZ, gold-plated sterling silver
Small wings, silver-plated brass
Headpin, oxidised sterling silver
Ear wires with crystal, oxidised sterling silver
 

You can find the tutorial and materials for the colourful and sparkling angels shown above in our previous blog post DIY Crystal Balls.
Alternatively, you can buy ready-made berry beads.

Make your own beaded angels - symbolism, culture and history

Angels have fascinated people for thousands of years. As symbols of light, hope and protection, they play an important role in religions, art and popular culture. When you make angels as beaded jewellery pendants, you're not just being creative - you're building on a long tradition of using angels as meaningful and decorative symbols. In this blog post, we dive into the history and meaning of angels and how you can use this knowledge in your creative beadwork.

The angel as a symbol

Angels are often associated with purity, divine guidance and spiritual protection. Many people wear angel jewellery as a personal talisman, either to mark a special event or to express faith and hope. In jewellery design, angel motifs are used to create calm and harmonious expressions, while pearls and beads offer the opportunity to work with shapes and colours that highlight the elegance of angels.

Angels in culture and religion

Angels are associated with many religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In these traditions, angels are seen as messengers between the divine and humankind. In the Bible, angels are described as both protectors and guides, while Islamic texts tell of angels recording human deeds and helping God to uphold the divine order.
In recent times, angels have also gained a strong place in popular culture. Films, books and art use angels as metaphors for goodness, courage and spirituality. As a result, angels have become very popular as decorative elements in jewellery - both as gifts and as personal accessories.

Historical origins

The concept of angels dates back to ancient Middle Eastern cultures. Already in ancient Babylonian and Persian cultures, winged beings were seen as symbols of protection. Later, the Abrahamic religions defined angels more clearly, giving them names, roles and hierarchies. In the Middle Ages, angels became a favourite motif in art, architecture and ornamentation. This tradition of reproducing angels in decorative form continues today - now also with modern materials such as glass beads, metal beads and crystals.

Beaded angels for jewellery

When you make a beaded angel, you combine tradition with modern craftsmanship. A typical beaded angel consists of:

• a bead as the head

• a bead as the body

• a pair of wings (usually made of mother-of-pearl or metal)

• a halo or glory

• an eyelet or loop

These little figurines can be used as pendants for necklaces, bracelets, earrings, to decorate gifts and as Christmas decorations. Beaded angels are perfect projects for beginners and experienced jewellery designers alike, and all the materials can of course be found on Smyks.com.