- 1). Cut a length of beading wire 1 inch longer than the desired length of the garden fringe bracelet. Thread one crimp bead and half of the clasp onto one end of the beading wire. Bend the wire 1/2 inch over the clasp and through the crimp bead. Press the bead with crimping pliers to hold it in place.
- 2). Thread size 6 seed beads over the open end of the wire to the clasp. Leave 1/2 inch open at the end. Add a crimp bead and the remaining half of the clasp. Fold the wire and crimp the bead as in Step 1.
- 3). Thread a beading needle with 2 feet of waxed beading thread. Pull the thread through the eye 12 inches. Tie the end of the longest thread, the working thread, around the wire between the first and second seed bead in a double overhand knot. The garden bracelet will be so full that the knot will disappear. Cover the knot with a drop of jeweler's glue. As you stitch the fringe, add more thread. Join the threads together with a double overhand knot, followed by glue.
- 4). Insert the needle through the first seed bead on the strand. Pick up a size 11 seed bead and one leaf bead. If your leaf beads have center-drilled holes, pick up another size 11 seed bead. Slide the beads down the thread to the bracelet strand. Skip the size 11 seed bead at the top of the leaf and insert the needle back through the leaf bead and the size 11 seed bead adjacent to the bracelet. The extra seed bead is not necessary if you are using leaf beads with side drilled holes at the bottom. In this case, insert the needle back through the size 11 seed bead next to the bracelet. Pull the thread taut.
- 5). Pass the needle through the second size 6 seed bead on the bracelet strand. Pick up a size 11 seed bead, a flower bead and five to seven size 11 seed beads. Slide the beads to rest against the bracelet. Skip the last seed bead added and insert the needle back through all of the seed beads, the flower bead and the size 11 seed bead adjacent to the bracelet. Pull the thread taut. You can also use bugle beads to make the stamens for the flowers, rather than a row of seed beads. The type of flower beads you select may not need stamens. In this case, create the flower fringe by adding several size 11 seed beads before you add the flower bead. The seed beads will create a stem. Attach the flower bead by adding a seed bead at the end, then skipping it before you pass the needle back through the beads to the bracelet.
- 6). Continue to alternate the leaf and flower fringe for the length of the bracelet. Pass the needle through each size 6 seed bead before adding the next bit of fringe. When the bracelet is full of fringe, repeat Steps 4 and 5 to add another row of beaded fringe.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -