Be Still My Heart Bracelet
Designed by Kristin Burgess
A sweet treat to adorn your wrist this Valentines Day! Our storewide SALE includes a lot of our pewter beads including the wonderfully detailed cast pewter heart button used as the clasp. Our popular vintage 'moonglow' style lucite in the fucshia tone mixes well with Swarovski's special finish bicones. This simple design will remind you how much you LOVE beading and any instant gratification project!
This project is great for all levels. Stringing and crimping are neccessary to complete the bracelet.
The finished length for this bracelet is 8 inches. The beads are a bit large so it feels more like a 7 1/2 inch when worn. There are plenty of leftovers to make the Be Still My Heart earrings or to add length to the bracelet.
Step 1: The pewter connector works great used as the clasp in this bracelet. Start by pre-cutting approx. 20 inches of the medium softflex with the cutters. Thread on 1 of the 2x2 mm crimp beads and thread the wire through the back of the pewter connector. Choose any loop to go through and also go through the loop accross from it before bringing wire back through the crimp thus catching the connector in a wire loop. Leave only 1/2 inch of wire back track before crimping the crimp bead close to the connector back. It is important to centralize the crimp on the back of the connector to ensure the clasp will function properly as a "button" or toggle like closure.
Step 2: Start by stringing this pattern onto the Softflex...
1 Swarovski bicone, 1 large faceted Czech rondelle, 1 Swarovski bicone, 1 large faceted Czech rondelle and so on until there are a total of 18 bicones added. Now string on one pewter ball, 1 crimp bead, 18 pewter balls (form the clasp loop) then thread back towards your work going through just that crimp bead. This will form a loop as the second half of the braclet's closure. Adjust tension in a circle before crimping the crimp bead.
Step 3: When stranding the second strand start with a pewter ball then string a total of 35 of the little fucshia moonglow lucite. Same as how we started, pick up a crimp bead, enter the same two loops on the bak of the connector. With the remaining softflex wire go back through that crimp bead. Before crimping the last crimp bead on, adjust your tension in a circle shape. I find it best to clasp the clasp when doing this. By clasping the clasp the tension is accurate for the form it will be in when it is being worn. After drawing the wire back through that crimp bead, also go through the next two lucite beads (next to the crimp). This will hide your Softflex "tail" so that a burr isn't left after crimping. With the bracelet in a circle and your "tail" hidden you can crimp the final crimp bead with the standard crimper tool. Using the snips you can now cut away any remaining Softflex.
Happy Valentines Day! Use your leftover beads to make a sweet pair of earrings. Check out next weeks 'Be Still My Heart' earring tutorial on ideas for making earrings to match this bracelet. Enjoy!
