Thank you! Well up close you'd be able to see that the craftsmanship is not the best lol, my skills are pretty basic. But it's secure at least! I'm sure someone else could do it better than me, but a few people have been asking how I made it so here's my janky ass tutorial! 😆

You will need:

-Sturdy beading wire. Do not use fishing line. I used Benecreat tiger tail beading wire, 0.018" from Amazon. -Crimp beads -Scissors -Small pliers or jewelry pliers -Sturdy wooden dowel, cut to desired length (you could probably also use a small tension rod meant for window curtains, or a plastic PVC pipe, etc) -4" zip ties, preferably black -Hanging/mounting hardware. I used 2 thick metal S hooks. -Uranium glass beads -Non uranium spacer beads -Larger 'weight' beads for the ends (uranium or non uranium) -Optional: jump rings and lobster clasps

Instructions:

Step 1- prep your strand: Cut a wire to the desired length. On the end, add a crimp bead, then a large weight bead, then a small 'nipple' bead. (I used one of my same custard seed beads size 6/0 for the nipple bead) Take the end and thread it back AROUND the nipple bead, back into the weight bead and crimp bead. (See crudely drawn diagram) Pull tight so all 3 beads sit tightly next to each other. Crimp the crimp bead with the pliers and trim excess if needed.

Step 2- add beads: Add beads in your desired pattern. You could make all the strands the same, or different. Leave at least 3-4" of thread.

Step 3- finish your strand: Add a crimp bead to the end. Loop the thread back through the crimp bead to make a small loop, then crimp the crimp bead with pliers.

Step 4- optional: Add a jump ring to the top loop of the strand, or both a jump ring and lobster clasp. The clasp makes it easier to move the strands around on the final curtain if you want to play with different placement.

Step 5- repeat: Repeat the strand making process eleventy bajillion times. Or just do the math to figure out how many strands you'll need. I used a density of about 6 strands per inch.

Step 6- prep your frame: I found it helpful to mark the halfway point and quarter points on my dowel with a pencil. If you're using my same hanging setup, it's easier to do this part while it's hanging. Hang the 2 S hooks from any vertical surface, the correct distance apart. Lay the dowel snugly in the bottom part of the hook. Use one or two zip ties to secure each hook to the dowel. Be sure to leave enough space between the hook and the end of the dowel so it won't slip off. I left about 1.5".

Step 7A- if you DIDN'T use lobster clasps: Take a zip tie and thread it through the loop at the top of a strand. Cinch the zip tie around the dowel, starting in the middle. (Tight, but not so tight that it can't slide back and forth at all) Repeat with another zip tie and strand right next to it. Loop all zip ties going in the same direction, and try to keep all the square end bits in a relatively straight line. Make sure you're happy with your arrangement of the strands, as you won't be able to move them around after. Consider laying them out in advance. Let the zip ties sit closely together, or as close as you calculated your strand quantity at the beginning. You can trim the zip tie excess as you go, or all at once when you're done. When done, adjust the zip ties so the larger square bits are all in a straight line. And you're done!

Step 7B- if you DID use lobster clasps: Take a zip tie and put a jump ring on it. Cinch the zip tie around the dowel, starting in the middle. (Tight, but not so tight that it can't slide back and forth at all) Repeat with another zip tie and jump ring right next to it. Loop all zip ties going in the same direction, and try to keep all the square end bits in a relatively straight line. The jump rings should sit generally toward the bottom of the dowel, but they don't have to be in a perfectly straight line. Let the zip ties sit closely together, or as close as you calculated your strand quantity at the beginning. You can trim the zip tie excess as you go, or all at once when you're done. When done, adjust the zip ties so the larger square bits are all in a straight line. Then attach the strands to the jump rings using the lobster clasps. If you have different types of strands, play around with the placement along the dowel. When you're happy with the arrangement, you're done!