Carol of the Bells Bracelet

What You'll Need

• 1 (1 package) - Gold Plated Copper Satin Finish Rondelle Beads 12mm (BMB-2560)


• 10 (1 package) - Gold Color Steel Hollow Jingle Clapper Bell Beads 6mm (BMB-5197)


• 112" (1 package) - Czech Seed Beads 11/0 Deck The Halls Christmas Mix (BCS-1915)


• 12' (1 package) - Crystal Fireline Braided Beading Thread .006 Inch 50 Yd (XCR-1275)


• 1 (1 package) - English Beading Needles Assortment (XTL-3004)

Instructions:

1. If you are a beginner, we highly recommend purchasing "Teach Yourself Visually: Jewelry Making & Beading Book" which includes a comprehensive section on bead weaving. Begin by threading about ten feet of Fireline on to your needle. Secure the end with a Bead Stopper or a piece of tape. NOTE: Fireline is pre-waxed, but you may want to keep some Thread Heaven thread conditioner on hand in case your thread feels stiff or frayed.


2. Using all red beads, string as many beads onto your needle that you would need to make your bracelet the width you'd like it to be. Ours is thirty beads (approximately 1 7/8") wide, which is quite large, so feel free to make yours more narrow.


3. After you have strung all of your red beads, add a green bead. This will be the first bead in your second row.


4. Thread your needle back through the last bead in the first row and back up through the first bead in the second row.


5. Add another green bead and thread through the bead directly below it, and back up through the second bead again.


6. Continue stitching in this manner until you reach the end of the green row. Flip your work over and start stitching your third row using white beads.


7. Continue stitching, alternating red, green, and white beads each row. Our bracelet is approximately seven inches long. If you want your bracelet shorter, you should omit rows from the middle section before the decrease on either side. The middle section of our bracelet is about 3 1/4" (forty rows) long.


8. After you have stitched enough rows to reach your desired length, you need to begin to decrease.


9. To decrease in a square stitch, when you reach the end of your last regular-length row, thread your needle back down through the last two beads in your previous row, and back up through the second bead of your last regular-length row.


10. Add a bead and continue to square stitch, ending one bead short of the previous row.


11. Continue to decrease each row until your row is only ten beads long.


12. Thread your needle back into the second to last row and back up between the last two beads of the last row.


13. String twelve beads onto your thread, alternating green, white, and red.


14. Thread a 12mm gold rondelle bead and a gold seed bead.


15. Thread back down through the rondelle.


16. Thread twelve more alternating seed beads, and weave back into your last row of beads between the last and second to last bead. This is the "button" part of your clasp.


17. Tie a simple knot around the nearest thread between two beads and weave the remainder of your thread back into the rows. Trim off excess thread with a pair of sharp scissors.


18. Thread your needle once more with about six feet of Fireline.


19. At the end of the weaving opposite the button clasp, thread your needle through the row a few rows away from the last.


20. Weave your thread through the rows toward the end. When you get to the end of the last regular-length row, begin your decrease on this side of the bracelet, exactly like the other side.


21. Weave your thread back through the last row and come out between the last two beads.


22. Thread twelve alternating green, white, and red beads.


23. Thread a single gold bead and twenty five more alternating green, white, and red beads.


24. Thread your needle back through the gold bead and pull tight.


25. Thread twelve more alternating seed beads, and weave back into your last row of beads between the last and second to last bead. This is the "loop" part of your clasp.


26. Tie a simple knot around the nearest thread between two beads and weave the remainder of your thread back into the rows. Trim off excess thread with a pair of sharp scissors.


27. Arrange your bells where you like them on your bracelet, and figure out where you want to sew them on.


28. Cut about six more feet of Fireline and thread your needle again.


29. Weave into your bracelet a few rows before where you'd like your first bell.


30. Tie a simple knot around the nearest thread between two beads and weave through the rows until you get to where you will sew on the first bell.


31. Thread the bell on and weave your needle through the rows until you get to the spot where your next bell will be.


32. Continue to add bells until you achieve your desired effect.


33. Tie a simple knot and weave the remainder of your thread back through the rows. Trim off any excess thread with a pair of sharp scissors.