How to Make a Beaded Rope Bracelet

The spiral rope chain is one of the most basic and easiest stitches to learn in beading.
Once the pattern is learned, the actual stitching of the beads goes quite quickly and is not complicated. The ending result looks stunning, yet it can be completed quickly.
Here are basic instructions for learning the spiral beaded rope chain. Once you learn the technique, experiment with different color combinations and bead sizes for different effects. The possibilities are limitless!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 5 grams of 11/0 seed beads (white and one contrasting color) Beading thread (size D) Beading needle (size 12) 2 pieces of 8 mm long French coil Closure clasp Needle nose pliers Clear fingernail polish (optional)

Make a Beaded Rope Bracelet

1. Cut a 3-foot length of beading thread and thread it into the needle.

2. Thread four white beads and three contrasting color beads onto the beading thread.

3. Tie the beading thread into a knot around the beads to make them into a circle shape. Leave at least 6 inches of beading thread on one tail. (This will be one end of the bracelet, and this tail will allow you to finish this end.) Thread the needle back through the four white beads to begin working the bracelet the other way.

4. Add one white bead and three contrasting color beads and push them down to the other beads.

5. Thread the needle through only three of the first four white beads this time (skip the first white bead) and then one of the white beads that was just placed on the thread. This is a total of four white beads the needle was just threaded through.

6. Pull the thread tight through these four white beads and slide the three complimentary color beads to the side to position them beside the first set of complimentary color beads.

7. Continue adding one white bead and three complimentary color beads as in Step 4. Repeat Step 5 and Step 6 to make the rope of beads. Make sure the beads are pushed into place each time. The needle only needs to be threaded through four of the white beads each time to come back out on top of the spiral.

8. Finish your bracelet by placing one length of French coil onto the excess thread. Pass the length of French coil through one half of the closure clasp and then pass it back through several beads on the end of the bracelet. Tie a very tight knot to secure it. You could also place a small dab of clear nail polish over the knot to hold it tight.
   Repeat the attachment of the French coil to the other side of the bracelet, using the 6-inch tail left in the beginning.

Tips & Warnings

• Choosing larger or smaller beads will create different variations of this beading stitch.