4 Ways To Make A Beaded Lizard - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make a Lizard Bead Keychain PDF download Download Article A step-by-step guide to making the most rambunctious reptile at school Co-authored by Lois Wade

Last Updated: July 7, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Preparing the Body
    • |
  • Making the Head & Neck
    • |
  • Building the Legs
    • |
  • Finishing the Body & Tail
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Lois Wade. Lois Wade has 45 years of experience in crafts including sewing, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch, drawing, and paper crafts. She has been contributing to craft articles on wikiHow since 2007. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 311,454 times.

Need a cute, fun, and creative afternoon activity you can show off on your backpack or even wear as a necklace? Introducing the beaded lizard! This neat project is simpler than it looks, and all it takes are some beads, string, and a keychain clasp. In this article, we’ll show you how to create this reptilian masterpiece step by step. Let’s get beading!

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 4:

Preparing the Body

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  1. Step 1 Cut a roughly three-foot length of 1/8th-inch ribbon or string. 1 Cut a roughly three-foot length of 1/8th-inch ribbon or string. The longer the string, the longer the lizard. Three feet is a good start.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 2 Fold the string in half so that the two ends meet. This will lead to a loop at the other end of the string. Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 3 Take the loop and run it through the bottom of a keychain clasp. Really, any sort of clasp will work. All you need to do is create a slipknot around the clasp. You should have your loop on one side of the clasp, and the long excess string on the other.[1]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 4 Pull the ends through the loop to create a slipknot. Reach into the loop and pull the strings through, pulling until tight. This creates a simple slip knot that will hold the lizard in place as you work.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 5 Tape the clasp down to the table so that the strings drape towards you. Make sure the strings are not tangled up, and that you can clearly tell which string is the left string and which one is the right.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 4:

Making the Head & Neck

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 1 Add two beads to the leftmost string. These beads will be your body, so choose the color you want for the bulk of the lizard. Don't feed the beads all the way down; just let them dangle a bit towards the end. In this video, the body will be yellow.[2]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 2 Thread the right string through the beads the opposite way. If the leftmost string enters through the left, thread this one through from the right. You'll have both string going through the center of the two beads in opposite directions.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 3 Pull both ends of the strings until the beads slide up to the keychain clasp. Lightly pull on the opposite ends to force the beads up to the top.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 4 Feed three more beads -- two eyes and a body color -- onto the leftmost string. You want to sandwich the body bead with the two eye colors. Here, the eyes are green and the body is yellow, so you'd put them on as green, yellow, green.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 5 Slide the right side through the beads and pull both ends until the beads slide to the top. Repeat the same procedure as you did with the first two body beads. Slide the three beads on the left string, thread the right through them, then pull both strings to move the beads to the top.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 6 Repeat the whole procedure with two more beads to make the "neck." Take two body colors, thread them on the left, slide the right through, and pull tight. This is your neck.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 7 Take three more body beads and pull them through. Again, it is the same procedure. For a little flair, you can use a different color for the center bead here, allowing you to put a "stripe" on your lizard's back.
    • These three beads are the beginning of the "back." You'll need to start the limbs after this.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 4:

Building the Legs

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  1. Step 1 Set aside two beads for the body and three other beads for the feet. 1 Set aside two beads for the body and three other beads for the feet. Here, the body beads are still yellow and the feet will be black.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 2 Thread the two body beads on the left string and slide them down close to the body. Push them almost all the way to the body. These are your legs.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 3 Slide the black beads on, just above the legs. Keep them close, but separated.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 4 Thread the end of the left string through the two beads for the leg. You just want to thread through your two yellow beads, not the three for the feet.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 5 Pull the string tight to pull everything together, adjusting slightly as necessary. Use your fingers to make sure nothing bunches up. This is your first leg! Note how it only requires the left string to make -- you should never touch the right one when making the left leg.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 6 Repeat the process with the other string to make the right leg. Once done, it is time to move back to the body.[3]
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Method 4 Method 4 of 4:

Finishing the Body & Tail

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 1 Build three more body rows identically to the first. Put three beads on the left string, remembering to alternate them if you're doing a two-colored body. Then slide the right string in the opposite direction as the left and pull the two ends to slide the beads up to the body.
    • You need three more rows before starting the feet again.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 2 Make two more legs the same way you made the first two. After the three lengths of the body, add two more legs. The process is identical.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 3 Add two more body beads, to make the base of the tail (identical to the neck). You should have the process down pat by now. Two beads on the left string, feed through the right string and pull tight.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 4 Slide the first tail bead on the left string, thread the right string through the opposite side, and pull. The tail is simply the same process as the body, but its only one bead per layer. You can choose any color you want. Alternating looks great too, and you can use as many beads as you want for the length of tail you like.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Beaded Lizard 5 Tie a double knot at the end of the tail to keep the beads in place. You can tie any knot you want, but a simple square knot will do just fine. You can use the knot used to tie your shoes as well, but make sure you double knot it.[4]
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Video

Community Q&A

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  • Question What can I do if I have lost 2 beads? BobsonJoe BobsonJoe Community Answer A good way to solve this without doing much damage would be to shorten the tail by two beads. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 9 Helpful 27
  • Question What size beads should I use? Community Answer Community Answer The best beads to use are pony beads. Pony beads measure about 6 by 9 millimeters, and the hole is about 4 millimeters. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 22
  • Question How can I give the lizard a longer nose? BobsonJoe BobsonJoe Community Answer After you secure the string to the clasp, you could first tie one bead on the string. Then you would make the lizard as explained in the article, which would give it a slightly longer nose. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 17
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

Things You'll Need

  • Pony Beads (about 60)
  • 1/8th-inch wide ribbon
  • Scissors
  • Beads
  • Tape
  • Nice flat surface (recommended)

Tips

  • You can mix and match colors and lengths with ease once you get used to the process. For a bigger lizard, add one bead to each smaller section (legs, head, neck) and two beads to each body section. This will keep the proportions roughly the same. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 3
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/library/page/39211/lizard_keychain_instructions.pdf
  2. ↑ https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/library/page/39211/lizard_keychain_instructions.pdf
  3. ↑ https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/library/page/39211/lizard_keychain_instructions.pdf
  4. ↑ https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/library/page/39211/lizard_keychain_instructions.pdf

About This Article

Lois Wade Co-authored by: Lois Wade wikiHow Crafts Expert This article was co-authored by Lois Wade. Lois Wade has 45 years of experience in crafts including sewing, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch, drawing, and paper crafts. She has been contributing to craft articles on wikiHow since 2007. This article has been viewed 311,454 times. 14 votes - 90% Co-authors: 31 Updated: July 7, 2025 Views: 311,454 Categories: Featured Articles | Animal Art and Craft Article SummaryX

To make a beaded lizard, you'll need string, beads, and a keychain clasp. Once you have your supplies, attach the keychain clasp to the string and slide on beads to make the neck and head, including 2 different colored beads for eyes. Next, add different colored beads for the legs and feet to create a contrast. Then, complete the body by adding shorter rows of beads for the tail. When you're finished, tie a double knot to hold your lizard in place. For detailed instructions on how to make a beaded lizard, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Anonymous

    Anonymous

    Jun 28, 2018

    "This is a great article! Thanks so much! :) The thing that helped me most in the article was the mini clips showing..." more
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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Lois Wade Co-authored by: Lois Wade wikiHow Crafts Expert Co-authors: 31 Updated: July 7, 2025 Views: 311,454 90% of readers found this article helpful. 14 votes - 90% Click a star to add your vote Anonymous

Anonymous

Jun 28, 2018

"This is a great article! Thanks so much! :) The thing that helped me most in the article was the mini clips showing..." more Anonymous

Anonymous

Jun 10, 2024

"I made a beaded lizard. The legs were a bit hard, but otherwise, it was pretty good." Anthony Christensen

Anthony Christensen

Jul 4, 2018

"It's good to remember to make fun things! This is 100% helpful to watch." Davy Lethbridge

Davy Lethbridge

Mar 27, 2018

"We had no idea how to make a lizard until we saw this!" Rated this article: Anonymous

Anonymous

Sep 26, 2016

"The video and step-by-step guide helped." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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