Beaded Yard Decor Projects

Wind Chimes

• Create beaded strands for wind chimes to decorate your property. Hang beaded wind chimes from shepherd's hooks in your yard, from tree limbs or from the eaves of your home. Select beads such as glass, crystal, ceramic or plastic that will hold up well to the elements. To make the beaded strands, slide a bead to the middle of a length of fishing line. Double the line and slide the beads over both strands to make one wind chime strand. Tie the beaded line to a metal craft ring or add it to an existing set of chimes.

Candlelier

• "Candleliers" resemble chandeliers, but their light source comes from candles rather than electricity. You can make beaded yard decor from an old metal chandelier. Remove the wiring and spray-paint the chandelier to complement your landscape. Drape beaded strands between the arms for colorful decoration. Hang crystal prisms from the bottom center and from each individual arm for added sparkle. Insert tapered candles into the light bulb fixtures to complete the lighting project. Hang the candlelier from the center of a garden arbor, from a pergola or from a tree limb.

Garden Stakes

• Create your own decorative garden stakes for plant identification or to add a fanciful design to your flower beds. Shape 18- to 20-gauge craft wire into designs such as a butterfly, flower, garden fairy or hummingbird. You can create a shape with wire by first making a jig. Trace the design outline onto a block of wood and insert protruding finishing nails around the perimeter. Wrap the wire around the jig to create the shape. Thread beads over the wire before you twist the ends together. You can also dangle beaded wire or beaded fishing line from the perimeter of your designs.

Planters

• Add beads to existing planters to create beaded yard decor. Glue flat-backed glass beads onto the outside of wooden, plastic or metal planters using clear, waterproof adhesive. Arrange the beads randomly, or create a design outline. To make a design outline, trace the desired design onto the planter using a template. Glue beads to the trace marks. Beaded planters can emphasize walkway borders or an entrance to a garden path, or they can stand alone beneath a tree in your yard.