Being able to sit in a comfy chair and do a craft in front of the TV is very relaxing to me after the girls are in bed. I love my technology and have a difficult time retiring it for the night but when I do, I find I unwind and sleep better. After a couple of days doing family and girl craft 'pins' I was ready to try something new for myself. The 'pin' I found was a new jewelry technique for me and I loved the versatility of the bracelets. Once I got the hang of the first few stitches, I was addicted. It was easy enough for me to do while concentrating on my DVRed shows (VERY important) and I could customize each one depending upon the beads, leather type or thread I choose.
Pinterest Inspiration:
My Results:
Beads- The
'pin' website recommended 6mm round beads but I went with smaller beads. The number you need depends on
how many times you want to wrap the bracelet around your wrist.
Cord- The ‘pin’ used the 1.5mm Greek Leather. I used 1mm cotton cording because I wanted a
thinner bracelet and I prefer the look over leather.
Thread- The
thread needs to be sturdy and able to pass (doubled) through your beads twice.
Pick a color that matches your leather or that provides a pretty contrast. The ‘pin’
used size D SuperLon
but I used regular sewing thread and doubled it to provide more strength.
Closure- A
button, bead or clasp will work. It’s really preference.
Required tools: needle,
scissors, work surface (sturdy piece of cardboard) and clips.
1. Choose your bracelet length and cut your cording.
The formula is double your finished bracelet length plus extra for making the knots. For a single-wrap bracelet, measure your wrist and then triple the length to get the length of cording needed. It is better to leave your leather too long than to end up with not enough as I did the first time.
2. Cut a long piece of thread (10-12 feet) and thread your needle. Knot the end of the threads.
3. Holding the thread by the knot, let the needle fall to the ground so it is centered on the thread.
4. Fold your cord in half, leaving a loop large enough for your closure to fit through. Holding the knot-end of the thread with the cord, tie an overhand knot so that your thread and leather are now connected.
5. Using binder clips, attach your loop to the top of a piece of cardboard or something sturdy. Use a second and third clip to attach the cord ends to the bottom of your board (leave the thread loose).
6. Starting with your thread in the middle of the two cords, wrap the thread OVER the right cord to the outside, then UNDER the right cord, OVER the left cord to the outside, then UNDER the left cord and OVER the right cord. You are making a figure 8 with the cords and thread.
 |
| Wrap the thread OVER the right cord to the outside |
 |
| UNDER the right cord |
 |
| OVER the left cord to the outside |
 |
| UNDER the left cord and REPEAT |
7. Do this 5-6 times, pulling the thread tight around the cording to form a binding.
8. Now you are ready to start adding beads. After your thread has passed UNDER the left leather, add a bead.
9. Hold the bead between the two strands of cording, and stitch the thread OVER the right cord, back UNDER the right cord, THROUGH the bead hole again and OVER the left cord.
 |
| OVER the right cord, back UNDER the right cord |
 |
| THROUGH the bead hole again |
 |
| OVER the left cord |
 |
| TIGHTEN |
10. Bring the thread UNDER the left cord and add another bead in the middle. Repeat until you get the bracelet length you want. Keep the beads pulled in snugly against the leather.
 |
Bring the thread UNDER the left cord
and add another bead in the middle. |
11. To finish the bracelet, form several stitches without beads, just like you did in step 5. Now you are ready to attach your closure. I chose to use a large round bead. If you come up short on the cording, you can tie a closure onto just one strand of the leather and use glue to enforce the knot.
Being able to sit in a comfy chair and do a craft in front of the TV is very relaxing to me after the girls are in bed. I love my technology and have a difficult time retiring it for the night but when I do, I find I unwind and sleep better. After a couple of days doing family and girl craft 'pins' I was ready to try something new for myself. The 'pin' I found was a new jewelry technique for me and I loved the versatility of the bracelets. Once I got the hang of the first few stitches, I was addicted. It was easy enough for me to do while concentrating on my DVRed shows (VERY important) and I could customize each one depending upon the beads, leather type or thread I choose.
Pinterest Inspiration:
My Results:
Beads- The
'pin' website recommended 6mm round beads but I went with smaller beads. The number you need depends on
how many times you want to wrap the bracelet around your wrist.
Cord- The ‘pin’ used the 1.5mm Greek Leather. I used 1mm cotton cording because I wanted a
thinner bracelet and I prefer the look over leather.
Thread- The
thread needs to be sturdy and able to pass (doubled) through your beads twice.
Pick a color that matches your leather or that provides a pretty contrast. The ‘pin’
used size D SuperLon
but I used regular sewing thread and doubled it to provide more strength.
Closure- A
button, bead or clasp will work. It’s really preference.
Required tools: needle,
scissors, work surface (sturdy piece of cardboard) and clips.
1. Choose your bracelet length and cut your cording.
The formula is double your finished bracelet length plus extra for making the knots. For a single-wrap bracelet, measure your wrist and then triple the length to get the length of cording needed. It is better to leave your leather too long than to end up with not enough as I did the first time.
2. Cut a long piece of thread (10-12 feet) and thread your needle. Knot the end of the threads.
3. Holding the thread by the knot, let the needle fall to the ground so it is centered on the thread.
4. Fold your cord in half, leaving a loop large enough for your closure to fit through. Holding the knot-end of the thread with the cord, tie an overhand knot so that your thread and leather are now connected.
5. Using binder clips, attach your loop to the top of a piece of cardboard or something sturdy. Use a second and third clip to attach the cord ends to the bottom of your board (leave the thread loose).
6. Starting with your thread in the middle of the two cords, wrap the thread OVER the right cord to the outside, then UNDER the right cord, OVER the left cord to the outside, then UNDER the left cord and OVER the right cord. You are making a figure 8 with the cords and thread.
|
| Wrap the thread OVER the right cord to the outside |
|
| UNDER the right cord |
|
| OVER the left cord to the outside |
|
| UNDER the left cord and REPEAT |
7. Do this 5-6 times, pulling the thread tight around the cording to form a binding.
8. Now you are ready to start adding beads. After your thread has passed UNDER the left leather, add a bead.
9. Hold the bead between the two strands of cording, and stitch the thread OVER the right cord, back UNDER the right cord, THROUGH the bead hole again and OVER the left cord.
|
| OVER the right cord, back UNDER the right cord |
|
| THROUGH the bead hole again |
|
| OVER the left cord |
|
| TIGHTEN |
10. Bring the thread UNDER the left cord and add another bead in the middle. Repeat until you get the bracelet length you want. Keep the beads pulled in snugly against the leather.
|
Bring the thread UNDER the left cord
and add another bead in the middle. |
11. To finish the bracelet, form several stitches without beads, just like you did in step 5. Now you are ready to attach your closure. I chose to use a large round bead. If you come up short on the cording, you can tie a closure onto just one strand of the leather and use glue to enforce the knot.
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