DIY Fall Beaded Bracelet Stack
Tomorrow marks the first day of fall, which means...there's plenty of work to be done. Decorating, baking, and lots of making. First things first, let's kick off the season with a little something for ourselves - a gorgeous, warm-toned, stretchy bracelet stack. These simple, versatile bracelets are perfect worn alone or can make a statement when worn together. So go ahead and pull out your sweaters, just don't forget to push up the sleeves.
I'm so excited to be sharing this fall-inspired bracelet stack with you. Recently, I've been a big fan of the chunky gold jewelry trend, but find it difficult to get behind the steep price tags. So, the solution for me was obvious - I'll just make my own. Follow along below to make your own personal stack.
What you'll need:
- .5 mm stretch cord - small (2mm-4mm) gemstone and metal beads - big eye needle - G-S Hypo Cement - ruler - scissors - 1 or 2 hours
When it came to gathering supplies, I was able to pick all of mine up in a single trip to Michaels. Luckily, it just so happened that a lot of their beading was 60% off. I knew I wanted to go with something gold and chunky as my hero, with delicate, fall-toned accent pieces surrounding. I spent a good amount of time walking up and down the aisle until I had a collection of beads I was happy with. But don't feel that you need to follow my lead - go with what speaks to you - or whatever happens to be on sale.
Instructions:
Step 1: Cut your stretch cord to three times the desired length of your bracelet. For example, a 7" bracelet would require 21" of cording. Once cut, insert one end of your cording into the big eye needle with a 1" - 2" tail. From there, string your beads to the desired bracelet length.
Step 2: Once all of your beads have been strung, you'll reinforce what we've already done by bringing the string back through the beads a second time (going in the same direction as before). After you've made your way around, you'll exit out of the last bead as normal and remove the big eye needle. This will leave you with two large tails at the top of your bracelet.
Step 3: From here you'll need to pull on the tails so that the beads come together at the top. Once together, tie two regular knots. This will join the two working tail ends, leaving the "reinforcement to stand alone. To bring the two strands together, loop one working end down and around the other string and knot. Repeat again with the other tail on the opposite side. This can get a little confusing, so if you'd like to see this technique in action, check out this video from Beadaholique.
Step 4: You'll now want to bring back your big eye needle and run each of your two tails through a few beads on either side of your knot, one tail going in both directions. Give your knots one final tug, ensuring that the bracelet is tight, but not so tight that the bracelet begins to crinkle. With a gentle tug, expose your knot and add a few small dabs of G-S Hypo Cement around all sides and let the beads come back together. With a small pair of scissors, carefully snip the tails, close to the beads, ensuring that the tails are neatly tucked away. Be careful not to accidentally snip the main cording - you'll be really upset with yourself if you do this - trust me. Let your bracelet set for 24 hours as the glue bonds.
I hope you enjoyed this project. I'd love to see the fall-inspired designs you're able to dream up, so don't forget to tag me in your projects on Instagram (@anothermessbyjess). Happy beading - and here's a friendly reminder to clean up your mess. ;-)
