Making a bead bracelet takes about twenty minutes once you have the materials. This is the method we use at our own bench — the same one we follow when we string your order.
What you need
- Round stone beads in 8, 10 or 12 mm — about 21 beads in 8 mm for a 15 cm wrist, 19 in 10 mm or 15 in 12 mm, since larger beads fill the circle faster
- 0.8 mm elastic cord — crystal or nylon, not cotton
- A beading needle or a stiff wire loop
- Sharp scissors, and a small dab of jewellery glue (optional)
Measure and cut
Wrap a soft tape snugly around your wrist and add 1 cm of ease. Multiply that by three to get your cord length, then add 15 cm for the knot.
Thread the beads
Feed the cord through the needle, or fold a stiff wire in half and use the loop as a needle. Slide beads on one at a time, keeping light tension. Leave 5 cm of cord free at each end.
Knot and finish
Pull both ends so the beads sit snug with no gaps, then tie a surgeon's knot: pass the right end over and through twice, then the left end over and through twice. Pull firmly. Add a dab of glue, let it cure for an hour, then trim the tails close.
Common mistakes
- Too loose. If you can slide a finger under the bracelet, it will stretch out within weeks.
- Cotton cord. It rots and snaps. Use elastic rated for jewellery.
- Trimming too early. Cut the tails only after the glue has cured, or the knot will slip.
Want the materials in one box — beads, cord, needle and all? See the Atelier kits. Or skip the making and design one for us to string.
Inspiration gallery
Nine finished strands, if you would rather start from one
Every design opens straight in the builder with its exact bead order and counts — keep the rhythm, swap the stones.