How to Make a Beaded Hair Comb

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Why pay good money for something that "sort of" matches your outfit when with a little craftiness you can make a perfect match?

by Lini D

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Step 1 of 18

This is what we're going to jazz up. I buy these in Hobbycraft for £1.29 each. Realistically, you can use any plain tooth comb.

Step 2 of 18

Your equipment: superglue, bead, filament, Blu-Tack.

Step 3 of 18

Measure out your comb length and half again in beads. String the beads on the filament. We have approx. 40 here (I can't count...).

Step 4 of 18

Pass your filament through the first tooth and fix it with Blu-Tack- don't glue/cut etc! Keep the filament attached to the spool!

Step 5 of 18

Push two beads on to the comb and pass the filament round the back and then through the next tooth gap.

Step 6 of 18

Keep this up! It IS fiddly, and it can be frustrating when it all goes wrong and your crampy hands make you drop the entire thing on the carpet, but persevere!

Step 7 of 18

Carry on until you get to the end of the comb. Push any remaining beads right away to the spool end of the filament. We're done with beads at the moment.

Step 8 of 18

Now pass the plain filament back through the teeth, beside the beads, crossing over on the back.

Step 9 of 18

You should have a line of neat crosses. This is easier to see with coloured filament.

Step 10 of 18

Now you have reached the end you started from, you need to tie the two ends together. Do this a few times or it can come undone as the filament is slippy. Stick the loose ends away with Blu-Tack.

Step 11 of 18

Cut the spool end off, leaving a tail. Blob some glue over the knot, making sure to get it on the comb too.

Step 12 of 18

This is a horrid mess but it won't notice in your hair! You can always neaten it up with a blade later anyway. Use a loupe or magnifying glass if you have trouble seeing the knot (ahem!).

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This is roughly how it should look from the front. Ignore the Blu-Tack, it's coming off soon enough!

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This is how messy a glued knot can look, even if you've done this before! Don't be disheartened if you make a mess!

Step 15 of 18

If you have lots of beads on the filament when you get to the right end (if you started at the left), you can pass one down in between each tooth when you make the crossover.

Step 16 of 18

Leave the Blu-Tack & ends until it is definitely dry and set. Then you can snip the ends away and tidy any glue up. And then you're done! Be careful- I just cut a Swarovski one and got the filament!

Step 17 of 18