Below: Using 4mm Magatama Beads in mint green lined sapphire and mint green lined aqua
Bracelets Below using 4 tubes each of Long Magatama Beads
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Ingredients
Beads – we’ve used 4mm Magatamas in the top braceleta and for the two pictures below we’ve used Long Magatamas in Galvanised Matte Silver colour for the top bracelet and Metallic Khaki Iris for the bottom bracelet (you’ll need four tubes to make this bracelet), but you can also use size 8 seed beads (one tube is enough) or any 4mm bead you like…
Clasp – we recommend a magnetic clasp (with the superlon bead cord you’ll need a clasp with a 3-4mm sized hole to glue your braid into)
Kumihimo Round Disk – either choose the 4.25 inch size or the 6 inch size, they both make the same size braid so they won’t make a difference to your final bracelet, but some people prefer working with a larger disk and some people prefer the more compact version…
Glue – Zap Gel is ideal
Method
1. Cut the Superlon cord into 8 equal lengths andtie all 8 together in a knot on one end.
2. Now set up your Kumihimo disk with the 8 warpbraid using the instructions included with your disk.
3. Next you’ll need to thread 35 beads (this is the correct number of beads if you’re making a bracelet of average length using long magatama beads) onto eachcord and roll up each length into a Bob-eez-No-Tangle Bobbin to stop the cordsfrom tangling and the beads from dropping off
4. Now weight the centre knot down with something –your keys or a bag of marbles will do! This will keep the tension in the braid.
Start off by doing a few turns of the boardusing the 8 warp technique illustrated in the instructions included with yourdisk – do not add any beads at this stage.
5. Once your braid is about 1cm long you’re readyto start adding beads. Simply add one bead every time you pass a threadacross the board, making sure that the bead you drop is caught under the threadthat is running directly across it.
6. Continue until all the beads have run out andthen carry on with the thread until you have approx 1cm of braid without anybeads on it.
Now either use nymo thread to whip the endsof your braid – there are instructions for how to do this with your Kumihimodisk, or add a dab of glue to the end of the braid to hold it together.
6. Finally glue the ends of your braid into themagnetic clasp using either Zap Gel Glue or 2 Part Epoxy Glue. We recommendthat you separate the two ends of the clasp until the glue is dry just in caseany glue seeps through to the magnets and glues your clasp together!
Here’s a few more ideas….
Using size 8 seed beads (one tube is more than enough for one bracelet)
Using 4mm semi-precious stones (in this case dyed jade), you’ll need approx 3 or 4 strands to make one bracelet
