How to Make 3D Beaded Animals - Handmade Tortoise Craft

Beads can be made into many crafts such as jewelry, bags, toys, home decor crafts and so on. Actually, once you've grasped the beading techniques, you can make many crafts as you like with your own design! I just made a 3D beaded tortoise and kids all love it! Now check the instruction here.

Supplies in making the green 3D beaded tortoise craft:

12mm Green Gemstone Beads
8mm Green Jade Beads
6mm Green Cat Eye Beads
4mm Gray Pearl Beads
4mm Yellow Faceted Glass Beads
2mm Yellow Bugle Seed Beads
0.38mm Tiger Wire
Scissors

Instructions on making the green 3D beaded tortoise:

Step 1: Bead a square pattern

1st, snip off a piece of 60cm tiger wire, slide 3 12mm green gemstone beads to the middle, and cross both ends through another 12mm green gemstone bead and tighten;
2nd, slide a 8mm green jade bead to one wire, and thread the wire through a green gemstone bead beside the green jade bead;
3rd, slide a green jade bead to the other wire, and thread the wire through the 12mm gemstone bead beside;
4th, repeat the beading process and add the rest 2 8mm green jade beads and finish the square pattern.

Step 2: Bead the back of the tortoise

1st, slide a 6mm green cat eye bead and 2 2mm yellow bugle beads to each wire, and then cross the wires through another 6mm green cat eye bead and tighten;
2nd, slide a 6mm green cat eye bead to each wire, cross them through a 6mm green cat eye bead again and tighten;
3rd, slide 3 2mm yellow bugle beads and a 6mm green cat eye bead to each wire this time, then cross the wires through the 12mm gemstone bead on the other side as pictured;
4th, thread the wire upward through the 6mm green cat eye bead respectively and tighten.

Step 3: Finish the back of the tortoise

1st, slide 3 yellow bugle beads, a cat eye bead, 5 yellow bugle beads, a green cat eye bead and 3 yellow bugle beads to the wire in order;
2nd, thread the wire through the 6mm green cat eye bead at the starting, and then thread the wire along the way to the first green cat eye bead that you just slid;
3rd, add 5 yellow bugle beads and a green cat eye bead to the wire, then cross and tie the wire to the connecting wire between the gemstone green bead and the jade bead next to it;
4th, repeat the beading pattern in 1st and 2nd procedure when you come to the green jade bead, and repeat the beading pattern in 3rd procedure when you come to the green gemstone bead and finally you finish it like what was shown in the picture.

Step 4：Make four legs of the tortoise

1st, thread 3 4mm yellow faceted glass beads to one wire, and then thread the wire backward along to the other side and add 3 4mm yellow faceted glass beads to make the other leg;
2nd, thread 3 4mm yellow faceted glass beads to the wire, add a 2mm yellow bugle bead and then thread the wire back through the beads to the position for the 3rd leg;
3rd, repeat the process to make the rest legs and finally trim off the wire.

Step 5: Make the head of the tortoise

1st, snip off a short piece of tiger wire, and thread the wire through 3 4mm yellow faceted glass beads, and cross the ends through another glass bead and tighten;
2nd, add a yellow faceted glass bead to each wire, and cross both wire through another 4mm faceted glass bead again and tighten;
3rd, slide 2 4mm yellow faceted glass beads and a 6mm gray pearl bead to each wire this time, then thread the wire through the second yellow glass bead from the top at sides respectively.

Step 6: Finish the beaded tortoise

Cross and tie the tiger wire to the connecting wire between the beads on the body of the tortoise and trim off the extra wires in the end.

I'm so proud to show you the final look of my beaded tortoise craft!

You may feel that it is a little difficult to make this 3D beaded tortoise craft after reading my tutorial. However, if you are quite familiar with the basic beading patterns, you can also finish it soon as I do! The main pattern I used in making this tortoise craft is square pattern. Have you got it? Have a nice try then!