L

et your creativity drive this
project. Start with a focal bead
and a handful of cylinders.
Raid your old stashes to find
complementary beads and

seeds, and you’re ready to go. Line up
your pieces for a preview, or thread
beads on the fly. If you live on the edge,
build the bracelet with asymmetric

sides. This forgiving ladder-stitch
design allows you to be creative and
have fun. So let yourself go, but be
sure to use long cylinder beads every
two or three rows to stabilize the
bracelet. Stop to test your seed counts
as you link rows to ensure that the
bracelet lies flat but doesn’t look
too loose.

step

by

step

Start by stringing the center row,
building first to one end, then the
other. To make the uprights and rows
lie flat, you’ll need to experiment
with your seed bead counts. These
directions produce an 8-in. (.2m)
bracelet with 31 rows.

106

b e a d a n d bu t t o n . c o m

&

Loops

Ladders

Have fun making an

easy, two-needle bracelet

by Melody MacDuffee

B e a d

&

B u t t o n • A p r i l 2 0 0 4

107

stringing the bracelet

Cut a 4-ft. (1.2m) piece of Nymo,

condition it with beeswax, and thread a
needle on each end. String an agate, a
spacer, a focal bead, a spacer, and an
agate. Center the beads.

String three seed beads, a jade bead,

and three seeds on both sides of the
center row (photo a). (A focal bead
wider than the 11mm bead shown
requires more seeds for the ladder to
lie flat. Most 10-11mm centerpieces
require five to seven seeds.)

String a Czech bead, a jade bead, an

agate, a jade, and a Czech on either
needle. Continue through the end seed
(photo b). Set this needle aside. With
your second needle, go through the beads
on the new row from the opposite direc-
tion, picking up the first seed you come
to on the other side (photo c). Add four
to six seeds on each side. (The seed count
depends on the width of your row.)

Repeat step 3 (figure 1), using varied

combinations of beads on each row.

a

b

c

figure 1

Continue until you have 15 rows. If
you’re changing the bracelet’s length,
continue until you are about two rows
shy of half the desired length. The beads
for your end rung should be shorter
than the other rows.

Make a loop of seed beads just big

enough to fit around your button. I
used 23 seeds for a

5

⁄

8

-in. (16mm) button

(photo d). Run both threads through
the loop beads and the last rung of your
bracelet several times to strengthen this
stress point (figure 2). Tie the tails
together and dab the knot with glue.
Pull the ends through the nearest bead
then cut off the tails.

Cut and condition 4 ft. of Nymo,

then thread one needle on each end.

Center the first row on the thread, and
make the second half of the bracelet a
mirror image of the first.

String eight seed beads on either

needle. Slide the button over the beads.
Run the needle through the end row to
close the loop (photo e). Strengthen by
running the thread through the loop
and end row several times (figure 3).
Tie the tails together and dab the knot
with glue. Pull the ends through the
nearest bead then cut the tails.

making the earrings

String a Czech bead, a spacer, an

8 x 5mm cylinder, a spacer, a 14 x 4mm
cylinder, a spacer, and a Czech bead
onto a head pin. Make a wrapped loop

(see “Basics,” p. 166). Make two shorter
dangles using an agate, a spacer, a
14 x 4mm cylinder, a spacer, and an
agate (photo f).

Connect the earring sections

(photo g). Open a 9mm jump ring
(see “Basics”). Slide on the three dangles
with the longest one in the middle. Add
a 7mm ring and close the 9mm ring
(see “Basics”). Open a 4mm ring, slide
on the 7mm ring and one of the posts,
and close the rings.

Make a second earring to match

the first.

w

For more information, contact Melody at
5854 N. Chalet Dr., Mobile, Ala. 36608
or [phone].

materials

8-in. (.2m) bracelet
• metal focal bead
• 4 metal accent beads
• 14 14 x 4mm cylindrical gemstone beads,

new jade

• 6 8 x 5mm cylindrical gemstone beads,

green turquoise

• 40 2 x 4mm gemstone beads, jade
• 6 4mm beads, moss agate
• 12 4mm Czech pressed-glass 3-sided beads
• 28 seed beads, size 8

0 matte, gold-lined

• 335 Japanese seed or cylinder beads
• 10 spacers, 5mm
• Nymo D beading thread
• beeswax
• beading needles, #12

• button with shank,

5

⁄

8

in. (16mm) to

7

⁄

8

in.

(23mm)

• clear glue or nail polish
earrings
• 6 14 x 4mm cylindrical gemstone beads,

new jade

• 2 8 x 5mm cylindrical gemstone beads,

green turquoise

• 4 4mm Czech pressed-glass 3-sided beads
• 8 4mm gemstone beads, moss agate
• 14 5mm spacers
• 6 head pins
• 2 9mm jump rings
• 2 7mm jump rings
• 2 4mm jump rings
• pair earring posts
Tools: round- and chainnose pliers, wire cutters

108

b e a d a n d bu t t o n . c o m

f

g

d

e

figure 2

figure 3

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