Make a beaded bracelet

Diploma in Creative Jewellery graduate Sarah Burnett-Moore shares her current passion for making semi-precious friendship bracelets in this step-by-step tutorial.

Use semi-precious gemstones for a glamorous bracellet

Materials: 1m of 1mm waxed cotton cord 1 silver bead with a 3mm hole Enough small semiprecious faceted rondelles to cover approximately 3cm 30cm tigertail 2 crimps Superglue Scissors Side cutters Crimping tool A piece of scrap wire Step 1

Step 1

Cut two 30cm lengths of cord. Fold one in half and make an overhand knot 10cm from the mid point. Add a drop of superglue to the knot. Trim when dry. Repeat with the other length. You will now have two closed loops. Step 2

Step 2

Fold the scrap wire in half. Use it to pull the two loops, mid point first, through the silver bead in opposite directions.  Pull all the way through so the knots sit next to the bead. Step 3

Step 3

Cut a manageable length of tigertail, say 15 to 20cm.  Run one end through the crimp, around the mid point of one cord loop, and back through the crimp.  Close the crimp tightly against the loop. It is worth using a proper crimping tool as it is important to get a tight crimp.  Trim the short end of the tigertail to 4-5mm. Step 4

Step 4

Feed on the rondelles covering the short end of the tigertail if at all possible.  If not, cut the tigertail as close to the crimp as you can. Step 5

Step 5

Feed on the remaining rondelles, then a crimp. Pass the tigertail through the opposite cord loop, back through the crimp and a few beads. Pull the tigertail as close as possible and close the crimp.  Trim the free end of the tigertail as close as possible.  Again, if you can’t feed it back through the beads, trim it as close to the crimp as possible. Step 6

Step 6

Cut the remaining cord into two 15cm lengths.  Pass the loose cord clockwise around the cotton loop four times.  Pass the far end back through the coil towards the rondelles, and pass the front end out through the coil in the opposite direction.  This is easiest to do if you keep the coils fairly small.  Centre the coil over the crimp and tighten neatly by pulling gently, then more firmly in opposite directions.   Add a drop of glue to the coil, and trim when dry.  Repeat over the other crimp.  Adjust the size by pulling the knots away from the bead. These bracelets look great layered – here I’ve used (top to bottom) dyed green jade, smoky quartz, pyrite and hessonite garnet.

Layer up your friendship bracelets