While take a beading class from Anita Barniville, I adapted her tennis bracelet project into what I call my woven pearl bracelet. You may have seen Anita’s bracelet published in the September/October 1998 issue of Jewelry Crafts magazine. The basic design is the same with a few alterations since I wanted to use pearls instead of crystal beads. You can use this same technique with other beads too such as 4mm garnet beads.

You will need:

Approx. 80 small pearl beads (more or less depending on their size - 2 - 4 mm)
White silamide size A
2 beading needles (10 or 12)
2 clam shells
1 jump ring
1 spring ring clasp
flat nosed pliers
scissors
glue or clear nail polish
1 seed bead

1. First cut 2 pieces of sylamide approx. 1 yard each and thread 2 needles.

2. Take the ends of the two threads and tie a knot. Slip the needles through a seed bead and loop the needles through the bead again so it is securely at the end of both threads.

3. Slip the needles through a clam shell, dab a drop of glue or clear nail polish into the shell, and use the flat nosed pliers to close the shell over the knot and bead.

4. Add on one pearl onto the right thread and 2 onto the left thread.

5. Take the right needle and go up and through the second bead that is strung on the left thread.

6. Push the pearls down so they are snug against the clam shell.

7. Continue steps 5 and 6 until the bracelet is about ½ inch smaller than the size you want it to be.

8. Add one pearl onto the right thread and one onto the left.

9. Repeat step 3.

10. Add a jump ring to the end of one clam shell and a clasp to the other.

I’ve made these as gifts, and people love them. For an added touch, you can also dangle a charm from the jump ring. I wear my pearl bracelet a lot. It goes with everything and looks nice when I’m required to wear something nicer than my normal choice of a T-shirt and overalls. Once you get going, these bracelets work up very quickly, so I hope you get a chance to make one.

Here's a printer friendly copy of this file.

All graphics created by Tammy Powley.