Tutorial Tuesday...3 strand bracelet

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If you don't know by now...I LOVE to make jewelry...I sell it in my etsy shop...but sometimes...I just make it for myself:)

I saw this great 3 strand pearl bracelet on giltfuse.com a few months ago and thought (what I often think)..."I can make that"...so I did...and you can too!

(I'm gonna apologize for the dark pics...my craft area is in the basement, in a closet...what can you do?)

Here's what you need:

beading wire

scissors

crimp tool

beads (I used glass pearls)

crimp tubes

bead caps (optional)

3 strand clasp

3 strand spacers (I used 2)

couple tips: your beads need to be the same size as the distance between the hoops on the clasp and spacers. You can use whatever size beading wire you want, however, the wire needs to be able to double back through your beads.

If you don't have a layout board to get the length you want, you can just lay it out on fabric (so the beads don't roll) and then measure with a tape measure. Most sites say to measure your wrist and then add an inch for the correct fit, but it all depends on how loose or tight you wear it.

Put a crimp tube on your beading wire, slip the wire through the hoop and then back through the crimp tube. (I leave a pretty long tail of the beading wire to run back through the beads).

with your crimp tool, place the crimp tube in the second section and keeping the beading wire with one piece on one side and one on the other, pinch down, crimping the tube.

then place the tube in the first section and squeeze, this folds the crimp tube over itself.

Then put your crimp tube in the tips of the crimp tool and press the tube shut. Don't do it too much or you could crush and break the tube (then you have to start all over:( Just close it enough that the beading wire doesn't slip.

repeat with all three hoops...

(I cut the wire off fairly long so I wouldn't run short on the other end)

add a bead cap (this is optional, but makes it look more finished, especially with pearls)

add the beads (feed the tail through the beads as well)

add your spacers where you like...I had a pattern of 6 beads, a spacer, 8 beads, a spacer, 6 beads)

once all the beads are on, add bead caps to the other end and crimp tubes on each wire.

repeat the same process of crimping the tube as the first side. However, when you put the wire through the hoop, back through the crimp, then run it back through a few beads and pull it tight from there. This allows you to maintain a longer tail AND it makes it easier to pull it.

Also...you want the beads together, but not so tight the beads can't bend nicely, so keep that in mind when you are pulling and crimping it off.

enjoy your new bracelet!

If you are intimidated going for three strands at once...just do one:)

and with spring finally here...shorter sleeves means bare wrists...we wouldn't want bare wrists would we?:)

If you make a bracelet, let me know...I'd love to see it!