Like many other women, I love beautiful bracelets. I’ve had a weakness for bracelets ever since high school, and my taste in bracelets has gone from the cheap costume variety of the 80’s to the modern varieties made primarily of high-quality glass and Swarovski crystal.
When I searched online to find handmade bracelets, I was shocked to see some of the prices people are charging for their work. I recently began making my own bracelets, and they look every bit as good or better than those I’ve found online for $55 on up, and I’ve made them for a fraction of the cost. Assembling bracelets with beads really isn’t very difficult or expensive, and anyone who loves bracelets can make their own.
The following information provides a number of helpful tips for making bracelets with beads. Once you start making bracelets with glass beads, shells, stones, and some of the many other materials used for jewelry making, you’ll become addicted to this craft. I’ve spent a considerable amount of money on beads and jewelry making supplies, and the beautiful bracelets I’ve made to give as gifts and to keep for myself are worth every penny.
Choosing Beads
Most of the beads I’ve purchased are from Michael’s. This is a major craft store that most people across the United States are aware of, but if you’ve never heard of this popular craft supply store, take a look at Michael’s website. I love shopping at Michael’s, and I could spend hours browsing the aisles for new craft supplies, especially beads for making bracelets.
The first beads I noticed were in small plastic bags, and most bags contained only one pattern or color. At $2.99 per bag, I couldn’t make a wide variety of bracelets, so I opted for two bags of mixed beads. I chose the bags that appeared to have the prettiest beads, but I should have kept searching. Although the majority of the beads were fine, many appeared to be seconds. Some were connected to others, many were misshapen, a few were broken, and some didn’t even have holes. Also, no two beads were exactly alike, so this made it impossible to make an aesthetically symmetrical bracelet. I had to choose a few of my favorite beads for each bracelet and fill in the spaces between with smaller beads that matched.
Instead of buying bags of mixed glass beads, I recommend starting out with a kit that contains color-coordinated beads, or buy several bags containing your favorite choices. Unless funds are unlimited it takes time to acquire a sizable collection to choose from, and I’m well on my way to having the bead collection I’ve always wanted.
Making Beads
Beads can be made using polymer clay. My good friend Secretsides, who is also an AC writer, introduced me to the art of making beads with this amazing clay that’s baked in the oven. The beads she makes are exceptionally beautiful, and I was surprised by how quickly I caught on to this fun and highly addicting craft. Take a look at the articles Secretsides has written on making beads with polymer clay. Her latest article includes a number of helpful photos. She’s a fantastic artist as well as a talented writer, and you can learn a lot from her bead making experience and advice.
Jewelry Cord
I prefer to use Stretch Magic cord for making bracelets with beads. It really does stretch like magic, it’s strong, inexpensive, and it’s perfect for bracelets that go on without a clasp. I use Stretch Magic for all of my jewelry making endeavors, even those with clasps, and I highly recommend this fantastic product. Michael’s sells a number of sizes, and it’s readily available at other craft supply stores as well as online.
Tying the Knot
My sister had purchased a handmade bracelet made with stretchable cord, and the first day she wore it the bracelet fell apart. The knot came undone, and the beads went flying in all directions. At first I assumed the person who made the bracelet didn’t tie the knots tight enough, but when tying a knot with stretchable cord, no matter how you tie the knot, and no matter how tight you make that knot, it’s likely to come undone.
To tie a permanent knot with stretchable cord, it’s essential to seal the knot with super glue. Tie an ordinary overhand double knot, and while pulling the loops taut, place a drop of super glue over the connections. Allow the super glue to dry for several seconds before letting go. Your knots should stay in place forever.
Bracelet Lengths
One of the biggest problems I faced when beginning to make bracelets with beads was choosing the right lengths for my bracelets. Many of the first bracelets I made were too short, and I ended up cutting apart a few and starting over. As a rule, a large bracelet is about 8 inches in length, a medium bracelet is approximately 7 ½ inches long, and a small bracelet for an adult is about 7 inches long. Size does matter, so take the time to measure your wrist, and leave plenty of room for tying knots.
Bracelet Clasps
Magnetic clasps are fantastic choices for bracelets made with beads, but not all magnets designed for jewelry are actually strong enough to stay in place like they are suppose to. I decided to buy a package of 4 magnetic clasps. They were about the same price as the larger clasps that only contained 2 per bag, and what a mistake that was. They were barely strong enough to stay on, and I was sure that any bracelets made with smaller magnet clasps would eventually be lost. If you want magnetic clasps, go for the larger ones. You won’t get as many clasps for the money, but what good are they if they won’t stay together?
I prefer ordinary barrel clasps for the bracelets I make with beads. Although it isn’t necessary to use clasps with bracelets made using Stretch Magic cord, I prefer the look of bracelets with clasps. Barrel clasps are far cheaper than the magnetic kind, and you’ll get many more for the same price.
