How to Make a Beaded Armband With Pony Beads
Armbands, worn on the upper arms, look charming as they add jewelry and elegance to a plain sleeveless top or dress. You can use trim, lace, fabric or beads to make armbands that go with your outfit. Pony beads, available in many colors, can be used to make simple narrow armbands or wider, intricate designed armbands that are suitable for all arm shapes and sizes. By following a few simple steps, you can make an attractive flower armband with pony beads.
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Things You'll Need
- Stretch cord
- Beading tray
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Masking tape
- Pony beads in three colors
Instructions
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1
Cut a long strand of the stretch cord and tape one end of the cord to your work surface with masking tape to prevent strung beads from falling off the cord.
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2
Measure around your upper arm with measuring tape to determine the number of beads needed to go around your arm.
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3
Pick two main colors of beads, referred to as A- and B-colored beads in the following steps, that will form the petals of the flowers. The third colored beads, referred to as C-colored beads, will form the center of the flowers. The finished armband will have flowers of alternate A and B colored beads.
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4
Arrange the two main colored beads, A and B, in threes on your beading tray to correspond with the measured circumference of your upper arm.
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5
String three A-colored pony beads onto the stretch cord, followed by three B-colored pony beads. Continue to string the alternate colored beads in multiples of three to the desired length.
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6
Remove the masking tape from the stretch cord and tie a secure knot to make a circle of beads. You should now have one long length of stretch cord attached to string of beads, which you will use for making the flower armband. Thread the long stretch cord through the first strung bead in the circle.
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7
Thread one C-colored bead to the cord and pass the cord through the next two beads in the circle, an A-colored and a B-colored bead.
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8
Repeat Step 5 all around the first row of strung beads. You should have one C-colored bead in the middle of two A-colored beads, and a C-colored bead in the middle of two B-colored beads.
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9
Pass the stretch cord through the first C bead and tie a knot to secure this row of beads. Your cord should be next to an A-colored bead of the first row.
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10
Thread an A-colored bead and a B-colored bead onto the cord, and then pass cord through the C-colored bead of second row. Continue to string beads in this manner until the end of the row. You should now have five A and five B-colored beads around the center C bead. Pass the cord through the first two beads, an A and a B, in the third row.
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11
Thread an A-colored bead and pass cord through the next two beads of the last row. This will make the sixth petal of the A-colored flower. Repeat this step with the B-colored bead to make the sixth petal for the second flower. Continue in this manner until the end of the row.
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12
Pass the leftover cord through the first two beads and tie a knot to secure the beads of your flower armband. Cut off the extra stretch cord to finish your armband.
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Tips & Warnings
For a simple armband you can string a single strand of pony beads in one color or in different colors.
You can make the armband more colorful by using more than two color pony beads to make the flowers.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
