This year, get ready to rattle your way into the Halloween spirit with the cutest, spookiest pony bead skeleton you ever did see! Forget those creepy, life-sized ghouls; we're talking about tiny, charming skeletons made with just a handful of pony beads and cord. And the best part? They're incredibly easy to make – perfect for little hands or a quick craft session before the trick-or-treaters arrive!
Imagine a string of fluorescent white pony beads forming this wiggly little pony bead skeleton. Threaded onto a durable cord, these little skeleton guys are ready to hang, dangle, or even become the star of a spooky Halloween garland. Hang several around your Halloween decorations, add them to party displays, or let a few little skeletons dance among the ghosts, bats and other creatures in your Halloween collection.
Perfect for sharing, these little pony bead skeletons are the ideal size for fantastic Halloween parties and as giveaways and as non-candy Halloween treats. Hand them out to trick-or-treaters, classmates, neighbors, or wear them as a fun accessory yourself! Don't forget to keep one for yourself for your keychain, backpack or bag.
Note: For your convenience and to assist you in being able to locate the material required for this project, some (or all) of the materials listed may be linked to other websites or contain affiliate links. All will open into a new window so that you don't lose this pattern page.
You will need one connector such as a 
Lanyard hook,
or any type of 
Key Ring.
Cord:
You will need about
2 yards of cord for your skeleton.
There are lots of different types of cords you can use. We prefer a cord that is 1mm to 2mm thick because it helps your skeleton keychain keep it's shape better. Alternatively, you could use a thinner cord and weave a little wire or a pipe cleaner into your keychain to help it keep it's shape that way. Either way works just fine but you can experiment with it to see which method you prefer.
One good choice is
Monofilament Cord
or
2mm metallic cording. Other great choices would be jute or hemp cord, leather necklace cord, rattail cord, shoelaces, ribbon, paracord, or a strong jewelry cord like tigertail.
For ours, we used a 1mm white cotton jute cord.
Helpful Hint: If your cord end frays easily try dipping it into a little melted wax and smoothing it out with your fingers. This will help prevent fraying and also create a stiffer end for threading into your beads.
Beads needed:
97 - Glow-in-the-Dark White Pony Beads
9 - Black Iridescent Pony Beads
Note: these are the colors we used. Use these colors or make your skeleton a solid color, or whatever color or colors are perfect for you.
Other Things Needed:
GlueOptional: For a stiffer cow you can include a little wire or a pipe cleaner with your cord to help keep it's shape
Beading Wire
OR
Pipe Cleaners
2. Begin threading the beads onto the cord following the pattern below. You can click on the image at the bottom of the page for a larger, better resolution photo.
3. After finishing the pattern tie a double knot or surgeon's knot in the cords at the bottom and apply glue to secure.
(Optional) Weave your wire or pipe cleaner through one of the widest rows in the middle of your beaded cow keychain to make it stiffer and hold it's shape. Three or four beads can be strung onto the end of the cord as a finishing touch.
The illustration below shows you how each cord side is threaded into the beads. 
Follow the same pattern using seed beads or E beads in place of pony beads to create smaller characters and create a great pair of earrings or a necklace pendant.
Looking for more Halloween themed beaded critters? Here are a few more patterns to try.
Make a collection of Halloween pony bead characters and string them together for an easy handmade Halloween garland.
