Sparkly Bead Bracelet Tutorial

I guess everybody wants to make a pretty sparkly because I got so many emails about the one I posted the other day! Great! We all need something sparkly to wear year-round. AND...this is a great activity for the kiddies to do with you. My 7-year-old daughter made a SUPER adorable one-strand bracelet that would surpass those fancy boutique ones.

Now you get to go BEAD SHOPPING and it's like buying wearable candy!! {yay for you!!!} Very addicting!

**Also NOTE: this is a long post with big pics, so if your computer screen is stretched large, try to minimize it a bit, make the screen skinnier, so you can follow the instructions better.







So go gather all kinds of beads in colors you love. Try to get big, chunky ones, as well as medium ones, and even the tiny seed beads. I'm just using what I have here - I have nothing to wear with this bracelet I'm making, but who cares, right?! As long as you love the colors, that's what matters and you'll always find a place to fit the bracelet into your wardrobe - especially if you make a cute necklace or earrings to go with it.

You're also going to need some nylon coated wire, metal crimps, jump rings, and clasps. They should all be in the beading section of your craft store.

Tools you'll need: wire cutters, and needle-nose pliers. I have round-nose pliers pictured here, but you don't really need them.

Cut THREE strands of the nylon coated wire longer than you want your bracelet to be - just to give yourself some room.

On all three separate strands, you're going to put a crimp at the end of each one. Loop the wire inside, pull tight just to give yourself a tiny loop - below.









Using your needle-nose pliers, (or a crimping tool if you have one), squeeze the crimp hard, binding the wire in the metal. Either clip the remaining wire tail or string the beads over the top of it.


Now you're ready to string your beads.

Have fun with it, but as you see in the picture below, make sure you vary the locations of your chunky beads. You're going to braid your three strands together, so you don't want your chunky beads to overlap. Make sure each strand is different in bead placement.


To test your length, make sure you can wrap the bracelet around your wrist and your first and last beads should touch together. You're going to give yourself space when you attach your rings and clasps - it will loosen the bracelet and fit perfectly (hopefully).

Then, add another crimp just like we did in the beginning; clip the remaining tail. If you're super talented, try to feed the wire back down into the beads before you secure your crimp. (it's a major pain for me, so I don't bother...)


With all three strands together, you're going to attach one jump ring to secure them together.









Using your pliers, just open the ring enough to slide your loops inside, as well as your clasp.



THEN - braid the three strands together and carefully slide the ends into another opened jump ring, as well as the other clasp piece. I don't know what it's called - the thing that you hook the clasp into.


























And you're done!


Try it on and enjoy your sparkly creation! And when your friends gasp loudly and ask you "where did you get that utterly amazing piece of jewelry?!" you can just smile inside knowing they all desperately want a sparkly pretty and you can grant them their greatest desire. What a good friend you are!