There are some projects that are such fun to make that you can feel yourself becoming rather addicted! The kumihimo icicles are certainly one of those projects. What makes some projects addictive, while others are less appealing to make? A quick make is always fun, but if they are repetitive they can become boring. The charm of a project like the icicles is that each one can be a little bit different, so as you work on them you have the fun of seeing how they turn out. The beads used are lovely to work with, but they are more than just pretty, because you can play with different combinations to achieve different effects. Transferable skills are an important aspect of all craft and the techniques learnt in making the icicles can be used in different jewellery projects, such as pendants and making focal sections for bracelets and necklaces. Finally, you can never have too much bling on a Christmas tree, so you can make as many of these charming ornaments as you like, knowing that the more you make the greater the impact and that they will give pleasure year after year. They make great gifts or can be added to gift wrapping for maximum impact.
My icicle tutorial has proved to be very popular and last month I made up some icicle kits, which sold out immediately. These kits are not only very time-consuming for me to make up, but it is complicated to source all the different types of bead, so I was not able to restock immediately. However, I have finally got together the beads I want and put together some more kits. In nature every snowflake and every icicle is unique, so when I make icicles for myself I make each one slightly different. For the kits I provide the materials for two matching, but not identical decorations. For the restocked kit I have made some changes so that for those who already have the first kit they can make two new designs. Each icicle is made up of 6 different shapes of bead in a variety of different finishes and I vary the shapes in each icicle, so there are 8 different bead shapes in the kit. This is why the sourcing of the beads is complicated and I have had to buy from 5 different suppliers! This is why kits are a good way to try something for the first time and can be economical, even with international shipping, because you do not have to pay multiple shipping charges. Once you have learnt the technique you can experiment with your own ideas. The tutorial is different to the instructions in the kit because I show different set ups to help people to use what they have in their stash. I also explain two different ways of constructing the icicle. In a kit I can supply just the right size of end cap, so in a tutorial I wanted to show how you can make your own endings.
If you want to make some icicles for your tree you can either try the tutorial or the kit (while stocks last!)
These are addictive … you have been warned!
