Ideas for the Extra Low cabochons

But what else can you do with the Extra Low cabochons?

Use the cabochon as a foundation for your beadwork.

A good example is the Prague motif that I created a few years ago. It’s attached with a little bit of glue, while the back side has a ring base with a flat pat.

The example I am showing has a yellow-dyed gemstone cabochon as the foundation, but it gives you a rough idea of how the Extra Lows will look like.

Include the cab in a bead embroidery project.

Do you remember the Traveller series? We used coins to travel the world: we glued them on Ultra Suede and decorated them around and around with seed beads, cupchains, fire-polished beads, and other shaped beads. The video tutorials are still available, waiting for you on YouTube as my gift to the beading community (click here!). And instead of a coin, you can use an Extra Low cabochon for something similar 🙂

USEFUL: click here for our Big Bead Embroidery Handbook and the Starter Kit!

You can also simply use Peyote bezel for the Extra Low cabochons!

It’s super nice, as the bead counts are the same as for Rivolis – exactly as Sabine wanted to have them. The 18 mm Extra Low is actually included in my e-book, the ‘How to cover the back of all your Peyote bezels.‘ You can even turn it into a button thanks to this!

Instead of a Peyote bezel, you can also use Square Stitch!

We learned to love Square Stitch during the Starry Night Beadingschool Academy Theme – and it stayed with us forever! No wonder that so many of you downloaded the GIFT tutorial for a simple square stitch bezel, or opted for the ‘In Harmony’ e-book that teaches you so much more. It’s a super versatile beading technique that can be applied to many different shapes. The Jewel Compass is a modified square stitch bezel where instead of the top row of R15 I added other shapes, but the classic variation works just as well, too.

Set the cabochons in metal claw settings!

If you have never worked with claw settings before, I strongly recommend watching this #CoffeeTimeWithErika about the advantages and tricks. The cabochons will sit on the edge of the metal, and under them, you will have a part with four holes that you can use for attaching seed beads. I usually start with two rows of Miyuki Delica beads in size 11/0, and keep playing by adding more and more.

If you find that the beads don’t stay nicely around the metal claw, I recommend hooking the thread around the prongs: my designer friends Zuzi and Ruxandra do this often in their designs. Moreover, if you decided that you would like to change the color of the cabochons later (even if your jewel is finished and all thread ends are secured and trimmed), you can open the prongs with an office knife. Just make sure to be careful so it doesn’t slip!

Bezel with shaped beads

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, it was Zuzi who changed my mind about the Splash effect 😀 It is an important moment on my beading journey, as for now, the Extra Low glass cabochons are produced only in this variation. Zuzi wrote about her beautiful bezel, including the extra lows and some shaped beads:

“Celeste, from the word “celestial,” evokes the beauty and mystery of the heavens above us. It makes us wonder about the night sky, filled with stars, planets, and endless space. Celeste inspires us to dream beyond the ordinary and reach for the stars.
When looking at this jewel you feel like looking outside from a window, seeing starry night skies.
Use the Gekko beads to decorate the bezel of the 18 mm extra low cut cabochon, expanding it to a pendant. A standalone piece, statement necklace or earrings? All is possible with Celeste.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TUTORIAL!