How to make beaded bracelets

Javairia93 · April 23, 2022, 5:50pm

How to make beaded bracelets? To make beaded bracelet take elastic beads cord, some beads, a bead stopper, right tools, and follow the instructions. You need a proper information about the material that you will need to make your bracelets and we will provide you with that.

how to make beaded bracelets

Wrist size for making bracelets

Wrist size	Normal fit bracelet size	Loose fit bracelet size
6”	6-1/4”	6-1/2”
6-1/4”	6-1/2”	6-3/4”
6-1/2”	6-3/4”	7”
7”	7-1/4”	7-1/2”
7-1/4”	7-1/2”	7-3/4”
7-1/2”	7-3/4”	8”
8”	8-1/4”	8-1/2”

Beads bracelet supplies:

It’s a fun to make beaded bracelets. Beads themselves are really adorable. Given below is a guideline about the supplies that you will need to make your bracelet.

1: Beads

You can make beaded bracelets with almost any kind of beads. Beads vary in size, color, and type. Some of them are large, others are small, some are colorful, and others are in the shape of letters. The choice of beads is all up to you. In the below section we will discuss 5 different types of beads you can use to make a bracelet.

Types of beads

We would suggest you to choose lightweight beads as they won’t fray with a cord.

1: Glass beads

These beads look very cute when they sparkle. Glass beads are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.

2: Plastic beads

Plastic beads have large holes in them. They easily string on the elastic thread and are inexpensive. These cute beads are perfect for beginner’s craft projects.

3: Seed beads

Seed beads are small, uniformly shaped beads and are used in embroidery, crafts, and the jewelry-making process.

4: Mini pony beads

These beads are plastic or glass beads similar to that seed beads. They have a size of 6x9 mm and a hole of about 4 mm. These beads are often used in headbands, ornaments, and jewelry making.

5: Letter beads

These beads have letters crafted on them. These beads are great to make identity bracelets and friendship bracelets.

2: Cord

If you are a beginner, go for the elastic cord as it’s easy to handle. Elastic cords are fun to use, just put the bead into the cord and knot it. If you are advanced then you can use wire to make bracelets.

Elastic cords come in different thicknesses. Thick cords are suitable for larger beads while thinner cords go best for smaller-sized beads bracelets.

From the list given below choose the elastic cord according to your project.

1: Fabric cord

This type of cord is used to make bracelets with large-hole beads. As it is comparatively thicker than other elastic cords. Fabric-covered cords come in a variety of colors. You can select one according to your taste.

2: Stretch cord

This is the most common type of cord used in making bracelets. It is a single strand cord and has a rubbery texture along with a cross-section. This cord is strong and durable, also it is widely available.

3: Stretch floss

It is a flat cord, strong, fibrous and stretchy. Stretch floss is easier to knot than a cord made up of a single strand. Using this cord has a disadvantage as it can fray over time.

3: Beads tray

It is a small velvet-textured textured board. The inches and centimeters are marked with U-shaped channels on them. Though it is a great tool to keep your beads from rolling around, you should go with an inexpensive tray to organize your beads.

4: Beading needle

Though people prefer using a large-eye beading needle if your beads have small holes, this type of needle won’t work. So, you must have both small and large-eye beading needles. If you don’t have a beading needle, fold a small piece of beading wire in half and create a beading needle for yourself.

5: Beads stopper

Beading stoppers are necessary to hold beads in place but if you don’t have a beading stopper handy then use a binder clip from a piece of tape.

Summary
From beads to cord and bead stopper, given above is the list of items that you will need to make your beaded bracelet.

Get started

Once you are well aware of the material that is used for making beaded bracelets, let’s start the fun.

Organize your material

1: Gather your material. Take scissors, cord, beads, stopper, and glue. Now wrap the cord around your wrists to take the size of your bracelet. For an adult person, this size could be somewhere around 7” to 9”.

2: Now select the kind of beads that you would prefer to make your bracelet. You can choose the size and color of your beads as you desire.

Stretch the cord

Hold the cord between your fingers and stretch it. This is an important step as it will prevent your cord to stretch out later. You can stretch around 4 inches of that cord.

Lock the ends of the cord

To prevent the beads from sliding and falling off the cord, you must secure the ends of the cord. You can do this by folding a tape over its ends or, using a binder clip.

If you don’t have tape or binder clips, then use your beading needle. Fold your cord in half and affix your beading needle to it.

Arrange your beads

Take your beads and arrange them so that you want to give them in your bracelet. This will save you time and prevents you from putting the wrong color bead into the cord.

Put beads into the cord

Now start putting your beads into the elastic cord. Hold the cord by one end and put the beads one by one. The elastic cords are usually stiff enough that beads easily pass through them. That’s why you might not need a needle for this process.

But if the holes of the beads are smaller, you will need a needle for stringing beads into the cord.

No matter what size you choose, try to start by putting a bead with a larger hole in the cord first.

Keep stringing the beads until you have your desired length. To check its length, put the beaded cord around your wrist and see if it is tight or loose.

If it is tight then remove some of the beads from the cord. If it is loose or has gaps then add a few more beads to it.

Tie a knot

Once you are done, remove the tape or the binder from the other end that you closed. Tie a knot around that end.

Fold the two ends of the cord around each other. Now tie another knot in the same way. Do not tighten the knots yet. Keep in mind that you should tie a surgeon knot instead of a square knot.

A surgeon’s knot is easier and very alike to a square knot. In a surgeon knot, you will loop the ends of the cord over twice instead of once. This will make the knot more durable.

Now by making the first half of this knot, pull the ends of the elastic cord and remove any slack in the bracelet. Now tie the second part of the knot while holding the first half of the knot in place.

Pull the knot tight enough to avoid any tension in the cord.

Apply the glue

Now by holding the beads away from the knot, apply a small amount of fast-drying glue. Avoid using any super glue as they become brittle on drying.

Now hide the knot with the bead having a large hole in it. While the glue is still tacky, slide a bead over the knot and let the glue dry.

The glue will take almost 24 hours to fully dry. Once it dry, trim the ends of the cord using sharp scissors.

Your beaded bracelet is ready to wear!

Summary
To make a beaded bracelet is easy. Just follow the above-mentioned guideline and within no time your bracelet is ready to flaunt.

Some frequently asked questions about how to make a beaded bracelet.

1: How to make a beaded bracelet step by step?

First, organize your materials.
Cut the elastic cord to your required length.
Pre-stretch the cord.
Secure one end of the cord.
Layout your beads.
Now start stringing the beads onto the cord.
Tie a knot to the other end to secure the beading cord.
At the end secure the knot with glue.

2: What is the best elastic cord to make a beaded-bracelets?

Flexible beading wires named Soft Flex, tiger tail, and Beadalon are a popular choice when it comes to stringing beads for bracelets.

3: What string is best for beaded bracelets?

Silamide Nylon Thread is a good all-around and is popular for its range of colors. It is used mainly for bead weaving.

4: What size cord do I need for 8mm beads?

A general guideline says to use a cord size that matches the size of beads that you’re using. So, a size 4 is for 4mm and a size 8 is for 8mm.

5: What is the strongest elastic for beading?

The 1mm thickness cord is best for heavier and bigger beads. You can use Soft Flex Beading Wire for a design that involves strength and sturdiness.

6: Can I use sewing thread for beading?

No, sewing thread is not good for beaded bracelets. Beading thread is made from nylon fibers that don’t disrupt easily. Sewing thread is cotton, polyester, or a polyester blend and is twirled from short fibers. It won’t stand up to the scuff of seed beading

7: How do you make a 4-string bracelet?

Cut 4 strands of embroidery floss around 36″ long. Tie them all together with a simple overhand knot. Now secure these threads to a flat surface with tape. You can also clip the end of the bracelet to a clipboard. Take the left-hand string and make an advancing knot onto the first strand, the second strand, and then the last strand of floss.

8: What size beads are best for bracelets?

6mm size beads are great for ideal bracelets and ornaments, especially when working with gemstones.

9: What are e beads?

"E" beads are glass seed beads that measure 50 /0 and 60/0 or are just called sizes 5 and 6. Unlike other seed beads, their edge is not flawlessly smooth and round. Like many seed beads, “E” beads are typically made in the Czech Republic.

10: What are crimp beads?

Crimp beads are soft metal beads used in place of knots to lock clasps.

11: What is the best wire to use for making bracelets?

A 16 gauge jewelry wire works well for making durable bracelets.

12: What beads are good for beginners?

Plastic or glass beads would be a good choice. They are available at almost every craft store, or even box stores with craft sections. Moreover, they are not too costly.

13: How many beads does it take to make a bracelet?

It depends on how big your wrist is and how large the beads are. Measure your wrist if possible and then put your beads on the string until it reaches the right size.

14: How do I string disc beads with a hole in the center, and get them to lay flat?

You can’t. The nature of those beads makes it unbearable for them to lay flat.

Conclusion

To make a beaded bracelet is fun. In the article above we have discussed the material that you will need to make your bracelet. A step-by-step guide is also provided to make a beaded step bracelet. You can follow these steps and make a bracelet of your own.