Mother’s Bracelet 

By
Rubber Roadsters
Advanced Stamping Team Designer  

Some time ago, I received a bracelet as a gift.  It had my name in those really cool sterling silver alphabet cubes.  One night, while I was searching the internet for something regarding web design, I came across a mother’s bracelet that was made similarly to my name bracelet.  It was beautiful and very expensive.  The choices as far as beads and colors were somewhat limited.  The one I found used Swarovski crystals in birthstone colors on each strand – a nifty idea, but not what I wanted.  Since my engagement ring is a pearl, I wanted pearls, and that configuration was simply not to be had.  I thought, “I can do this myself.” J   

While most mothers’ bracelets are made with the sterling silver alphabet cubes mentioned above, in my searching and researching for this project, I have seen pewter, brass, gold tone and plated, egg shapes, and heart shaped alphabet beads.  They’re available priced from about .49 cents per bead to up to $15.00 per bead!  Do a search on Ebay or the internet for ‘alphabet beads’ and see what you find! 

I found a strand of freshwater pearls (Grade C) for only a few dollars that were just the right size.  My choice of the lower grade was financial as well as practical – I tend to beat jewelry up some and a big scratch on an expensive pearl is heartbreaking.  The seamless rounds and ‘woven’ rounds were my choice over the popular silver, brass, pewter and gold plated rondelles that most bead artists are using in this type of bracelet.

The theme I chose for my bracelet is gold and pearls.  Obviously, you will decide how your bracelet will look according to the colors you like, and the birthstones of the children’s’ names you’ll be putting on the bracelet, etc.

Supplies:

•Beading Wire (Accuflex)
•Alphabet Beads – 6mm cubes
Beads that I used:
•Strand of freshwater pearls–Grade C, potato shaped, 4.5-5 mm
•Seamless round beads – 2mm and 4mm (4mm need to have largish holes)
•Woven round beads 5mm
•Rice-shaped beads 3mm x 5mm
•Clasp – I chose a toggle clasp
•Spacer bars (optional)
•Crimp Beads
•Flat-nosed or needle-nosed pliers
•Wire cutters 
•Jump rings, if necessary for connecting chosen clasp
•Beading cloth (not necessary, but nice to work on)

 Instructions:

Most wrists are about 6” to 6½ inches around.  You need to plan your bracelet length to accommodate the size of the wrist as well as the clasp.  A lobster clasp will not require any extra length to the bracelet.  However, an S clasp or toggle clasp both requires some extra length to the bracelet for maneuvering the closure of the clasp.  

My bracelet length including the clasp is 8 inches – I like the very loose look.   

1.      Cut about a 10” length of the beading wire for each strand of your bracelet.

2.      I strung the alphabet beads with the woven 5mm beads as spacers first, spelling out the name.

3.      I worked from the center out to each end, adding beads as I chose to achieve my desired look.

4.      Test your length by putting your wrist down on the beads and pick up the ends.  You want your beads to just meet each other or overlap very slightly if you don’t want a very loose bracelet.

5.      I used two of the 4mm seamless rounds at the ends; then I strung on a crimp on both ends.

6.      Leave your work on the beading cloth (a terry towel would work here, too).  Pick up one end of the wire and thread it through the attachment ring of your clasp (toggles and S clasps both have larger attachment rings soldered right to them for projects like this), then through the crimp bead (yes your wire goes through the crimp bead twice).  Then, thread the end of the wire through the end bead as well (this is so that when you cut your wire, you can hide the end).

7.      Lay the piece down and holding the toggle piece tightly, pull the loose end of the beading wire taught with your fingers or with your needle nose pliers.  You want the crimp bead to snuggle up against the attachment ring nicely. 

8.      Using your flat or needle nosed pliers, crimp the crimp bead down hard, flattening it over the wire.   See closeup of crimp at right.

9.      Cut the end of the wire close to the end bead and tuck the end up in the end bead or into the next bead in line. 

10. Repeat on the other end.

11. Test your bracelet for length (I had to do mine over!)

12. Add the rest of your strands, or, if this is a one-strand bracelet, you’re done!

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