" >
Have you beaders out there ever tried laddering with beads? It’s a technique where you use almost any variety of beads and thread them between two cords of thick string (or leather, as in this case). The beaded bracelets are a popular DIY project.
Two important questions a lot of people ask before they start, according to Brittany at Beadshop, is how long does the sting of leather need to be and how long does the thread need to be that weaves around it. Measure around your wrist and multiply that length by 6 if you’re making a 3-wrap bracelet, she advises. And for thread, 5 yards for a 3-wrap, and 6-7 yards for a 5-wrap bracelet.
Materials you’ll need:
-Measuring tape
-Shears
-Perfect End thread burner
-Tweezers
-GS hypo-cement
-Button of choice
-Leather string (1.5mm)
-KO thread (dark brown)
-rattail thread
-pearls (3-4mm)
Brittany recommends starting with just 1 wrap if it’s your very first time doing this type of project.
When making the bracelet, you’ll start from the button end and proceed down to the loop end.
The main technique involved is “laddering” itself. The way to do this, basically, is to take 2 thread ends and thread them through a bead in opposite direcetions, then repeat. Picture a pearl bead with two threads coming out in 2 directions. These 2 threads wrap around the leather string and then enter into the next bead and then around the leather thread again. The 2 leather threads are the posts of the ladder, and the beads are the rungs.
Visit Beadshop for the full details on beading this ladder bracelet (click here). (Image at the top courtesy Beadshop with permission.)