Easy Beaded Bracelet With Button Clasp For Fall

I’ve got an easy and inexpensive beaded bracelet design to share with you today that’s inspired by fall colors and autumn leaves!  This beaded bracelet is really versatile, making for a great project for a girls’ craft night or something fun for a chilly autumn afternoon indoors.  It has a button clasp closure, which is a fun way to use up those spare buttons you may have lying around, and you can match the colors to your favorite fall outfits or be inspired by the colors of nature.

Supplies needed to make your own button closure beaded bracelet:

• Waxen Linen Cord
• Size 6/0 Seed Beads in your favorite autumn colors
• Silver Leaf Beads
• Silver Spacer Beads (optional)
• Button
• Scissors
• Bead Mat for your work surface (optional, but helpful for keeping round beads from rolling away while you work)

First, cut two lengths of waxed linen 24 inches each.  (If you like the look of a fuller beaded bracelet, you may cut three.)  Find the middle point at 12 inches, and double the cord.  This will give you 4 lengths of 12 inches each to work with.

Tie an overhand knot at the center point to fit the size of your button.  Double-check before continuing that the button can pass easily through the loop when turned sideways, but the loop should not be so large that it’s much larger than the button’s circumference.  They should be close to the same size.

Side note – this fuzzy surface is my bead mat.  It’s a simple mat that keeps your beads from rolling away if you’re the type (like me) to just dump some out and work with them.

String 7 inches of beads onto each of your 4 cords.  Here’s where you can get creative, making various patterns and using various colors.  The colors I used were two shades of red, orange, and brown, incorporating silver spacer beads and silver leaf beads into my patterns.  The key is not to make any of the 4 strands too much alike.  When they all rest together, you want to see all the colors and patterns present wherever you look.

Here are the easy beaded bracelet patterns I used, though please feel free to make yours totally unique!

• Strand one: 7 red beads in both shades, one silver spacer.  Repeat pattern.
• Strand two: 6 orange beads, one silver spacer, 2 brown beads, silver spacer.  Repeat pattern.
• Strand 3: 4 red beads, silver leaf, 4 orange beads, silver spacer.  Repeat pattern.
• Strand 4: 10 brown beads, silver leaf, 3 red beads, silver leaf. Repeat pattern.

Be sure at the end of each strand to tie a knot, or secure your stand with bead crimps so that you don’t lose any when working on another strand.  These are temporary, so tie them at the end of the strand to be trimmed off in the next step.  Don’t lose your work!

When you’ve beaded all your strands, tie an overhand knot to secure them together.  Trim off the temporary knotted ends you tied to keep your beads from sliding away, and thread on a button.  Depending on how many holes are on your button (I prefer 4, but you can make 2 work just as easily) you will thread two of your cords up through the bottom of your button, and then back down through the top.  Knot all your cords together on the underside.  You can add a dot of craft glue onto the knot to help keep it secure, but if you’re using waxed linen, the wax will help keep your knot tight. Trim the ends off.

You’ll be able to close your beaded bracelet by looping one end over the button.  It’s a simple type of closure, and it allows you to incorporate a little more color to your piece, or to add interest if you’ve got a particularly fun button!

I am just LOVING the fall colors on this beaded bracelet; autumn is a gorgeous time of year.  And you can see how all the different patterns on each strand lie together so that no matter where you look, you see each color, and the leaves – without looking overwhelming!

What are your favorite fall colors?  Are you traditional with the reds and browns, or do you love adding a more creative pop with colors like turquoise or purple?  I’d love to see your take, if you make a beaded bracelet too!

Adrianne

Adrianne is a writer, artist, designer, wife, and mom of 2 kids. She blogs at happyhourprojects.com where the theme is tutorials and recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Her favorite projects are jewelry-making, paper crafts, and recycled crafts. She participates annually in ArtPrize, an international art competition, and she’s the author of the book DIY T-Shirt Crafts: 50 Ways to Recycle a T-Shirt (August 2015).