How To Make A Stretchy Bracelet –

How To Make A Stretchy Bracelet –

Earning a stretchy bracelet with elastic is just one of the simplest techniques to start creating jewellery. You don’t want any tools, just some beads and elastic. 

People today frequently glance down on elastic bracelets, imagining they are just for little ones. But they are so much easier to get on and off, and relying on the beads you use, no 1 will discover it doesn’t have a clasp. 

How to make a beaded bracelet -two beaded bracelets on a white background

Styles of Jewellery Elastic

There are three principal forms of elastic you can get for producing stretchy bracelets: round fabric elastic, Extend Magic & Elasticity, and Opelon. Always test and use the thickest diameter of elastic as the beads will allow. 

Round cloth elastic, at times referred to as hat elastic, has several strands of elastic with a material masking. It is typically 1mm or 2mm thick, so largely applied for beads with more substantial holes, like plastic, wood and ceramic. 

Opelon and Elonga are both types of Lycra elastic. They are made up of heaps of pretty thin elastic threads that kind a flattish ribbon. They are extremely stretchy, but are likely to fray speedily, and I avoid employing them for that reason.

Extend Magic and Elasticity are my favored jewellery elastic. They are made from a single, rubbery strand, alternatively than loads of thin stretchy threads place with each other. This makes them robust, strong and simple to thread beads on. These generally appear in .5mm, 7mm/8mm and 1mm thick and in apparent and black.

How to make a beaded bracelet - hands holding a reel of beading elastic called Stretch Magic.

What Sizing To Make a Stretchy Bracelet?

If the bracelet is for on your own, you can just start off threading beads and hold heading until it matches! Or, if you want to lay out a design very first, you can obtain a piece of cord or string and wrap it around your wrist to get your dimensions its needs to be cosy, but not restricted. You can then measure this towards a ruler or measuring tape, or just minimize the string at the correct length and lay out your beads alongside it.

You can also get beading trays with measurements and grooves to lay out your beads and check out your models. It is ideal to insert an additional bead or two to make it possible for for the extra house the beads just take up.

If you are making the bracelet for another person else, and can evaluate their wrist, you can use the very same methods. If you just can’t get their actual measurement, the terrific point about elastic is that it enables a minimal further wiggle room when it comes to sizing! I’ve also produced the next guideline to give you a tough thought of what dimension a bracelet requirements to be.

Do I Need To Use A Needle?

Its most peoples all-natural intuition to want to use some variety of needle to aid thread beads onto elastic. But in most conditions, applying a needle will make the occupation more durable! This is due to the fact you have to get the eye of the needle and the folded conclude of elastic through the bead gap. The troubles is that it can be tricky to uncover a needle with an eye big adequate to get the elastic as a result of, but tiny more than enough to healthy via the bead. The only way around this is to use a a great deal thinner elastic, so the bracelet will not be as solid.

How to make a beaded bracelet - close up of a hand threading a pearl bead onto stretch Magic elastic without a needle

Stretch Magic and Elasticity are sturdy and smooth sufficient that threading beads on is not a challenge. If you are obtaining difficulty seeing the ends of distinct elastic, test some marker pen on the idea. The suggestion of fabric elastic can fluff up, but dipping the close in some superglue and once dry, reducing it at an angle solves the challenge. 

How to make a beaded bracelet - Threading a bead onto black fabric elastic. Some superglue has been added to the tip to help

Can I Increase A Clasp To A Stretchy Bracelet?

This concern appear up a whole lot in workshops! And the limited solution is no, not seriously. Elastic isn’t intended to have any metallic conclusions, like clasp or soar rings attached. The metal can easily have on via the elastic and trigger it to break. Elastic doesn’t need a clasp so it can be taken on and off, because it stretches! To make a bracelet with a clasp, use a non-elasticated thread created to be utilised with metal findings. If which is what you want to do, acquire a seem at my How To Make A Uncomplicated Beaded Bracelet tutorial alternatively.

How To Make A Stretchy Bracelet

I’m going to be working with a black fabric elastic in most the illustration pictures, as it is a lot easier to see. There are a couple minor variations among using cloth elastic and Strecth Magic / Elasticity, which I will mention as I go along!

1.Cut a piece of elastic 20cm / 8 inches lengthier than the finished size desires to be. If uncertain, just slash a piece about 40cm / 16 inches extended. The further to be certain you have enough elastic to tie the knot. If you are employing Strech Magic or Elasticity, give the slice size a minimal extend just before you begin incorporating on your beads (there is no require to do this with material elastic or Opelon).

2.To stop beads from sliding off as you thread more on, safe a single end with a binder clip, or you can get very little coils of wire termed bead stoppers, developed just for this objective!

3.Thread on your beads in whatsoever buy you like. Keep in mind that you can incorporate a little bit of superglue to the suggestion of cloth elastic or color in the stop of clear elastic if you are battling to thread (see Do I Want A Needle? area previously mentioned).

How to make a beaded bracelet - blue and pink elastic beads threaded onto a short length of black fabric elastic, with a binder clip securing one end.

4.Test the measurement all over your wrist or measure from a ruler or measuring tape. Insert or take away beads as necessary until it fits, or the beads cover the duration necessary.

5.To tie your bracelet, we are heading to make a reef knot. You should really have more than enough elastic remaining at possibly close to easily tie the knot. Scroll to the bottom of the webpage for a super simple guide to tying a reef knot!) Initially, clear away the clip or bead stopper, and guarantee you have equivalent amounts of thread remaining on each conclude. Put the remaining conclusion over the ideal close, then wrap it all around by likely above, guiding and up by. This is like how most people begin to tie their shoelaces!

How to make a beaded bracelet - hands holding the ends of a beaded bracelet, with the left end going over the right end
How to make a beaded bracelet - hands tying the elastic by taking the left end of elastic over, behind and up in front of the right

6.Pull the two ends apart until the knot tightens and the beads meet.

How to make a beaded bracelet - hands pulling the first part of a reef knot tight

7.We are likely to make a second knot, the reverse way close to to the first. So this time take the suitable thread finish about the left, and wrap it all over by likely about, guiding as up by means of.

How to make a beaded bracelet - hands holding the right end of elastic over the left
How to make a beaded bracelet - hands tying the elastic by taking the right end of elastic over, behind and up in front of the left

8.Pull this knot limited to secure. If employing fabric elastic, the textured coating signifies the knot grips very well and is easy to secure. If you are employing Strech Magic or Elasticity, you need to have to pull knots Seriously Tight! If you can see the knot needs to open up out and appear undone, get a great grip on the finishes, and pull tightly and maintain for a couple of seconds. At the time you can see the knot is keeping, place a tiny dab of superglue or GS Hypo Cement on the knot.

How to make a beaded bracelet - hands pulling the knot of a beaded bracelet tight
How to make a beaded bracelet - bracelet with colourful glass beads, next to superglue and GS Hypo Cement glue that can be used to secure knots

9.At the time the glue is dry, trim the finishes off close to, but not proper up against the knot. If you have utilised beads with larger sized holes, this knot will just disappear inside one. If the holes are smaller, never try out to drive the knot inside of as you could split the bead. The reef knot is modest enough not to be obvious, in particular staying very clear. Be sure to really don’t fret about the knot being noticeable, because when the bracelet is worn, you have to look hard to obtain the knot!

I hope you have found this article on How To Make a Stretchy Bracelet useful, if you have any concerns, make sure you drop them in the opinions. I’d appreciate for you to be part of The Loop my regular e-mail filled with information, exclusives and best ideas – indication up in this article.

How to make a beaded bracelet - finished bracelet with colourful plastic beads, and letter beads spelling the name Emma
How to make a beaded bracelet - finished bracelet with colourful glass beads,
How to make a beaded bracelet - graphic showing how to tie a reef knot, with 6 photos using purple and blue cord
How to make a stretchy bracelet

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