Pearl and Satin Bracelet

To start out, I'd like to apologize for not updating recently. Life has caught up with me, between finals week, graduation and my sister getting married, I've had quite a bit to do this last moth, and I just haven't made time for this like I should have, especially considering that I have, in fact, done a few projects that I fully intended to blog about but didn't.

Now into the craft!

 I made a while bunch of these bracelets for my sister's wedding, but they look super cute with any number of outfits.

 Materials needed: Satin ribbon in you color of choice, 3/8" wide for best results. I accidentally got the wrong size at first, so make sure you get the right ones. 10mm pearl beads, color of you choice. You need about 20 of these, maybe a bit more or less depending on your wrist size. You also need clear elastic cord/thread/string stuff, a rather large needle that you can thread said elastic through, clear fingernail polish, scissors and a lighter.

 To start with, know that satin ribbon has two sides: a shiny one and a dull one. Make sure that you're working with the shiny side up, towards your pearls. You will like the result better that way, I promise.

 To start with, thread your needle with a piece of normal thread, leaving a loop.

 Thread your elastic string through the thread loop, then pull (rather hard), so that the elastic is threaded through your needle.

 Now, you burn the end of your satin ribbon. This will anti-fray it, and will make your end product more professional-looking, and less likely to fall apart.

 This is what a burnt end should look like- you don't really burn it, just melt it a bit.

 

 Starting at the very end, thread a pearl bead through the ribbon.

 to start with, getting the ribbon to do what you want may be a struggle, as the bead will try to escape, but you can do it. Fold the ribbon over so that as much as you want is poking over top, fold it in half, and get through it with the needle.

 Then you start the easy part: layering on beads and ribbon folds.

 Depending on how long your needle is, you can probably fit up to three of these beads on there, then you'll want to pull one off to make room for the next.

 Keep on going until you reach 20 or so, then start checking after every bead to size it properly. Don't worry about tightening the ribbon or beads until after you finish, and don't cut your cord or ribbon beforehand- work straight off the spool.

 The finished-beading-but-not-finished bracelet is shown. At this point, I have tightened it, cut off excess ribbon and burned the other end, and cut the elastic so that at least an inch is poking out on each side, preferably two.

 Next, you tie it off as tightly as your bracelet will allow. Don't worry about slack- that's why you sized it earlier on your own wrist.

To finish, allow a dab of clear fingernail polish to dry on your knot to prevent it coming undone, and you're done!