Build a bicycle with seed beads by Sharon Bateman materials • 2 2-in. (5cm) or 11⁄2 in. (3.8cm) Rings • Black electrical tape (optional) • 1 Hank 110 seed beads, black • 1 Package silver-lined craft store “2-cut” beads or size 1 bugles • 1 Spool 22-gauge craft wire, black • 1 Spool 20-gauge craft wire, black (optional) • 2 Crimp beads • 10g 60 Seed beads, any colors • 2 Flat, black pressed-glass beads for pedals (6-8mm long) • 1 Red pressed-glass bead for front light • 4 Cylindrical bone beads, approx. 1⁄2 in. (1.3cm) long • 1 Sheet Shrinky Dink • Colored pencils • Beading needles, #12 • Nymo D beading thread, black Tools: scissors, hole punch, wire cutter, roundand chainnose pliers, tape measure or ruler, drill with fine bit stepbystep After beading the wheels and making assorted bicycle parts including the seat, chain guard, gear sprocket, axle, and head set, you assemble the bicycle body by lacing the parts together with seed beads on wire. Final steps include adding the pedals and handle bars. wheels I prefer to use brass rings (sold as macramé rings) because of their weight, but use what you can find in a local crafts or fabric store. If desired, cover the rings with black electrical tape, or let the metallic glint provide a natural wheel frame effect. 1) If using a white plastic ring, cover it with black electrical tape, burnishing it to the ring and trimming rough edges. 2)Thread a needle with 2 yd. (1.8m) of thread and tie the end onto the ring tightly with a square knot and a few half hitches (see “Basics”). 3)Transfer 3 strands of black 110 seed beads to the thread (about 60 in. /1.5m). Run your needle through the last bead again to secure the strand temporarily and keep it snug as you work. 4)Wrap the strand around and around the ring to cover it. When the end reaches the beginning, go through the first few beads (photo a). Then square stitch (see “Basics”) a few beads at the end and the beginning together to secure them (photo b). Knot with a few half hitches between beads, go through a few beads after the last knot, and cut off the thread. Note: If you haven’t strung enough beads to reach the beginning without gaps, add more; if you have too many, remove them. Make the second wheel. 5)To make a hub for each wheel, string 8 black 110 beads on a 11⁄2-yd.(1.35m) thread. Tie the beads into a tight circle with a square knot and weave the end in later. 6)Square stitch two beads at a time around the circle (see “Basics” and photo c). Work a second square-stitch row and leave the thread in place for making the spokes. 8)With the hub centered in the tire, alternately string black 110 seed beads and silver 2-cuts to reach the bottom inside of the tire. Go through the beads around the outside of the tire and string a parallel spoke back to the other edge of the hub (photo d). These are the south spokes. Go around through half the hub edge beads to the north side and make the pair of north spokes. 9)Add the east and west spokes in the same fashion (photo e). Then add a set of spokes between each compass point. Note: You may be tempted to run through the spokes to tighten them as you go. Don’t. Make all the spokes first. If there are any gaps when you are done, run through them again. Complete the second wheel. assorted bicycle parts Trace, color with colored pencils, 1) cut out, and bake the Shrinky Dink chain guard and sprocket (figure 1 and 2a or b, shown full size), following manufacturer’s directions. (Different brands shrink to different percentages. If you use another brand, divide the desired finished size by the finished percentage after shrinking and make the template the resulting size.) You can cut the holes in the chain guard 3⁄4 in. (2cm) from the edge with a standard hole punch as shown on figure 1 before baking. Drill a hole in the center of the sprocket after baking. 2) Use a bone bead for the head set at the base of the handle bars. Drill 3 holes all the way through both sides of the bead. Two are side by side placed vertically on the bead toward one end. Drill the third hole perpendicular to the first two and a little toward the other end of the bead (figure 3). 3) Use a bone bead for the pedal axle.Drill two holes near the center, slightly offset and perpendicular to each other (figure 4). 4) For the seat, cut a 20-in. (51cm) length of black 22-gauge wire. String 3 size 60 beads onto the wire and bend it in half. Run the opposite end of the wire through the last 2 beads (photo f). For the next row, string 3 beads on one wire and run the other wire through from the other side. Continue in this manner, following figure 5. When you have woven the last row, bow the middle of the seat up slightly. Twist the wires together 2-3 times right under the seat and leave the tails for later (photo g). bike frame Using 20-gauge wire gives you a sturdier bike, but it will not go through bugles.The 22-gauge wire goes through bugles but not doubled. To build the bicycle frame, you can use any size or variety of beads you like as long as they go over the wire and allow you to reach the specified measurements 1) Cut two 20-in. lengths of 20- or 22-gauge wire. Cut one 3-in. (7.6cm) length, one 4-in. (10cm) length, and one 6-in. (15cm) length. 2) String a 60 bead, a wheel hub, and a 60 bead onto the center of both 20-in.wires. Pull one pair of wires forward and one back and ignore the back wires. 3) String 14 60 beads (11⁄2 in. / 3.8cm) on each of the front pair of wires. 4) Run both ends through a 60 bead, the middle hole of the axle bone bead and a 60 bead (photo h). 5)String 14 60 beads (11⁄2 in.) on each end of the wire. 6) String a 60 bead, the other wheel’s hub, and a 60 bead on one wire end and cross the other wire end through the three elements. Pull tight (photo i). 7) String 14 60 beads (11⁄2 in.) on each end of the wire. 8 ) Run both ends through a 60 bead, the original hole of the bone head set bead, a 60 bead, and a crimp bead. Make sure all the beads are tight and even and crimp the crimp bead (photo j). Don’t crimp it tightly enough to break the wire. Leave the tails for later. 9)String 16 60 beads (13⁄4 in. / 4.3cm) onto both tail wires from the seat held together. Run the ends through the second hole of the axle bone bead (photo k). Add a crimp bead. Pull the beads tight and crimp carefully. 10) String 14 60 beads (11⁄2 in.) onto each end of the second 20-in. wire. Run both ends through two 60 beads. Pass the ends of the wire forward on each side of the seat post wire 3 beads below the seat and string 16 more 60 beads (13⁄4 in.) onto both ends held together. Turn the head set bone bead so the pair of holes faces the seat. Run both wires through the top hole (photo l). 11)Separate the wires and run one through the lower hole. String 20 60 beads (21⁄4 in. / 5.6cm). Wrap the end of the wire next to the axle bone bead (photo m). Trim the tail. 12) To make the light, string the red bead on the wire tail left on the head set bone bead. Trim the wire to 1⁄4 – 3⁄8 in. (6mm-1cm) and make a small loop with the roundnose pliers (see “Basics” and photo n). finishing touches 1)To make the pedals, bend a small loop on one end of the 4-in. wire. String a pedal bead, 6 60 beads, the top hole of the large end of the chain guard and a 60 bead. Run through the original hole of the axle bone bead. String 6 60 beads and a pedal bead. Trim the wire and make a small loop (photo o).