I’ve got a little girl who LOVES making necklaces. LOVES it! Which means two things. I am the proud owner of many, many crazy beaded necklaces and there’s always a bowl/plate/cup of beads hanging around for a necklace in progress. It also means that we are forever looking for the right sized needle to fit both the thread and the hold in the bead. Or we were, until this trick arrived at our house! The only downside to this technique is that you do have to wait for the stiffener to dry. But by premeasuring out thread and yarn and making several at once, you’ll avoid thos “is it ready yet!” moments.

Difficulty level: Easy
Time required: Less than a minute (plus dry time)

Things you’ll need:
Wax or parchment paper
Fabric Stiffener
Thread, yarn or embroidery floss
Scissors

Things to do:
1. Cut several pieces of your choice of thread or yarn to a good length for necklaces plus an inch of two for tying.
2. Lay out your parchment or wax paper.
3. Line up all the ends, slightly spaced apart from one another.
4. Spray the ends (about 1 inch) generously with the fabric stiffener.