How-to: Pearl DIY Mesh Bracelets

Hey guys!  Adrianne here with you today to share a fun DIY mesh jewelry project with you.  I love brightly colored accessories, and I love it even more when they’re super easy to make!  I’ve got a twist on the traditional beaded bracelet to share with you, and the possibilities to customize it for yourself are practically endless.

Using mesh tubing (the kind used in wreath and bow making) is a creative alternative to stringing pearl beads, because they’re encased inside.  The addition of jump rings and large hole beads allow you to add shape and texture, because the tubing can stretch and flex.  Or, embrace the tube look by pouring beads into the tube for a fast DIY mesh design that makes up in under 5 minutes!

Supplies needed to make your own DIY mesh bracelets:

• Mesh Tubing (this easy kit has 4 colors, in 2 sizes)
• 8mm Plastic Pearl Beads
• 4mm Plastic Pearl Beads
• 3mm Plastic Pearl Beads
• 7mm Jump Rings
• Large Hole Spacer Beads
• 4mm (large) Glue-on End Clasp
• Jewelry Glue
• Scissors

First, cut your tubing to approximately 9 inches.  You will be trimming it down later, but it’s helpful to have a couple inches extra at the end to work with.  Glue one end of your tubing into one of the end caps.  You’ll see in these photos that I used Super New glue, which is a liquid super glue.  It worked well to hold the piece together, but because the mesh has holes, I got glue all over my fingers when working.  I have linked above to Aleene’s Jewlery Glue, which is a thicker glue that holds equally well.  The thick consistency will keep it in the clasp while you are gluing it together better.  You will need to hold the mesh in place inside the end clasp for 1-2 minutes while it dries quickly.

(Tip: want to make a wrap bracelet instead of individual bracelets?  You’ll need about 7 inches of length for each wrap, then add two inches to the end for your working length.  For two wraps, cut 16 inches.  For 3 wraps, 23 inches, or for four, 30 inches.)

Once your glue has dried enough that it doesn’t pull out of the end clasp, begin filling it with beads.  The mesh tubing included with this kit I used contained 5mm and 10mm tubing.  I found that beads that were at least 2mm smaller than the tubing size worked best.  For this ring-and-pearl alternating pattern, I used 8mm pearls and 7mm jump rings.  Just drop a pearl in, then compress the tubing to slip a jump ring around the outside of the tubing.

Continue on for a beaded length of 7 or 7.5 inches.  The glue-on clasp will add about a half inch of length to your finished bracelet.  A standard length is 7.5 inches for a woman’s wrist, but if you’re planning to stack or layer your bracelets, having a finished length of 8 inches typically works better.  You can always adjust for larger or smaller wrists, too!  That’s the beauty of making it yourself – the custom look and custom fit.

When you reach the end, trim off the excess mesh, leaving 1/4 inch of mesh without beads inside.  You’ll need this excess to glue into the other end of your end clasp.  Just as with the first end, you’ll need to hold it in place for 1-2 minutes to ensure that the glue dries enough to hold.  The DIY mesh bracelet will need to cure for another 15-20 minutes for the glue to dry fully before wearing it, but after a minute or two, it will “grip” well enough that you can set it aside without worrying about the clasp falling off.

Try adding small beads to the large tubes, or adding decorative spacer beads instead of jump rings.  You can even experiment with other types and colors of beads for different looks!  There are so many ways to make these DIY mesh bracelets, and you can come up with a whole set like this in an hour or less.

Happy crafting!

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).