Add to your jewelry tools with the BeadSmith Spin & String, Bead Stringing Tool. Stringing on seed beads will get easier with this essential tool. Watch an information tutorial video on how to set up and use the bead stringing tool below.
Video Tutorial
Jewelry Example
Here are some examples of how we used the Bead Stringing Tool to make a twist bracelet from our Silk Cord blog post.
With the popularity of the Czech Honeycomb two-hole bead, comes the Honeycomb Jewel bead. Here are two projects where we used these beads to make a bead-stitched bracelet with DiamonDuos and as a wire cuff bracelet with bead wire.
What makes Czech Honeycomb Jewel beads different than other honeycomb beads? Honeycomb jewel beads are faceted on one side, to give depth and dimension, and flat on the other.
We paired the Honeycomb Jewel shape with DiamonDuos, which plays off each others’ faceted look. We took the Chalk Lazure Jewel (Z018620) and gave this bracelet a pop with a bold hue of the Pastel Montana Blue DiamonDuo (SB03347).
Products used for this bracelet: Z018620, SB03347, SB00106, TC00185, A010902, Z004093, A006588, A015210.
Download and PRINT out this bracelet tutorial.
Using the same pattern, we used bronze and black beads for a striking contrast. And the clasp coordinates with the black hue.
Products used for this bracelet: Z018614, SB03322, SB00066, TC00873, A010905, A008804, A006588, A0015210.
Download and print out this tutorial to create these two bracelets. Play off on your own color schemes!
Create this unique cuff bracelet using two different jewel bead colors, see our easy-to-follow tutorial.
Products used for this bracelet: Z002579, AW00088, Z018620, Z018622.
Designed by our own Heidi Urlaub, this gorgeous necklace was featured in our 2015 December seed bead fringe trend. We love her edgy designs. See her wear another similar style and learn how to make the simple loops needed for this piece on our YouTube video: How to Make Simple Loops. This statement necklace is a showstopper and very easy to make!
With a basic understanding of how to make simple loops and opening and closing jump rings, this necklace is quite easy to make. Made with a combinations of size 8/0 and 11/0 Miyuki seed beads and bugle beads, you can make this necklace in many different colors.
What you will need to make this:
Glam up your New Year’s Eve party with your favorite dress, dancing shoes and statement necklace. We have a few fashion trend necklaces sure to turn heads before the ball drops!
Make this iconic bib necklace from our Sept ’16 trend. Create this stunning necklace with our free tutorial, a bold bib connector, seed beads and Czech dagger beads.
From our May ’16 Boho Fringe and Tassel Jewelry trend, these statement necklaces are made with various lengths of microfiber suede cords inserted into end caps, then attached to chain. Rock this statement piece with a sassy dress or pair of your favorite jeans
Tease your fun side with a statement necklace donned with Jesse James beads from our Dec ’16 trend. Create this statement necklace with the Cabin by the Lake Mix, chain, bib connectors and feather charms. Finish it up with leather cord and you can get on with the partying!
Check out this waterfall necklace from our June ‘16 Birthstone Trend. This statement necklace has Swarovski® pearls linked together by wire wrapping each dangle and attaching each dangle to the gold-plated necklace with jump rings.
Make statement necklaces simple by draping Czech fire polish glass bead dangles across some elegant chain maille (CH00736/CH00737), like this necklace from our May ’16 Birthstone Trend.
From our July ’16 Birthstone Trend, this statement necklace has the perfect hues for the festive holidays. Headpins are strung with Czech fire polish beads, through Textured Large Oval Links (CH00738/CH00739) and teardrop Chinese crystals.
Let these Dakota Stone Gemstone Pendants (Nov ’16 Trend) create the ultimate focal statement necklace. Simply string one of these pendants with small round beads to separate the stunning sets and add your favorite chain to complete a necklace you can wear year ‘round!
Seed beads and bugle beads makes this stunning statement necklace from our Dec ’15 Fringe Trend. Find the tutorial to this necklace here.
From BeadSmith® comes a new wave of SuperDuos beads: Duets. SuperDuo Duets features a two-toned color that shimmers, and different hues on each side of the bead. These unique beads are perfect for defining lines and beading accent color around borders.
BeadSmith has an inspiring video featuring these new SuperDuo Duets.
We love the simplicity of this bracelet pattern from BeadSmith. We used the Black/Red Luster SuperDuo Duets (SB03501) with Orange Luster on Chalk SuperDuo (SB02110).
Check out the PDF Tutorial here.
Product used for this bracelet: SB02110, SB03501, SB00422, SB00066, SB00387, Z001256, A006587
Here, we took the same pattern from the Color Shifting Bracelet and redesigned it by substituting the middle SuperDuos with a size 11/0 Miyuki seed bead, a Miyuki Tila and another size 11/0 Miyuki seed bead. We used Black/White Beige Luster SuperDuo Duet (SB03491) and layered the black sides of the duet together on the edges for an interesting stripe effect.
We also used 8/0 Miyuki Dark Bronze seed bead for the outer edges instead of alternating between a size 11/0 and 8/0 seed bead. Plus, check out the image below on how we’ve sewn our ends. We had sewn in a size 8/0 seed beads at the end to loop in a jump ring and lobster clasp on one end and chain link on the other.
Product used for this bracelet: SB03491, SB00831, SB00387, SB00084, SB02110, A006587, A008803, Z006523/Z006528, Z006527.
We amped up the pattern and adding more rows of SuperDuos and SuperDuo Duets to the previous bracelet. This bracelet pattern will create a band width just under 1.5” with a cream and black stripe effect and bronze border.
We have included a PDF illustrated tutorial on how to make this bracelet with the inspiration of the Color Shifting Bracelet from BeadSmith.
Product used for this bracelet: SB03491, SB00831, SB00387, SB00084, SB02110, SB01406, A006587, A008803, Y004707.
Here’s a unique way to use popular Czech Honeycomb beads. We have sewn them into a stunning pattern using a Groovy Bead Frame. Groovy Bead Frames are designed to string and decorate from different angles. This easy tutorial will create the perfect focal pendant on a necklace or dangled on a pair of earrings.
New to GoodyBeads are Tweedy Honeycomb beads that have a two-tone, splattered color finish.
What you will need:
Click here for pdf download for tutorial.
Mia Mosaic Honeycomb Necklace – Golden
Mia Mosaic Honeycomb Earrings – Fuchsia
Make some fun beaded holiday ornament charms with Artistic Wire® Finding Forms. Watch Artistic Wire demonstrate how to create a star, snowman or tree. Hang one from a holiday tree, dangle one from a window or attach one to a neatly wrapped present! Get your finding forms, artistic wire, and seed beads today at GoodyBeads to make some beaded holiday ornaments of your own!
What you will need to create a finding form ornament charm:
Here we created a holiday tree (TL00250) with 22 Gauge Antique Brass Wire (AW00026) and included a Swarovski® star bead to the top. We took 26 Gauge Artistic Wire and wrapped back and forth on the inside of the tree while adding random seed beads. This project is perfect if you have leftover seed beads from previous projects. You can also use our Miyuki Seed Bead Grab Bag (A011619) for a nice variation of color and sizes.
Our star (TL00251) is made with Antique Brass Wire (AW00026) with bronze, white, clear and cream hued seed beads crisscrossed in the middle on 26 gauge wire.
We think this snowman (TL00253) is just darling! We added an 8mm squaredelle (A011435) and 6mm Swarovski cube (SW00309) to depict a top hat for our snowman. We ran some 26 Gauge artistic wire side to side, and layered with seed beads and Czech melon beads for the scarf.
We have the perfect holiday jewelry set for the fun and stylish fashionista.. Try this free tutorial on how to make these star blooms necklace and earrings using SuperDuos, o-beads and size 10/0 round czech beads. Make it just in time for the holidays!
Tutorial and Components
Created by our in-house designer So Vang, you can make this holiday theme, star blooms necklace and earrings set with this FREE illustrated tutorial.
Necklace Extra Tip
When you have finished stringing together your five components, we have two options on how to attach your 24” chain.
First, you can sew the chain at the end of the SuperDuo as shown in our photo below. Refer to the illustrated tutorial or image to see that you connect the chain end to the SuperDuo across from the connected SuperDuo of your side poinsettia component.
Or, secondly you can use a small gauge jump ring to slide through theSuperDuo like how we’ve shown here. However, not all SuperDuo holes are large enough for the jump ring to slide through. If it does not, going with the first option will be best to adding your chain.
Don’t think you are limited to just a holiday-hued necklace. Try out different combinations of colors and make it your own. We’ve used turquoise and deep coral to create ours above.
Silk cord has been used as a stringing material in jewelry-making for centuries. No other beading cord offers the softness that natural silk provides. Jewelry designs made with 100% silk bead cord drape beautifully and the cord itself can become a feature with knotting techniques. Whether you’re looking to create a simple strand of beads or incorporate knotted bead clusters into your designs, GoodyBeads.com is here to show you how easy and versatile this timeless stringing material can be.
One of our favorite silk bead cord brands is Griffin. Griffin bead cords are made of 100% natural silk and come in a rainbow of colors and a variety of thread sizes.
Griffin bead cords are sold 2-meters per card. Two strands of twisted silk are wrapped around a cardboard backer. Each cord comes with its own needle for easy threading.
Choosing Silk Cord
Thread thickness is very important, especially if you plan on incorporating knots into your designs. Beads can slide over a knot if the cord is too thin for the bead hole you are working with. Griffin bead cords has its own numeric system for categorizing thread cord sizes: No. 0 – No. 12.
Each thread number has an associated millimeter size. Below is a quick reference guide for each number:
No. 0 = 0.30mm
No. 2 = 0.45mm
No. 4 = 0.60mm
No. 6 = 0.70mm
No. 8 = 0.80mm
No. 12 = 0.98mm
Since silk bead cords come spooled on a card, you must prepare your new cord for use by smoothing out the kinks first.
To smooth out your cord, unravel the whole cord from the card. Starting from one end, dip your fingers in water and run your damp fingers through a section of the cord. Run your fingers over the section a few times to help straighten them out. Once that section is straight, continue on down to the next section of the cord with damp fingers until you’ve straightened the whole piece. Next, run a paper towel over the entire cord and gently squeeze to remove any residual water from the cord. That’s all you need to do. The cord will still be a bit damp but you can certainly use it right away. You can also wait a few minutes until it’s fully dried.
NOTE: You can use the same cord for multiple projects if you plan to keep using the needle that is attached to the cord. String bead(s) through the needle and utilize the end section of the cord.
A way to attach your silk cord to jump rings or clasps is to attach clamshell bead tips.
Start by making a knot at the end of your prepared silk cord. Cut any excess cord close to the knot. Add a dab of Super New Glue or fast-drying glue to the knot. Place the knot inside the clamshell center and fold the clamshell over the knot. The glue will keep the knot from unraveling and to adhere the silk cord to the inside of the clamshell bead tip. Once the glue is dry, it’s ready to use.
Need a little inspiration? Here are some ways we used Griffin silk bead cord in our jewelry designs. Plus, quick tips on how you can create these designs yourself!
Make a necklace with knotting in-between clusters of beads. Choose from Swarovski® crystals, Chinese crystals, seed beads or your favorite gemstones. For our necklace, we used the entire 2-meter cord and strung on clusters of one gold seed bead, three dainty round Chinese crystals and one gold seed bead, that were knotted with an inch gap between clusters. This version makes a 60” necklace that you can wrap around two or three times.
Here you can see how the clamshell bead tips are used in conjunction with jump rings and a lobster clasp.
In our next blog post, we’ll show you how to make evenly spaced knots using The EasyKnotter® tool.
Crystal Cluster Knotted Silk Cord Necklace
Pearl beads and silk cord are a match made in heaven. Not only do they look great together, the silk cord also helps prolong the life of your pearl jewelry by preventing the beads from rubbing up against each other, which can breakdown the bead’s finish. Making this elegant necklace is super easy.
First, make a knot and clamp a clamshell over the knot. Make another knot close to the clamshell. String on a pearl. Make a knot close to that pearl. Repeat until a preferred length. Make two knots at the end and clamp a clamshell over the last knot. Finish with a lobster clasp and you’re done!
If you have a worn-out pearl necklace, you can undo all the pearls and restring on silk cord to extend its jewelry life.
Pearl Knotted Necklace
Minimalist jewelry is a huge fashion trend right now. Dainty jewelry components shine alone or together in multiple strands like our layered silk cord necklace. For this necklace, we focused on the sleek simplicity of gold tube beads and the lightness of silk cord.
Step 1: String on 25 gold tube beads on white silk cord. With the beads strung on, cut 20” off the end of the silk cord. Make 2.
Step 2: String on 25 gold tube beads on white silk cord. With the beads strung on, cut 22” off the end of the silk cord. Make 2.
Step 3: Gather the four cord strands and make a knot. Repeat to the other end.
Step 4: Dab some Super New Glue to both knots. Clamp a clamshell over the knots.
Step 5: Add a jump ring to one of the clamshell tip ends.
Step 6: Add a jump ring and a lobster clasp to the other clamshell tip ends. Done.
This style of necklace is perfect for small dainty beads or seed beads or even some NEW 3mm or 2mm Czech round beads.
Layered Gold Tube Silk Cord Necklace:
For this bracelet, we twisted groups of silk cord with size 11/0 Miyuki seed beads and gold plated chain.
Step 1: String on seed bead to 8” and cut 10” silk cord strands with seed bead on. Make twelve strands. Tip: You can use the Bead Spinner to help to string on seed beads.
Step 2: Gather three seed bead strands and knot all three strands at both ends as close as you can to the seed beads. Clamp a clamshell over the knots. Make four group of seed bead strands.
Step 3: Cut two chain links at 8” and attach oval jump rings to each end of the chains.
Step 4: Also cut a few links of chain for your bracelet chain extender.
Step 5: Open an oval jump ring and slide on your lobster clasp.
Step 6: Open a larger jump ring and slide on these:
chain extender piece, two seed bead groups, chain extender piece, two seed bead groups.
Step 7: Close Jump ring.
Step 8: Leaving the chain extender along, separate the strands into two sections of chain and two seed bead grouped strands. Make a “flemish twist” with the two sections.
Step 9: Open a large jump ring and slide on the other ends of the chain and grouped seed beads and lobster clasp jump ring.
Step 9: Close jump ring and you are done.
(Close-up shot of jump ring with grouped seed beads and chain links.)
We hope enjoyed these tips and tutorials. Check our next blog post where we show you how to create evenly spaced knots in your jewelry designs using The EasyKnotter® tool. Happy Beading!
Twisted Seed Bead and Chain Silk Cord Bracelet
Tassels are trending! We are loving the beaded tassel trend and could not wait to share our beaded tassel tutorial with you!
What you will need:
If Queen Guinevere wore a tassel necklace, this would be the necklace. With pearl seed beads and spiral rope chain, this necklace is perfect for common folk to feel like a queen!
The tassel was made with size 11 pearl seed beads and gold end caps. Make two beaded tassels. Cut some rope chain at 3-4 feet and attach each end with a brass jump ring and beaded tassel. Wear this lariat necklace loose while wrapped around once or twice. Or tie a knot 2-4 inches away from your beaded tassel.
Check out our June 2016 Beaded Tassel Trend for more inspirational jewelry!
Guinevere Beaded Tassel Lariat Necklace
Czech Crescent beads are NEW at GoodyBeads. The Czech crescent beads are wedge-shaped beads with two holes. We have two easy and free tutorials using these Czech crescent beads.
For this bracelet, we used a combination of black and gold crescent beads with Swarovski® crystals in Graphite AB2X. The midnight glow of the AB2X is hauntingly beautiful in this piece.
What you will need:
We love this bracelet because it is simple to make. First, start by threading on 4 seed beads. Keep the ends of your thread untied. Then, you will thread on a top layer with a sequence of 3 Czech crescent, a seed bead and a 4mm bicone crystal. Repeat this sequence until you’ve reached your preferred bracelet length. End this top layer with 3 crescent beads and 4 seed beads. Now, bring the thread down to the bottom 3 crescent beads you’ve ended with. You will now be threading the bottom layer by adding a seed bead and bicone crystal in between each crescent bead grouping until you’ve reached the end. Tie both of your thread ends together. Feed your threads back through a few beads before you cut off excess thread. Add your clasp and chain link to the seed bead loop ends you’ve made with jump rings.
Enjoy this illustrated pdf tutorial with instructions.
Complement your bracelet with this pair of earrings. Check out our illustrated pdf tutorial and instructions for these Czech Crescent Earrings.
What you will need:
First thread on your top layer with, crescent bead, seed bead, bicone crystal (4 times). Tie both thread ends together to create a cylinder shape. Feed your thread through one crescent bead and loop down through the second hole of the crescent bead. Thread in reverse of your cylinder shape with adding a seed bead and bicone crystal inbetween the crescent bead. Once you’ve reached the end. Tie off thread ends and thread through a few beads before cutting off excess and you’ve completed your crescent bead design.
Slide these beads onto the headpin and make a simple loop:
Seed bead, bicone crystal, 8mm round crystal, 6mm round crystal, crescent bead design, bicone crystal and seed bead.
Open your Ear-wire loop and slide on your crescent bead design headpin loop. Repeat for other earring.
Midnight Gold Czech Crescent Bracelet:
Midnight Czech Crescent Earrings:
From traditional Native American Indian-loomed wampum belts to popular and modern Julie Rofman wrap bracelets, bead looming has transcended through changes in time, culture and fashion. A bead loom can help you make elaborate, beautiful necklaces to simplistic bracelets.
If you are new to using the bead loom or have been wanting to use a bead loom, believe us when we say that using the Ricks Bead Loom is super easy and simple. Here are some tips and tricks to using Ricks Bead Loom, as well as some inspirational loom bracelets to get you started. We also provide two different ways to clasp loom bracelets.
When you purchase a Ricks Bead Loom, you receive the bead loom and its components, as well as a detailed, visual instructions of how to set up and use the bead loom. You can also check out Ricks video tutorial on his webpage on how to use his bead loom.
The basic method of bead looming is weaving a thread back and forth through rows of seed beads that are sandwiched in between vertical strands or “warp strands”. The difference between a traditional bead loom and Ricks Bead Loom is the amount of warp strands you are using. A traditional loom will have multiple warp strands going up and down along the loom, while a Ricks Bead Loom will have only one strand that wraps back and forth, up and around between the two rods. This continuous wrapping of the strands between rods will leave you with two threads at the end.
Like the instructions you will receive, first you insert your metals rods. These rods are where your vertical warp strands will lay. Adjust the wood piece/tailstock to your preferred bracelet length and start making your warp strands. The amount of warps you have is according to the amount of beads you have in a row, PLUS ONE. If you see the image below, you will see that we have eight seed beads per row and thus we need nine warp strands.
Next, lay your card separator in between the warp strands. It is optional to use the card separator. You can use the warp separator card that comes with the kit. Here, we cut a ½ inch piece of cardstock paper to get us started.
Hook your thread end to your peg and insert it into one of the holes in the front.
You are ready to start your rows. The basic motion of weaving each row is by weaving behind the warp strands with your beads and string. You will then weave back into the same row of beads, but when you feed your needle through, you are gracing the top side of the warp strands.
TIP: When bringing your needle back, use the backside of your needle. Using the backside of the needle will give you a smoother glide through the beads. Be careful not to prick yourself with the sharp end when using this method. Makes you wish you had a thimble on hand, huh? I did.
The first two rows will be tricky but after that you get those two on, it will be easier.
After your two rows are done, slide off the separator and pull your two rows down so it is flushed against the metal rod. Twist the peg that attaches to your thread to keep loose thread tight.
And you are ready to continue with your rows until you’ve reached the end.
TIP: When bringing your needle back through the row of beads, press up on the beads so that they protrude upward. Then, when you sew back through the beads, you will go over the vertical warp strands.
When you have finished your piece, unhook your threads from the pegs and sew the end threads through the rows and knot them. Cut excess thread. Slide your loomed piece off the metal bars and spread out your bead rows evenly outwards towards the ends to hide the loops of the warp strands. Then you are ready to add your clasp ends. Here are two types of loomed bracelets with instructions for adding a Miyuki Tube Finding and sewing on a bead loop to add your clasp.
Items used in Miyuki Tube Finding Loom Bracelet: A015624 (2), SB01824, SB01826, SB01822, Z004093, A012847, A006597, A014106
For this bracelet, we used Miyuki Tube Findings, which are used particularly with Miyuki Delica Size 11 seed beads. GoodyBeads has four available sizes at 15mm, 20mm, 35mm, and 60mm, which will accommodate a certain amount of seed bead per row.
Items in Bead Loop Clasp Loom Bracelet: A001528, TC00452, A006599, SB01077
You can make a design like our Delica seed bead bracelet or you can use a Miyuki seed bead mix like our bracelet here. For our clasp for this bracelet, we made a loop using seed beads.
by Kristal Wick
One of the easiest “go-to” designs I have found is a multi-strand necklace or bracelet. WHAT? You say these look soooooooo difficult? Not true! Once you master the multi-strand, you’ll be hooked! I like to start by making piles of my fave components; for example, sitting in my studio on a chilly (16 degrees below zero) January day in Minnesota, I CRAVED a splash of beach so I grabbed some TierraCast® dolphins and seashells, beautiful blue Swarovski Tahitian pearls and crystals and frosted seed beads to give the piece a sea glass effect. Use three different colors of beading wire with one exposed to add an additional dimension to the necklace. It’s trendy these days to mix metals so I threw in copper components to reflect the shades of glistening sand and a bit of silver to represent the crest of the waves breaking up on shore. Whether you’re physically on a beach or visiting one in your mind, I hope this seashore delight will help you get through this long winter! Use three colors of beading wire – one color exposed – to add an additional dimension to the necklace.
(1) A005473 – Soft Flex TRIOS Beading Wire – Tranquility
(10) FTCT0001 – 2mm Sterling Silver Crimp Tube Beads
(10) Z008729 – 4mm Antique Copper Plate Crimp Bead Covers
(1) TC00690 – 22mm Antique Copper Vine Hook & Eye Clasp Set by TierraCast
(1) CH00018 – 3.4mm Antique Silver Plated Double Cable Chain (Sample shown uses 2 pieces of 2’ chain)
(2) TC01253 – 2 Inch Silver 21 Gauge Eyepin by TierraCast
(2) TC00001 – 6mm Copper Oval Jump Ring by TierraCast
(2) TC00545 – 4mm Antique Copper Beaded Bead Cap by TierraCast
(2) SW00839 – Swarovski® 6mm Indicolite Round Mini Bead Style #5052
(2) TC00304 – 9mm Antique Silver Spiral Cone Bead Cap by TierraCast
(1) SB00367 11-9263 – Lined Light Seafoam AB Miyuki Seed Beads Tube
(1) SB01996 LDP-1F – Matte Transparent Silver Lined Crystal Long Drop Miyuki Seed Beads Tube
(6) TC00314 – 11mm Antique Silver Diamond Bead Frame by TierraCast
(6) SW00839 – Swarovski® 6mm Indicolite Round Mini Bead Style #5052
(10) FTCT0001 – 2mm Sterling Silver Crimp Tube Beads
(10) Z008729 – 4mm Antique Copper Plate Crimp Bead Covers
(10) TC01116 – 4mm Antique Silver Beaded Heishi Spacer by TierraCast
(10) TC00018 – 3mm Antique Silver Beaded Heishi Spacer by TierraCast
(5) SW00680 – 12mm Tahitian Swarovski Pearl
(1) SB00486 6-9149S – Silver Lined Capri Blue Miyuki Seed Beads Tube
(8) TC01150 – 9mm Antique Copper Small Shell Bead by TierraCast
(32) TC00632 – 4mm Antique Copper Scalloped Bead Cap by TierraCast
(16) SW00512 – Swarovski® 6mm Bicone Crystal Denim Blue AB2X Style #5328
(4) TC00001 – 6mm Copper Oval Jump Ring by TierraCast
(4) TC00066 – 16mm Antique Silver Dolphin Charm by TierraCast
(4) TC00113 – 14mm Antique Silver Small Spindle Shell Charm by TierraCast
(1) SB01832 DB1847F – 11/0 Matte Dark Seafoam Delica Duracoat Galvanized Seed Beads Tube
(26) SW00779 – 3mm Crystal Jade Swarovski Pearl
(1) SB00483 6-9148FR – Matte Transparent Light Blue Miyuki Seed Beads Tube
(10) TC00545 – 4mm Antique Copper Beaded Bead Cap by TierraCast
(5) SW01150 – Swarovski® Crystal 14mm Aquamarine Emerald Cut Bead – Style 5515
(1) SB00485 6-9148 – Transparent Aqua Miyuki Seed Beads Tube
(1) SB00041 8-9234 – Sparkle Metallic Gold Lined Crystal Miyuki Seed Beads Tube
(1) A018807 – 8mm Baby Blue Czech Faceted Rondelle Glass Beads
Leather wrap bracelets is a trending favorite to spice up a boho outfit or rock out to a head-banging concert or add to a casual outing with your girlfriends. Wrap bracelets are a must-have for 2016. We will show you how to make wrap bracelets with illustrated tutorial that you can download.
They may look difficult to make, but after a few attempts, they are honestly easy to make. We will show you a tutorial on how to make these bracelets using one-hole beads and super duo beads, as well as a few tips and tricks to help you make these wrap bracelets.
Use this method to determine the leather cord length you may need for a multi-wrap bracelet.
Take your wrist length and double the length. Multiply that by the number of wraps you want and then add 12”. That will give you an approximate cord length you will need to start your bracelet. (The extra 12” factors in the button knot, end knot(s) and bead size.)
Example:
2 wraps for an 8.5” bracelet: (8.5” x2) x 2 wraps = 34 + 12 = 46” needed.
Or
4 wraps for a 7.5” bracelet: (7.5” x2) x 4 wraps = 60 + 12 = 72” needed.
Keep in mind, these total numbers are approximate. You will want to test the wrap length while you’re making your bracelet. Having extra length is better than being short on your wrapped length goal.
The basic weaving of the thread will be going under the leather cords and then coming over leather cords.
Click HERE to View and Download an illustrated PDF tutorial on how to make these Wrap Bracelets. You can also save/download this pdf file.
With Czech SuperDuo seed beads, you will be layering the bead holes to create a layer sequence. Below is a tutorial on how to make this SuperDuo wrap around bracelet.
Click HERE to View and Download the SuperDuo bead wrap bracelet PDF tutorial and to download illustrated pdf tutorial.
Here are some of our inspired wrap bracelets.
This is a simple one-wrap bracelet. Think about using a different thread color than your leather cord color for a mix of colors.
Use more than one bead on each layer for more embellishment options.
Make a bracelet with multiple combinations of beads to create a fun layered look.
These SuperDuo beads look like tiny stone pebbles, don’t you think? Try a SuperDuo mix set for a colorful bracelet or create a zigzag pattern. What will you try?
How to add on additional thread: Tie thread to closest leather cord and glue with Hypo Cement or fast-drying glue. Cut off excess. Tie new thread to leather cord, glue knot and continue.
How to hold leather strands: An alternative to holding the leather strands, for stability when adding beads, is to clamp the button to a clipboard.
How to straighten leather cords: While you are stringing on beads, adjust previous beads with fingers to straighten out leather cords. Or when you have reached your desired bracelet length, lay the bracelet down and run your hand across your bracelet. This will help to smoothen and straighten your leather cords.
How to tighten threads/bead layers: If you find that your thread does not keep your bead(s) sandwiched in place or the bead sits loosely, sew up and under the cords and through the bead again. Over and down through the bead. Sewing through the bead twice on the leather cords will give your beads a tighter hold.
Tighten leather knots: If your leather cord knots are loosening, add a small dab of fast-drying glue or Hypo-Cement to knot(s) for tighter holds.
How to make an adjustable bracelet: Make additional knotted ends for an adjustable bracelet.
Single Wrap Bracelet
Faceted and Gold Nugget wrap bracelet
Pink and Pearl Wrap Bracelet
Arianna Caribe SuperDuo Wrap Bracelet
Remember when you were young and made stretchy elastic bracelets with a store-bought DIY kit of colorful beads and letters? Fast forward 10-20 years and let’s take that idea up a notch with a grown-up mentality of elastic bracelets. We love the concept of elastic bracelets because they are easy to make, inexpensive, and if you aren’t crimping the elastic, there are no tools needed.
Elastic Bracelets are simple to create, comfortable to wear and convenient: just slip them on and off! Elastic bracelets are the perfect jewelry piece for people with arthritis or those who have difficulty hooking on clasps with one hand. Layering different elastic bracelets is very on trend and bohemian looking.
We have two easy tutorials on how to finish your very own elastic bracelet.
Our first tutorial is how to tie the elastic cord of your bracelet using a surgeon’s knot.
Our second tutorial is how to crimp your elastic ends to clasps, connectors, jump rings, toggle clasp, etc. Follow the same bead sequence as above or try your own sequence without tying the ends. For this tutorial, you will need a pair of Crimping Pliers, crimp beads/tubes, and your choice of clasp.
A tip when using elastic cord: loosen the elasticity by giving it a tug/stretch before starting your project. This will help in two ways. First, if you start with a piece of elastic cord, sometimes you will find it stiff. Stretching it will help make the cord more manageable to use. And secondly, because over time you will constantly stretch the elastic when slipping them on and off, it will eventually loosen the elastic. Loosening it before starting your project can avoid a looser and larger fit in the future.
Another tip when knotting or crimping your elastic, is to have a large hole bead next to it. You can conceal the knot or crimp inside the bead for a clean and professional looking finish. Or you can use crimp covers to cover the crimp or knot as if it was another bead in your elastic bracelet design.
Here are some inspirational, simple elastic bracelets that we have made using our tutorial above.
Onyx Stone Bracelet
Elastic bracelets can be as simple as this Onyx Stone Bracelet. What makes this bracelet more grown up is the quality beads used for your projects. These Dakota Stone Sardonyx Gemstone Beads have a smooth, round shape with natural white lines. They are also cool to the touch so you know they are high-quality gemstones.
Wrap-Around Golden Ruby Bracelet
You will find that elastic cords are thin yet sturdy enough for seed beads. Here, we used some size 8 seed Japanese Miyuki seed beads that have a hole size large enough for a .7mm elastic cord. Making a fun sequential design with faceted Chinese crystals, brass-plated Bali beads, Miyuki seed beads, and Czech O beads, we strung on a 28” long strand to wrap around four times a 7” wrist. You can always add more or less beads to accommodate your own wrist size.
Elastic Watch
For this piece, we used crimp tubes/beads to connect the elastic ends to the watch face and toggle clasp. This is a fun combination of using a watch face and making it into an elastic bracelet.
Wood Tassel Bracelet
From our Tassel blog post, comes this pair of Wood Tassel Bracelet that were made with elastic cord. Wood beads were strung in a random sequence and an added tassel for extra embellishment. We adore these two bracelets because they are lightweight and trendy with tassel addition.
Birdy Bracelet
Blue Sky Tiger Eye Stretch Bracelet
Onyx Stone Bracelet
Wrap-Around Golden Ruby Bracelet
Elastic Watch
Wood Tassel Bracelet
Blue Sky Tiger Eye Stretch Bracelet