Single-Strand Skeleton Necklace with Preciosa Seed Beads and Skull Beads

Tip: If it is not possible to sew a #8 ruby seed bead into the eye socket on your skull, omit Step 1.

If you have skulls with side openings and opposite facial parts, you can fill the eye sockets in the skulls. String about 20 inches of silicon thread into the eye of a needle. Thread it through the side opening in a skull bead and the eye socket. String on one #8 ruby rocaille seed bead. Pass the line through the same eye socket and side opening. Fill the adjacent eye socket on the same facial part. Once again use the side opening and add one #8 ruby rocaille seed bead. Continue in the same way in the opposite facial section. After filling the eye sockets, tie off both ends of the line with three knots. Thread both ends of the line through the opposite side opening. Cut off the ends. Repeat six times for a total of seven red-eyed skull beads.

Create the central hanging as follows:

• Slightly open a 10mm jump ring  and string a #34 black rocaille seed bead onto it. Add the eye of a 1-inch eye pin. Close the jump ring.
• String onto the 1-inch eye pin: one #4 black rocaille seed bead, six #8 black rocaille seed beads and then another #4 black rocaille seed bead. The ideal length of the protruding wire is 8mm. If necessary, snip the wire to the required length. Grasp the end of the wire with pliers between the rounded points. Move your wrist to twist the wire around the point, making a loop. Hold the eye pin with the seed beads in your other hand. Insert the eye of a new eye pin before fully closing the eye. Close.
• String four #4 black rocaille seed beads onto the second eye pin (this number will be influenced by the size of the cavity on the end piece). String the skull from the lower jaw. String on one #4 black rocaille seed bead. Make a loop, preferably on 8mm of wire. Insert the eye of a new eye pin before closing. Close the eye.
• String the following onto a 1-inch eye pin: one #4, six #8 and one #4 black rocaille seed beads. Make a loop in the end of the eye pin. 

Create the two side pendants that go nearest to the central one as follows: String one #34 black rocaille seed bead and the eye of a new eye pin onto a 10mm jump ring. String three #4 black rocaille seed beads, a skull bead and then another #4 black rocaille seed bead onto a 1-inch eye pin. Make a loop. Insert the eye of a new eye pin before closing. String the following onto the new 1-inch eye pin: one #4, six #8 and one #4 black rocaille seed beads. Make a loop. Insert the eye of a new 1-inch eye pin before closing. String the following onto the third 1-inch eye pin: one #4, three #8 and 1 #4 black rocaille seed beads. Finish with a loop. Repeat to make a second pendant.

Create two side pendants—the second ones from the center—as follows: String one #34 black rocaille seed bead and the eye of a new 1-inch eye pin onto a 10mm jump ring. String the following onto the new eye pin: one #4, six #8 and one #4 black rocaille seed beads. Finish with a loop. Insert the eye of a new 1-inch eye pin before closing. String the following onto the third 1-inch eye pin: three #4 black rocaille seed beads, a skull bead, and one #4 black rocaille seed bead. Finish with a simple loop. Repeat to make a second pendant.

Create two outside pendants as follows: String one #34 black rocaille seed bead and the eye of a 1-inch eye pin onto a 10mm jump ring. String the following onto the new 1-inch eye pin: three #4 black rocaille seed beads, a skull bead and one #4 black rocaille seed bead. Finish with a simple loop, inserting the eye of a new 1-inch eye pin before closing. String the following onto the new 1-inch eye pin: one #4, three #8 and one #4 black rocaille seed beads. Finish with a simple loop. Repeat to make a second pendant.

Prepare 16 closed 5mm jump rings.

String two 5mm jump rings, the top loop of the central pendant, two more 5mm jump rings and one #34 black rocaille seed bead onto a 10mm jump ring. Close the ring.

Continue gradually connecting the pendants from the center outwards as follows: open a new 10mm jump ring. String onto the 10mm jump ring: two 5mm jump rings, the top loop of a pendant, two 5mm jump rings from the already connected 10mm jump ring of the adjacent pendant and one #34 black rocaille seed bead. Close the 10mm jump ring. Repeat to connect all seven pendants.

Connecting the chain: Cut two 6-1/2 inch lengths of chain. Connect two 5mm jump rings to one end of the chain. Open a 10mm jump ring. String the following onto the 10mm jump ring: Two 5mm jump rings, a link from the chain, the two 5mm jump rings from the outer pendant and one #34 black rocaille seed bead. Close the 10 mm ring. Attach a lobster claw clasp to the top outer link of one chain using a 5mm jump ring.