5 Tips for Successful Stretchy Beaded Bracelets

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Stretchy bracelets are so easy to wear and make a great gift. They’re also great for selling if you’re in the business of selling your work. Stretchy beaded bracelets are easy for anyone to slip on, can be made using any type of bead in any color, and they stack well with other bracelet styles. They’re also really easy to a make. However, they can also be confounding!

To follow are 5 quick tips for making them correctly and ensuring your success and the happiness of the wearer.

Jewelry For Men: Quick & Easy Bracelet Design You Can Make and Gift -- stretchy bracelet in process — Amazonite gemstone beads, 10mm and metal clay tube strung on 1mm stretchy cord.

1

Use the best quality stretchy cord you can afford and the thickest that will still fit through the hole in your beads. I keep .8mm and 1mm on hand and find these sizes work best when creating bracelets made with 8-10mm gemstone beads (my favorite sizes!).

2

After cutting a length of cord to suit your finished size (plus a few inches so you can tie a knot easily), stretch the cord really well. Stretching before stringing is essential—it helps prolong the life of your design and helps the knot hold better.

3

Keep some baby powder handy. Some stretchy cording is “sticky.” If you find you’re faced with this type of situation and the beads are getting hung up when stringing, simply dip the cord in the baby powder before stringing. You’ll be amazed at how easily the beads will slide onto your cord.

4

After knotting, test the knot to make sure it holds. It’s so much better to find out now if the knot is or isn’t going to work. Don’t be afraid to pull hard. If you tied the knot correctly, you’ll just make the knot tighter. If you didn’t make the knot right, it will come undone and you can try again.

5

Don’t use cyanoacrylate (super glue) on the knot. Cyanoacrylate will cause the cording to break. You can use a super glue in gel form, though, and this works really well. Two-part epoxy is another adhesive that works well and is compatible with stretch cord.