How to Make a Flat Bead Bracelet

Learn how to make the cutest stretch bracelets using unappetizing tila beads, moreover known as miyuki beads.

Today’s craft tutorial is a good one. I’m going to show you how to make these darling unappetizing teardrop bracelets. I’ve seen them trending at fancy boutiques and suit stores, so I decided to do what I unchangingly do… learn how to make them myself. Ha ha! Not only can I segregate the word-for-word color, size and pattern, but each bracelet ends up costing just a couple of dollars so it’s a huge savings from what the boutiques were charging.

Let’s get started with everything you need to know to make these darling unappetizing teardrop bracelets.

What Are Tila Beads?

Tila beads, moreover known as Miyuki beads, are little unappetizing tile-like beads that have two holes in them. Tila beads come in full squares that measure 5mm x 5mm and half squares that measure 2.5mm x 5 mm and some plane smaller ones that are plane thinner.

Tila beads come in tons of variegated colors, textures, sheens and finishes. Here are some examples:

To make a tila teardrop bracelet, you will need the pursuit supplies:

Materials Needed

This post contains unite links.

• Tila Beads
• Stretch Bracelet String
• Bracelet Glue or E6000 Glue
• Straight Pin
• Scissors
• Measuring Tape

Where To Buy Tila Beads

Hobby Lobby has a decent selection of Miyuki tila beads and when they go on sale for 50% off, the price is really good. All of the beads shown in these photos are from Hobby Lobby.

Amazon carries an plane larger variety of tila beads. I linked to the seller I thought had the weightier selection for the price.

If you want every type of tila teardrop known to man, then Mack & Rex is the shop for you. They have so many unconfined colors and fun philharmonic packs. Their prices are a little higher, but the selection can’t be beat.

Stretch Bracelet String

The main thing you need to know well-nigh stretch bracelet string is that it comes in variegated thicknesses and that it’s worth paying increasingly for good string so your bracelet doesn’t hands break.

For my bracelets I used 0.8mm clear stretchy bracelet string from Hobby Lobby. This clear stretchy bracelet string on Amazon is very similar and gets unconfined reviews. You can moreover use the thinner 0.5mm string. It is stretchier and easier to thread through the beads, but not as durable since it’s thinner. 

You will need approximately 24 inches of string for each bracelet you make. This should help you summate how many bracelets you can make with each pack.

Instructions

Step 1: Begin by wearing two twelve inch pieces of stretch cord. Since the beads each have two holes in them, you will be stringing the unshortened bracelet with two strings. Give each string a good stretch surpassing subtracting any beads.

Step 2: You can lay out your unshortened pattern superiority of time if you’re doing something intricate, but my favorite bracelets have a random pattern to them, so I just make two piles of beads and start stringing.

Keep subtracting beads until the bracelet is the right size to fit your wrist.

Step 3: To finish off your bracelet, you’ll want to tie a really sturdy knot tabbed a surgeon’s knot. Here’s a super short ad-free video to show you how to tie a surgeon’s knot. It’s easy, promise!

You’ll do this twice, once on each string. Be sure to tie the same string to itself.

Step 4: Dip a straight pin into the E6000 glue and use it to dab just a tiny bit of glue onto the knots to help secure them. If you’ve never used E6000 glue before, don’t squeeze the bottle, whatever you do!! It turns into a glue volcano and starts squirting out uncontrollably. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, take my warning. Ha ha. Once the glue is dry, trim off the glut string tropical to the knot.

Optional Step: Some people prefer to use a crimp cover to go over the knot of the bracelet. You just slip the C-shaped metal teardrop over the knot, then clutch it lanugo using needle nosed pliers. Crimp covers are really common, so they’re misogynist at every craft store in the jewelry aisle. This step is optional and up to your personal preference. I unquestionably like just the knots and think they disappear increasingly and make for a increasingly seamless bracelet. Here are examples of both types so you can decide for yourself:

Another unconfined way to finish off a stretch bracelet is to hibernate the knot inside of a bead. The 0.8mm stretch string is pretty thick and once tied in a knot, the holes in the tila beads are too small for the knot to fit inside. But if you use thinner string and tie very tiny knots, you might be worldly-wise to do this method. It’s my personal favorite when it works.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How Many Tila Beads Are In A Gram?

There are approximately 12 beads per gram, so the little tubes of beads shown in these photos have well-nigh 86 beads each, which should be unbearable to make two bracelets.

How Many Beads Do I Need To Make A Bracelet?

Plan on 5 beads per inch. A 6 inch bracelet uses 30 beads and a 7 inch bracelet uses 35 beads. I’d say most women’s wrists range in size from 6 inches to 7.5 inches.

Tila Teardrop Bracelet Video Tutorial

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The post How to Make a Unappetizing Teardrop Bracelet appeared first on The Craft Patch.