How to Make a Beaded Bracelet

It is fun and easy to make a beautiful beaded bracelet. Make one as a lovely personal gift for someone you love or make one for yourself to compliment your favorite outfit. There are endless bead choices to make it easy for you to select the combination that you like the best. Once I learned the easy techniques required to make a bracelet, I enjoyed it so much that I started my own home-based jewelry business. Maybe you'll love it too!

First you must decide what kind of metal you would like to use for your bracelet. You can choose from sterling silver, silver plate, 14k gold, gold vermeil (14k over sterling silver), or gold plate. Gold plate and silver plate are the least expensive, followed by sterling silver, and gold vermeil. 14k gold is the most expensive. My favorite is sterling silver because it looks great, is long lasting, and is relatively affordable.

Once you have selected your choice of metal, you can make your clasp selection. The two basic choices are a lobster clasp or a toggle clasp. The lobster clasp is a traditional clasp that opens and hooks onto a small open circle (called a jump ring). The toggle clasp consists of a bar that fits inside a large open circle. The lobster clasp is a simple clasp that is very traditional while the toggle clasp comes in many different varieties and is more contemporary. I like the toggle clasp as I feel it adds beauty as well as function to the bracelet. I also feel that it is easier to put on and take off jewelry made with a toggle clasp than jewelry made with a lobster clasp.

The next supply you will need is beading wire. I suggest Soft Flex professional quality beading wire with a diameter of .019. This is available in any bead store or on line. It is very thin and pliable yet is made of 49 strands of stainless steel coated in nylon for superior strength. It will work great for most any bracelet design. You will also need two 2mm x 2mm crimp tubes for each strand of your bracelet. These are tiny metal tubes used to attach the clasp to your bracelet. And lastly, you will need flat nosed pliers, crimping pliers, and cutting pliers. All the pliers are usually available together in a kit for under $20. Or, if you buy your supplies at a bead store they will let you use their tools for no charge.

Now for the fun part! You get to select the beads for your bracelet. There are many, many varieties of beads to choose from. I like genuine gemstones like smoky quartz, black onyx, pearls, and amethyst. I also really like Swarovski crystals which are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Both gemstones and crystals look nice when mixed with different varieties of metal beads too. Check out an on line jewelry supply store such as www.artbeads.com or www.firemountaingems.com, or visit your local bead store and select the beads that appeal to you. Depending on the size of the beads you select (measured in millimeters), you will need about 20 to 40 beads for each strand of your bracelet. It helps to lay your beads out on a beading design board. This way you can rearrange the beads into the configuration you like before you begin stringing them onto your beading wire.

Once you have lain out your beads into the design you like, you are ready to string the beads. First cut your beading wire with the cutting pliers. The wire should be a couple of inches longer than the size bracelet you are making. Next, you will attach one part of the clasp to one end of the beading wire. Do this by threading the wire through one of the crimp tubes and then through the loop of the clasp. Next, thread the same wire back through the same crimp tube. Using your flat nosed pliers, pull the wire tightly leaving only 1/8 of an inch of wire between the crimp tube and the clasp. Next use your crimping pliers to secure the crimp tube. Do this by placing the crimp tube in the back groove of the crimping pliers, and then squeezing the crimping pliers tightly. This will flatten the crimp tube and the beading wire. Next, open the crimping pliers and turn the half flattened crimp tube 90 degrees and place in the front groove of the crimping pliers. Squeeze the crimping pliers tightly again, completing the flattening of the crimping tube and the attachment of this part of the clasp. Next trim the excess of one of the wires to where only 1/8 of an inch is sticking out of the crimp tube. Now you can begin stringing your beads onto the other longer wire.

Take the first bead that you string onto the wire and pull it all the way down the wire to the clasp. Take the small piece of wire that is sticking out from the crimp bead next to the clasp and tuck it into the first bead. Now string the rest of your beads onto the wire until you have completed your bracelet design. When you have achieved the desired length you are ready to attach the second part of the clasp by following the same procedure you used to attach the first part of the clasp. When finished, again trip the excess wire to 1/8 of an inch and tuck it inside the bead that is right next to the clasp.

You have now created a beautiful one of a kind bracelet that you will be proud to wear!