How To Make a Beadwork Frill Bracelet (Step by Step)
Beads by Verchiel have taken the time to share a detailed tutorial on how to make a beautiful handmade beadwork frill bracelet using items from her jewellery kits! We’ve been really excited to share this one with you and we can’t wait to see how you guys get on with this at home.
About Beads by Verchiel
Beautiful jewellery making kits.
Rachel Smith of Beads by Verchiel, based in a small town of Royal Wootton Bassett, where she works from her home studio. She has been running as a sole trader in this creative environment for over 10 years.
Her jewellery connections go back to her Great Grandfather who was a jeweller in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, where her Gran also worked. In teaching a range of different jewellery making mediums, she finds it “refreshing to connect with like-minded crafters each week.”
A = Size 10 Czech seed bead
(inner colour and top of frill)
B = Size 10 seed bead
(main colour frill)
C = 8mm bead
Step 1: Adding Your Clasp and Getting Started
Cut a length of approx. 1.5 – 2 metres of thread and thread your beading needle.
Leaving a 3 inch tail, thread on 1C pearl bead, 9A seed beads, add your clasp then 3A seed beads [Photo 1].
Top tip: Tighten up the tension of the thread as you go along, throughout the project.
Go up the last 3A seed beads (that sit on the opposite side of the clasp), ensuring that your clasp is contained within the formed loop [Photo 2] and back down through the 3A seed beads just added [Photo 3].
Reinforce and strengthen the end by going back through the same 3A seed beads on each side [Photo 4].
Push your needle down the next seed bead that sits under the 3rd bead on each side [Photo 5].
Add 5A seed beads and go through the opposite side of the C pearl bead (where your tail is coming out of) [Photo 6].
Reinforce by going up through the 5 seed beads, skip the shared bead in the middle and go across the 5 seed beads on the other side [Photo 7].
Pull both threads (that should now be sitting together) and tie both ends together with a single overhand knot [Photo 8 to 9].
Step 2: Tying Off The Short Tail
Rethread your needle onto the short tail. To tie off, push needle through 2-3 seed beds, tie a knot in between beads.
Repeat this process 2 -3 times and finish by pushing needle through a couple of seed beads prior to cutting off the short tail [Photos 10 to 16].
Step 3: Starting The Base Weave
Rethread your needle onto the remaining long thread and begin your weave along the base. * Push your needle through the C pearl bead [Photo 18].
Add 4A seed beads, 1C pearl bead, then 4A seed beads. Push your needle up through the 1st C bead, previously added (where the tail is coming out of) [Photo 19].
Reinforce around the 1st 4A beads just added and down the C bead just added [Photo 20 to 21].
Add 4A seed beads, 1C pearl bead, then 4A seed beads. Push your needle up through the 1st C bead previously added [Photo 22].
Reinforce around the 1st 4A beads just added and down the C bead just added [Photo 23 to 25].
Repeat step 3 from *(referring to [Photo 18 to 25] until you have reached your required length [photo 26] (considering the length of the clasp).
Step 4: Adding The Other Side of The Clasp
When you have reached your required bracelet length and added your last C bead, add 9A seed beads, add your end clasp, then add another 3A seed beads [Photo 27 to 28].
Go back up the 3A seed beads on the other side to reinforce, then through the end clasp and then down through the 3A seed beads opposite (keeping your clasp end contained within the formed loop) [Photo 29 to 30]. Go back around the same beads again to fully secure [Photo 31 to 33].
Push your needle down the next seed bead that sits under the 3rd bead of each side [Photo 34].
Add 5A seed beads and go through the opposite side of the C pearl bead (where your tail is coming out of) [Photo 35]. Reinforce by going up through the 5 seed beads, skip the shared bead in the middle and go across the 5 seed beads on the other side as shown back in [Photo 7].
Step 5: Tying Off This Thread and Adding a New Length of Thread
This is an ideal time to tie off your thread, although you can continue and tie off at a later stage using the same technique. Ensure you have around 5 inches of tail left in order to tie off.
To tie off push needle through 2-3 seed beads, tie a knot in between beads. Repeat this process 2 -3 times and finish by pushing needle through a couple of seed beads prior to cutting off the tail. Refer to [Photo 10 to 17] for tying off process.
To add a new thread, cut a length of around 1.5 metres and thread your needle. Push your needle through 2-3 seed beads around the clasp area as shown [Photo 36 to 38].
Leave a tail of around 2 inches and keep hold of your tail so that it does not pull straight through your beads.
Push your needle in the thread (pierce the thread) between 2 seed beads and tie a knot in the same way as you did to tie off at the start. Repeat by knotting in 2-3 more places and when secured, trim off the tail [Photo 39 to 43].
Step 6: Making The Outer Frill Weave Using Both Colour Seed Beads
We are now going to work back down your bracelet to add the triangular peaks. Push your needle through the 1st seed bead in the 1st group of 4 seed beads. Add 3B seed beads, then 1A seed bead [Photo 44].
Go back through the last B seed bead added so the 1A seed bead forms a peak at the top [Photo 45 to 46]. Add 2B seed beads and push your needle through bead 4 (in the group of 4 seed beads you are working on) so your 1st triangular shape edging should now be formed.
Go up through the nearest C bead and through the 1st 1A seed bead on the opposite side [Photo 47].
Add 3B seed beads, then 1A seed bead. Go back through the last B seed bead previously added, so the 1A seed bead forms a peak at the top [Photo 48].
Add 2B seed beads and push your needle through bead 4 (in the group of 4 seed beads you are working on) so your 2nd triangular shape edging should now be formed [Photo 49].
Go up through the nearest C bead [Photo 50] and through the group of 4A seed beads, [Photo 51] up through the nearest C bead, [Photo 52] then up through the 1st A seed bead to repeat the sequence across the top.
Repeat this sequence in step 6 until you have edged your complete bracelet [Photo 53 to 55]. Tie off loose ends.
