Making your own clay bead bracelet is a fun and easy craft project that doesn't require any glue or complicated tools. With some simple jewelry wire and elastic beading cord, you can create a stylish bracelet with clay beads that will fit comfortably on your wrist. In this tutorial, I'll walk you through the steps on how to tie a clay bead bracelet using basic jewelry making techniques.
What You'll Need:
- Clay beads - Make your own or use pre-made clay beads in various shapes and colors
- Elastic beading cord - Stretchy cord used for stringing beads. You'll need about 12 inches.
- Jewelry crimp beads - Used to secure the elastic cord
- Crimping pliers - Special pliers used to crush the crimp beads
- Jewelry wire cutters
- Jump rings (optional) - Used to attach a clasp
Instructions:
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Plan Your Design
First, lay out your beads on a flat surface and play around with different patterns and color combinations. Make sure you have enough clay beads to go around your wrist with a little extra for tying knots. - Cut the Elastic Cord Measure your wrist size and cut a piece of elastic beading cord about 2 inches longer than your wrist measurement. Add a few more inches if you want extra room to tie knots.
- Attach the Crimp Bead Thread one end of the elastic cord through a crimp bead. Loop it back through the crimp bead again so the cord is doubled up. Position the crimp bead about 1/2 inch from the end of the cord.
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Crimp the Crimp Bead
Use your crimping pliers to tightly squeeze the crimp bead around the two pieces of elastic cord. This will secure the cord in place. - String Your Clay Beads Thread your clay beads onto the elastic cord. Push the beads up against the crimped end. Follow your planned design, alternating beads shapes, colors and sizes.
- Tie a Double Overhand Knot When you've strung on all your beads, tie a double overhand knot in the elastic cord right next to the last bead. This will keep the beads from sliding off.
- Apply Glue (Optional) You can add a dot of craft glue or clear nail polish to the knot for extra holding power. Let dry completely.
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Tie Off the End
Leaving about a 1/2 inch tail, tie one more double overhand knot at the tail end of the elastic cord to finish it off. Add glue to this knot as well. Trim off any excess cord. - Attach a Clasp (Optional) If you want to add a clasp to your bracelet, use jump rings to attach a jewelry clasp to the looped end of the elastic cord. Make sure to crimp the jump rings tightly shut.
- Wear Your Bracelet! Gently stretch and slide the bracelet over your hand to put it on. The elastic cord will fit snugly around your wrist. Enjoy your handmade clay bead bracelet!
Tips:
- Use pony beads or small spacer beads between larger focal beads to prevent them from scraping against each other.
- Make sure the elastic cord fits snugly but is still stretchy enough to take on and off.
- When tying knots, pull them very tight and leave only a small tail. This ensures they won't come undone.
- You can use jewelry wire instead of elastic cord for a non-stretchy bracelet. Just secure with crimps.
- Get creative with the bead shapes! Try round, square, leaf, flower, animal and all sorts of carved beads.
- Paint or decorate plain clay beads with markers, glitter and other embellishments.
With some simple jewelry tools and colorful clay beads, you can create a custom bracelet to match any outfit or mood. The best part about clay beads is you can continually add to your collection. Try incorporating beads made from polymer clay or modeling clay. Both are very lightweight.
For a boho-chic look, use earthy terra cotta beads along with woven embroidery floss to tie macrame-style knots between each bead. Or go modern and minimalist with solid white beads on a sleek cording bracelet. You can design single strand and multi-strand versions.
It's also fun to make clay bead bracelets as gifts for friends. Design them to match the recipient's unique style. For kids, pick cute dolphin, star or letter beads to spell out their name. The clay is durable enough for regular wear.
So give clay bead bracelets a try and unleash your inner jewelry designer. With just a bit of patience and some basic skills, you'll be tying and stringing your own fashionable wrist wear in no time!