Free Tutorial: Sliding Knot Adjustable Bracelet

Bracelets are the accessory item of the year and nothing is hotter right now than bracelets made with cording. You can create hip, chic bracelets with a few art beads, some accent beads and cotton cord. These are quick and easy to make and oh-so-cute! I'm going to be showing you step-by-step how to create a sliding knot adjustable closure that can be used for a bracelet or even a necklace, if you so choose. My version shown here is a slight variation of the sliding knot technique you typically see. This one is much simpler! You can make these bracelets with any beads you like.

 Sweet Slide bracelets

Here's what you need for the Sweet Slide bracelets:

6mm ceramic rounds by Elaine Ray

Brass 3mm cornerless cubes

Dark brown 1mm premium waxed cotton cord

To make your bracelet, cut a piece of cord about 24 inches long. String and/or knot your beads on as desired, making sure to leave at least a 4 inch tail on each end of your bracelet.

Now, you're ready to create your sliding closure!

1. Cut a separate 12" piece of cord and fold the cord back onto itself about 4". This will be your "working" cord.

2. Place the left and right bracelet cords parallel to each other with the ends in opposite directions.

3. Place the working cord on top of the bracelet cords. Hold the folded end with the short tail end in the opposite direction.

4. Loosely wrap the working cord around the bracelet cords and the tail of the working cord.

5. Make 5 wraps, moving towards the tail end of your working cord.

6. Insert the working cord through the wraps you just made, exiting the folded end.

7. Pull the ends of your working cord tight, but not super tight or you won't be able to move your bracelet cords back and forth. If desired, add some beads to the working cord tails and trim.

8. Add a few more beads to the bracelet cords, knot, trim and you're done! Be sure to leave the bracelet tails long enough to slip your hand through when the bracelet is all the way open.

I hope you enjoy the tutorial!

 Erin Siegel is a jewelry designer, beading instructor and co-author of the forth-coming jewelry book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords.
To find out more, visit her blog, Erin Siegel Jewelry.

Link Library with Melanie

  Back in August of 2007, Art Bead Scene contributor Virginia Miska reviewed an online store that sells high quality leather cord in a Findings Worth Finding post.  Given the popularity of cording nowadays, I thought it was a good resource to remember.  Click here to see the review of Greco Leather Cord in the archives.


And now, here are this weeks awesome links from some of our beady friends

A Bead A Day
Lisa shares her love for the creative community! Connecting with others is what it's all about!


About.com Jewelry Making
Bravo has a new TV show that uses Project Runway as a template but the designers are making accessories instead of clothing. What are your thoughts about this new show?

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene announces its annual Holiday Ornament Blog Hop!


Beading Arts
Jewelry designer Tammy Powley shares some of her expertise for creating unique bead strung jewelry!

Beads & Books
Michelle shares upcoming deadlines for beading & jewelry making contests and challenges.


Cindy Gimbrone Beads
Cindy is off her loom this week! Come see her new RAW book!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie mourns the passing of a furry friend by making a pair of special cuff bracelets to honor her memory


Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean's famous friend, the Great Margot Potter, has some wonderful news! Read all about it on Jean's blog!

Melanie Brooks is the ceramic beadmaker behind Earthenwood Studio, who blogs from her Metro Detroit, Michigan home.

Fly your Beads to Space with Tenara Cording

I would like very much to introduce a new stringing cord that virtually guarantees you will not have to replace it....EV-ER. In fact, this thread is so durable it can go into space.
 I first learned of Tenara cording through one of my favorite jewelry designers, Jes Maharry. One of her necklaces contained tiny weaving's of a very fine thread. Upon reading the description, I put together that it was called gore-tex tenara cording and promptly set out to purchase some for myself. Well, that was easier said then done. I could not find it any where! What was this elusive tenara that Jes found worthy enough to string her fine jewels on but could not be found in any bead store?

 I couldn't find it in bead stores because it isn't in bead stores, it is being used to sew astronaut suits and marina sails and restaurant awnings. It is a mildew/sun/uv resistant, water repellent, rot proof, resistant to most chemicals thread. It is also pre-lubricated, making the task of knotting extremely easy.
 I had to invest in a spool. In spite of its cost, I just had to. I am so glad I did.
 Not only can I rest assured I am offering my customers the most durable thread ever created, but for my own personal use, I have found  that it easily threads through large, hollow, altered art metal beads which were previously a little maddening to string.

 The stiff thread acts as its own needle, pushing through small holed beads with ease. To use it's fine thread size, double knot each knot you place after a larger holed bead or use small spacers. You can also double up on your thread if need be. The necklace above consists of Oregon Opal that had minute holes I could not fit over wire. Tenara cording not only fit through the Opal but also tiny chips of turquoise and large hollow, African brass that had rough edges around their holes. I do not have to worry about the rough edges of the larger beads wearing the cord down, it is that durable!

 To finish off your tenara cording, just complete a double over hand knot and place a drop of epoxy or jewelers cement on the knot. Let the epoxy set completely and trim close to the knot with scissors. Just as you would with silk or nylon thread. The difference? You will only have to do this once for this piece of jewelry, not every 12 months like you need to in order to maintain a knotted silk cording.

 So while I doubt my beaded jewelry will be orbiting the moon any time soon, at least I know it could.
Much Love and Respect,
Shannon

missficklemedia.com

Findings Worth Finding - Embead

In the never-ending search for cool stuff, ABS has found emBead cording. What is emBead cording, you ask? Let's let the emBead people talk for themselves, here from the emBead website:

"emBead™ cording consists of a tube made from 100% silk Dupioni, which is perfectly stuffed with a light yet hearty cotton core. The unique fabrication of emBead™ allows for easy and effortless sewing of beads to the cording. Jewelry made from emBead™ cording can be easy, quick and simple, by adding just a few key beads or very detailed, complex and almost sculptural with the addition of many precisely placed beads.

Jewelry artists Susan Dring and Marla Gassner have been using, developing, and perfecting this product for years and have come up with so many ideas that our brains hurt! Instead of keeping it to ourselves we've realized that we must let the beading world in on this incredible stuff."

Art beads can pair perfectly with the emBead cord with plenty of area for you to embroider and embellish. Sounds like a perfect Art Bead project to me!
(Photo credit: Necklace photos from the emBead website .)
Written by Cindy Gimbrone, glass beadmaker, and lover of all things beady.