Stringing Beads

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Putting Beads on Wire

It's time to get back to our handmade bracelets! My last set of posts explained all the materials we need, and we're ready to get started stringing. It's as easy as it looks. Just cut a length of wire at least twice as long as you want the finished bracelet (it doesn't have to be at all exact, just be generous). Make sure you have all the beads arranged in the pattern you like - it's much easier to change them now than once they're on the string. The bead palette works great for getting the arrangement down. I'll discuss different pattern schemes in a bit.

Bracelet Lengths

You may be wondering, how do I know how long to make the bracelet? To start, it really depends on your wrist size and how loose you like the bracelet. You can measure your wrist with a sewing measuring tape or piece of string. If you want it tight, add at least 1/2-1" in order to fasten the bracelet. If you want it loose, just experiment with different lenghts. Another option is to measure a bracelet you already like. As you can see in the photo, most bracelets range from 6-8."