Beaded berry bracelet

Macramé jewelry pops when you use high-quality materials – sterling silver, semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, lampwork beads and vintage buttons. Here, dangles, fire-polished crystals, seed beads and silver beads are woven into a complex-looking bracelet that uses only three knots.

The instructions below detail how to prepare and knot the cords. For full project instructions, download the free PDF.

Materials

• 2 yd. each 3 colors Conso, bonded jewelry twine or #8 nylon bead cord (light, medium, and dark)

  Bali silver beads:

• 1 3-Hole spacer
• 9 Daisy flower dangles or other dangles
• 30 4-5mm Flat daisy spacers
• 4 5mm Flat star spacers
• 2 6-7mm Square beads
• 8 2mm Silver hex beads
• 24 3-4mm Small Bali spacers
• 2 8-10mm Oval silver beads

Other beads:

• 1 Garnet pendant, 14-20mm long
• 2 6mm Fire-polished crystals
• 2 5-6mm Garnet rondelles or use glass
• 20 Size 6/0 seed beads
• 28 4mm Garnet beads
• 4 1.5mm Silver beads
• 1 Decorative shank button

Optional: 5-second nail glue
Tools: macramé board (available on Linnea’s website), T-pins, alligator clips or small hemostats, cigarette lighter

Instructions

2 Tie each cord to the shank of the button with a lark’s head knot (Figure 1) so the ends are even. You’ll have 10 half-yard cords. Position them on the button light, medium, dark, medium, and light and attach the button to the knotting board with a T-pin (Photo A).

4 Use the fifth cord from the right (dark) for the first series of knots. Hold this cord out to the left at about a 45 degree angle (this is the bearing cord) and make a double half hitch around it with the fifth cord from the left-hand edge (Figure 2 and Photo B). Repeat this step, tying a double half hitch around the same bearing cord with each subsequent cord to the left. Hold the bearing cord under tension at the angle in the direction that you want the knots to form. This will produce an angled, chevron, pattern with the center knot further back than the edge knot. This is row 1 (Photo C).

6 Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have knotted 8 rows on each side (the light cords will be in the center – Photo E). For a wrist that’s smaller or larger than 7 in., decrease or increase the number of rows in this section and the corresponding end section.

To view full instructions for this project, download the free PDF.