These simple beaded bracelets have a smooth vibe and striking look. Especially when you have a combination of colors!
Sometimes I get into a mood and I just let it ride. I have been playing with beads recently. I used the small beads to make a dream catcher as well as a double stranded bracelet. Then I turned to my larger round glass beads and wanted to make different bracelets. My cat was very excited that the wire was going to stay out. And all the little bits and rings.
And once I started using the glass beads, I couldn’t stop. My spree went for a few days, and I ended up with several bracelets. I also branched out into necklaces because I thought it would be fun to have matching pairs. The number of beads needed for these projects was greater than I imagined. The necklaces had more than just the glass beads to break up the monotony.
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The core components for making this beaded bracelet are beads, a clasp, a loop, crimp beads, a crimp clasp (optional), and jewelry wire. A tool to crimp the crimp beads is also needed, I use needle nose plier but there are other tools that would work. One tool that is not needed but is extremely helpful is a bead board. I had one made of thin plastic which didn’t feel great to use but I decided to switch to a wooden one and it turned out amazing to work with.
Process
planning
I find that the most important step is also the first one and its planning. Planning on which beads go where is good for two things. It helps to create and cohesive look and shows the limitation the design might run into. There were several patterns where I started with one pattern and ended with another because going with the original pattern would make it too long.
That leads to the second benefit of having a plan before starting. It really helps to have a way to measure the beads before committing to the design. The clasps will add a little bit of length but the beads are the bulk of it. There is more leeway with length when it comes to necklaces but bracelets definitely have more of a limitation.
The First Clasp
The bracelet beings at the end with one clasp. My most used approach for this is using a crimping bead with the wire. The wire loops through the clasps hoop and the line going into and coming out of the clasp both get threaded through a crimping bead. This always feels like a fiddly task because crimping breads are relatively small.
Then, using pliers, I crimp the crimping bead. This acts as a fastener and keeps the wire in place. But I’m not the biggest fan of the look of an exposed crimping bead. It took me many years to realize that crimp clasps exist. These are piece that close around the crimping bead to give a bead like finish. The only issue is they also are closed by crimping but with a… gentler touch. One that I do not have.
Beading
Now it’s time to transfer the beads from the staging area onto the wire. The beads that I was using are big enough to manipulate by hand. For smaller beads (or smaller openings), a needle is a good tool to help string the beads. I also recommend doing this step without a cat hover very close to you because the beads look like toys.
Finishing
Adding the second half of the clasp has always proven to be the most difficult step. There is not a lot of working room if you don’t want any exposed wire. I am not the biggest fan of that look and want the crimping bead / clasp to have a tight fit to the last bead strung. The process is the same as the first clasp but due to the limitation, I often used pliers or tweezers during this step to give me the ability to work in smaller spaces.
Reflections
I think something inside me snapped while doing this project because I really enjoyed making these bracelets (and I did go on to make necklaces as well). Once I started making one, I just kept going and going until I had a bracelet for all the colors of the rainbow. This was a project that I truly enjoyed and I will probably make more until I run out of beads. Which might take a while.
Pattern
Beaded Bracelet
Equipment
- Wire
- Beads
- 2 Crimping Beads
- Pliers
- 2 Crimp Clasps optional
- Clasp Set
Instructions
- Thread one end of the wire through a crimping bead and the clasp before threading the end back though the crimping bead. This should fasten the clasp to the crimping bead.
- Using pliers, crimp the bead and ensure it is fastened. Attach a crimp clasp if desired.
- String the beads from a staged area until all beads are on the wire.
- Thread the wire through a crimping bead and the other half of the clasp and then back through the crimping bead.
- Pull tight and use pliers to crimp the bead to ensure it’s fastened. Attach a crimp clasp if desired.
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