Knotted flower ring

A traditional folk art in China, knotting is used extensively for personal adornment. In this ring, the Chinese flat knot – which is the same as the macramé square knot – makes a sturdy base for a fun, floral accent.

Materials

• 23 mm carved jade flower (You and Me Findings, Inc., 866-619-2626)
• 10-12 assorted 2-3 mm beads
• 25-30 in. (64Ð76 cm) 28-gauge wire
• 33 in. (84 cm) 1 mm satin or nylon knotting cord (You and Me Findings, Inc.)
• grooved ring mandrel
• G-S Hypo Cement
• chainnose pliers
• roundnose pliers
• wire cutters

Instructions

1. Cut 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm) of wire, and string a 2-3 mm bead one-third of the way onto the wire. Bend the wire ends so they cross, and then make a wrapped loop as for a top-drilled bead (Photo A). Repeat with the remaining beads.

2. Cut 9 in. (23 cm) of satin or nylon cord, and center all of the dangles made in step 1. Pass the cord ends through the jade flower, front to back (Photo B), and pull the cord ends in opposite directions to tighten.

3. Find the measurement on the ring mandrel that is one size larger than your ring size. Align the flower with the groove on the mandrel (opposite the measurement marks), and wrap each cord end around the mandrel once. You’ll have two cords on the “back” of the mandrel (opposite the flower), and the cord ends will go in opposite directions. The two wraps around the mandrel will become the “core cords.” Tape the cord ends in place temporarily. Photo C shows a top view of this arrangement, and Photo D shows a side view.

4. Cut 2 ft. (61 cm) of cord, and slide it through the groove in the mandrel. Center the cord under the flower, and pull the ends to one side so they are straddling the core cords. Tie a macrame square knot around the two core cords and the tail that is emerging from this side of the flower (Photo E). Make sure the knot is snug at the base of the flower. Tie a second macrame square knot around all three cords.

5. Remove the ring from the mandrel, and continue tying square knots, but omit the tail so that you are only tying around the two core cords. As you’re knotting, you may want to occasionally put the ring back on the mandrel to check the fit. Tug on the tails as needed to make small adjustments. When you get close to the end (at the other side of the flower), lay the remaining tail next to the core cords, and tie the last two knots over all three cords. Dot the spots where the cords are emerging from the band with G-S Hypo Cement, and let dry. Trim the tails.