One of the easiest jewelry projects to have in your arsenal is the trendy stretch bracelet. Stretch bracelets are super customizable, versatile, and comfortable to wear. Below, we feature a selection of tips to make your stretch bracelet making the experience simple!
KNOT TIPS
If it’s your first time creating a stretch bracelet, you may be intimidated by the knot you must tie to close the bracelet. It’s the most difficult part of making a stretch bracelet. At Smart Parts Crafts, we prefer to use the Surgeon’s Knot to tie off our bracelets. If you don’t know how to tie a Surgeon’s Knot, this tutorial from About shows how to tie the knot in just three easy steps. If you learn better through video, then this YouTube video from user Mo Rocco is excellent. You can skip the step at the end where he pulls the beads apart then tightens the knot multiple times-on a bracelet, you don’t need quite as much wiggle room!
CORD TIPS
Our favorite cord is 0.7mm or 0.8mm stretchy elastic. It tends to knot well and hold itself in place. Super for medium-weight beads (up to 10mm gemstone beads, give or take).
You can use 0.5mm cord for small beads, but often you will need to feed the thin elastic twice through the beads. This can be difficult if your bead holes are quite small.
Some crafters prefer the thicker 1.0mm elastic cord for heavier beads. This cord is more sturdy and can hold the weight of larger, heavier beads, but you must take special care to secure the knot. The thicker cord tends to require a dot of superglue or jeweler’s adhesive on the knot to keep it in place.
BEAD TIPS
Our favorite and our customers’ favorite beads to use in stretch bracelets are Czech glass and gemstones! We like these products in particular because the Czech glass is a higher quality than other glass beads and comes in unique shapes, sizes, and colors, while gemstones provide a natural, lasting beauty that can’t be imitated. In the picture at the top of this post, the bracelet on the right is made using natural agate, while the one on the left is made with Czech glass. We used metal beads as accents and used a charm or a connector to provide a focal piece. Using a pattern like this with beads, accents, and a focal piece will help you make your own unique and beautiful stretch bracelets.