How to Bead a Six-String Braided Bracelet

First, thank you to Dollar Bead for the photos. I wanted to be able to share how to do this, and the website had great photos to show it off.

There are many different ways to string a beaded bracelet, but this one has to be one of the more elegant versions. In very simple steps, you can have multiple-beaded, colorful bracelets to add to your collection.

Here’s what you need:

• cutters
• pliers
• color-coated tigertail wire
• a toggle clasp
• 8 crimp beads
• 2 jump rings
• 2 x 4-holed spreaders
• 4 x 4-holed spacer bars
• 40 x 6mm black round fire polish glass beads
• 75 x 3mm purple round fire polish glass beads
• 75 x 3mm black round fire polish glass beads

Take the color-coated tigertail wire and cut six pieces. They should be at least 12 inches in length. The pieces can be longer, depending on the wrist the bracelet is going on.

Take a piece of wire and thread a crimp bead onto it. Then, thread the wire through the top hole on the 4-holed spreader pieces, and thread the wire back through the crimp bead. Once the loop has been made, push the crimp bead up against the spacer bar and cut off the excess wire.

You will do the same process for the bottom hole as well once you complete the following:

Use two wires instead of one, and create the same loop with the crimp bead as before. 

Thread the wires, starting from Wire 1; Wires 2 and 3; Wires 4 and 5; and Wire 6, add a 1 x 6mm bead to each single or set of wires.

Thread the wires as follows:

• Wire 1: 5 x 3mm purple beads
• Wire 2: 5 x 3mm black beads
• Wire 3: 5 x 3mm purple bead
• Wire 4: 5 x 3mm black beads
• Wire 5: 5 x 3mm purple beads
• Wire 6: 5 x 3mm black beads

Next threading is in this order:

• Wire 2: 1 x 6mm bead
• Wires 1 and 4: 1 x 6mm bead
• Wires 3 and 6: 1 x 6mm bead
• Wire 5: 1 x 6mm bead

Note: Keep the purple beads on top.

After that, add the thread of four groups of wire with another 4-holed spacer bar. And repeat another four to seven times.

This step is easy enough; all you have to do is attach the wires to the other 4-holed spreader like you did in Step Two.

Attach a jump ring to each spreader at both ends of the bracelet.

Attach one side of a toggle clasp to one side of one jump ring, and the same for the other side as well.

Now you have a multi-braided bracelet. Feel free to use whatever color beads you want. Have fun with it!

About Author: Miscelleana Rhinehart enjoys crafts like beadwork while she also writes for local NY Mazda dealers and their online classifieds.