DIY: How To Make A Beaded Lizard (With Pictures)

By Michelle D.

When I was a kid I learned how to make beaded lizards using large plastic pony beads (Amazon affiliate link) for mighty, durable, lizard bodies. We were always travelling on long road trips and this was a wonderful craft project to keep me endlessly entertained. The materials are very portable, the pattern can be as simple or as complex as the crafter chooses, and a lizard doesn’t take that long to complete. I loved having the freedom to play with my lizard designs, altering both the colors and the build. I made long lizards, fat lizards, lizards with six legs, and crazy pink lizards with blue eyes and gold toes.

Pony Beaded Lizard I made as a kid

Making beaded lizards was fantastically eye opening being able to safely experiment in a way that was always going to yield a final art piece. Some lizards came out more elegant than others, some were extremely silly, but each one was a final complete lizard.

Somewhere along the line I became an adult. I’m still not entirely sure how this happened. Now I work with fancy glass and ceramic beads from all over the world. 

One day I was talking with Sandra and remembered how much fun the little beaded lizards were to make. As I was reminiscing with Sandra I suddenly paused and thought, “what if I use fancy silver lined Czech glass beads to make a cute little lizard?” What followed was an absolute cascade of lizards and birds in a riot of color. I absolutely love how they came out! 

Here's how I make my lizards. I hope they can bring you the joy they bring me. 

Beaded Lizard Tutorial

Supplies needed:

A pair of scissors

Cordage (Coat’s Extra Strong Upholstery Thread [Amazon affiliate link])

Green, white, and 2 gold beads (silver lined Czech glass beads [Amazon affiliate link])

Optional:

Glue

Materials needed

Any type of cordage will work, whether that is elastic cording, silk thread, or polyester upholstery thread. Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. This little fellow is done on Coat’s Extra Strong Upholstery Thread.

I used silver lined Czech glass beads for the body. The silver lining gives them a gorgeous luminescent glow in the sun. However, I always double check to make sure there are no blisters or bubbles marring the beads. It’s a rare but unfortunate failure point of lined beads.

Directions

1. Cut a strand of thread 1-2 yards long. If you are using upholstery thread, give it a sharp tug or two to stretch it a bit.

2. Slide two green beads on to the thread. This is the tip of the nose. Slide them alllll the way to the center of the thread. There are now two equal lengths of thread, one on either side. These are what will be used to weave the lizard.

Step 2

3. Slip three beads (green, white, green) on one strand of thread, only going a little ways on to the thread. Then take the opposing thread and feed it through those same beads going the opposite direction. Again, only slip the thread a short ways through the beads. Grab one thread tail in each hand and gently pull them both at the same time. The three beads will butt directly against the two bead nose point. This is one complete bead rung of the lizard!

Step 3

The next steps will be bead rungs following the same instructions of step 3

4. Slip 4 beads (green, white, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

5. Slip 5 beads (green, white, green, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

Step 5

6. Slip 6 beads (gold, green, white, white, green, gold) on one strand and make a rung.

7. Slip 3 beads (green, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

8. Slip 3 beads (green, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

9. The legs are a bit tricky, but easy once you get the hang of them. Take a single strand of thread and add three green beads. This is the leg. Next, add three white beads. These are the toes. Thread the same strand back through the three leg beads, forming a loop. When tightened against the body, the leg will jut out and the toes will rest splayed open. Each side gets a leg at the same time. After forming the legs, add the next body rung like normal.

Step 9 part 1

Step 9 part 2

Step 9 part 3

10. Slip 4 beads (green, white, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

11. Slip 5 beads (green, white, green, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

12. Slip 6 beads (green, white, green, green, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

13. Slip 5 beads (green, white, green, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

14. Slip 4 beads (green, white, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

15. Do step 9 for the legs

Step 15

16. Slip 3 beads (green, white, green) on one strand and make a rung.

17. Slip 2 beads (green, green) on one strand and make a rung.  Do this 5 times to make the tail.

Step 17

18. At the end, I tie off with a surgeon’s knot tightened against the last tail rung. I then take one thread end and tie it to the left side with two overhand knots. I repeat on the right side with the other thread end. If I am planning for the lizard to see serious wear and tear, I will put drops of glue on each knot to help secure them. 

Step 18

Trim the ends, and you have a beautiful lizard creation!

Original inspiration meets new creation