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Vintage Bead Book Spotlight: The Family Creative Workshop Series

Susan Beal, contributor

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The second volume of The Family Creative Workshop series is full of awesome original patterns and projects to try. Isn’t this a great cover?

Susan Beal

This bead-weaving technique makes a pretty little medallion pendant or larger-scale trivet using the same simple pattern. You could change the colors and materials for a very modern take on the 1970s natural-wood style shown.

Susan Beal

The second volume of The Family Creative Workshop series is full of awesome original patterns and projects to try. Isn’t this a great cover?

Photo: Susan Beal

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I love vintage craft books and magazines, and one of my all-time favorites is The Family Creative Workshop series (I have the 1974 edition). It's a fantastic collection—arranged alphabetically—of craft and hobby features and projects. The second volume, Beachcombing to Bottle Gardens, has a great little beading section with ideas for making your own beads with natural materials.

The beading section also includes how-tos for making cascading pearl earrings, a clustered Aurora Borealis ring, a safety-pin necklace, and even glistening beaded fruit for creative home décor. If you're interested in finding Family Creative Workshop books for yourself, check out some yard sales or used bookstores.You can also find them online at: a libris, eBay, and Powells.com.

There are often entire sets up for grabs (that's how I bought mine), and individual volumes are especially easy to find.

If you love vintage craft books, magazines, and images, be sure to check out Cathy of California and Craftypod, two of my favorite blogs.

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