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The beading is done. Now it needs to become a bracelet. Here are the common ways to finish loom and peyote pieces, and how to get the size right.
Get the size right
The finished size on each pattern is the size of the beadwork alone. The clasp adds length on top of that.
- Measure your wrist snugly with a soft tape measure, or a strip of paper you then measure.
- Add comfort room: about half an inch for a close fit, or an inch for a looser one.
- Subtract the length of your clasp. The beadwork plus the clasp should equal your total.
Too short? Add a few rows of the background color at each end, or use a clasp with an extender chain. Too long? Use a short clasp, or stop a few rows early on a design with plain ends.
Weave in thread ends
Every thread end, on any piece, gets woven in before trimming. Thread the end onto a needle and pass it back through the beadwork, following the path the thread already takes, through a few beads at a time and changing direction a couple of times. Trim it close. The beads hold it far better than a knot would.
Finishing a loom bracelet
Loom pieces end with a fringe of warp threads at each end. A few ways to finish them:
- Weave in the warps. Thread each warp onto a needle and weave it back into the beadwork, then trim. This gives a clean, flat end you can sew a clasp onto. It takes a while but looks the neatest.
- Crimp ends. A metal end piece, often called a ribbon crimp or fold-over end, clamps over the edge of the beadwork. Trim the warps short, add a little jewelry glue, and squeeze the end shut with flat pliers. A clasp then hooks on with jump rings. Fast and tidy.
- Tie it. Gather the warps at each end, knot or braid them, and finish with a sliding knot to make an adjustable bracelet. Great for gifts when you don’t know the wrist size.
Some beaders add a strip of clear tape or a sheet of leather to the back of loom work before finishing, to protect the warps and make it sit flat.
Finishing a peyote bracelet
Peyote pieces have no warps, just the thread ends. Weave those in, then add a closure:
- Sew on a clasp. Toggle, magnetic and slide clasps can be stitched to the end rows with beading thread. Pass through the clasp loop and the beadwork several times for strength.
- Bead a loop and button. Stitch a small loop of beads at one end and a button or large bead at the other.
- Crimp ends, the same way as for loom work.
Looking after it
Delica glass is tough, but coatings like galvanized and metallic can wear with rubbing. Take bracelets off for swimming, washing up and the gym, and store them flat.
Made something you love? Show us. We’d love to add it to our gallery.
