Three-Strand Stone DIY Bead Bracelet

If you’re a fan of natural, earthy looks, I have a simply-designed DIY bead bracelet to share with you today.  The three strands are all different textures and finishes, but the stone beads steal the show in this piece!  If you’ve wondered how to make a multi-strand DIY bead bracelet of your own, I’ve got instructions and helpful tips for you with this pretty project.

Supplies needed to make your own three-strand DIY bead bracelet:

• Oval Stone Beads (I used Rhyolite Beads)
• 3 x 4 mm Pink AB Crystal Rondelle Beads
• 4 mm Bronze Glass Pearls
• Bronze Magnetic Clasp
• Gold Beading Wire
• Antique Brass Crimp Beads
• 2 – 6 mm Jump Rings
• Flat-nosed Jewelry Pliers
• Wire Cutters

This DIY bead bracelet comes together really easily if you’re familiar with using crimp beads to finish the ends of your beaded bracelets.  And, if that’s new to you, I’ll walk you through it!

First, let me show you the end clasp I used.  I love the finish on this hinged bronze set!  It’s got a bar on the inside to loop your wires around.  Unfortunately, I found it to be too deep to be easy to use, and I added a 6 mm jump ring around the inner bar.  This still allows you to hide the ends of your wires just inside the end cap.

Then, cut three lengths of beading wire about 10-12 inches long.  (You’ll only be beading 7 inches, but the excess length makes it easier to work with the wire.)  For each of the wires, loop it around the inner jump ring, thread a crimp bead over both ends of the wire, and crimp it close to the end loop.  You can use crimp pliers, or your jewelry pliers will also work to crimp and secure the wire.  Leave a short tail, about half an inch long.  String your beads onto the wire, and tuck the short tail end into the hole of the end bead (or beads).

A tip?  Begin with your largest beads.  You will want bead strands that are all the same length, and for the smaller beads, it’s easier to add or remove a bead or two to match the length of the strand with large beads.

Add 7 inches of beads, and when you get to the end of the strand, thread on a crimp bead, loop the wire around the inner ring inside the second cap, and feed the tail back up through the crimp bead.

Pull it snugly (though not too tight – the beads should be able to turn and move, just not slide around) and crimp the second crimp.  Cut the tail the same as you did on the first end, and feed the excess wire through the bead or beads on the end with your pliers.

Repeat the process for all your bead strands.  I used three, but you could use any number of strands to match your style!  Some suggestions for choosing strands that will work well together.

• Mix colors.  Colors within the same family are fine, but you should try using different shades.  You can see here that I used green stones with pink flecks, so I picked up the pink tones with pink beads, and finished off with a neutral color.
• Mix finishes.  My personal style is to use one type of focal bead that will be noticed right away, one strand that sparkles, and one metallic or pearl finish.  But get creative!  Mixing finishes will give your piece more depth and interest.
• Mix sizes.  I did choose two beads that were 4mm, but the ovals are much larger.  You want something that catches the eye right away in a multi-strand DIY bead bracelet.

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).