EASY New Jewelry-Making Craft Project Idea: Crochet Your Own Metallic Beaded Bracelets Using This Free Crochet Pattern
Learn how to crochet metallic beaded bracelets with this free pattern. This is a quick and easy project, but the results are lovely. The best part: You can create a variety of looks from this one pattern. I’ve created several different sample bracelets using these instructions, and all of them look different.
Here’s an example bracelet I crocheted using blue metallic and embroidery floss with read beads:
Red and Blue Beaded Bracelet for Fourth of July or Every Day Wear. Photo © Amy Solovay. All Rights Reserved.
Craft Supplies You’ll Need for Crocheting a Metallic Beaded Bracelet:
You can create infinite numbers of different bracelet variations, and each one could use different supplies. Try different beads, flosses and clasps for different looks each time. For best results, don’t use overly large or heavy beads; keep them small and light enough that your floss will easily support them.
- Beads: To crochet the bracelet as shown, you’ll need 10-12+ round red glass beads, give or take a few depending on how big you want your bracelet to be
- Metallic embroidery floss or similar fiber: less than 1 skein (8 m / 8.7 yards) of DMC Light Effects embroidery floss; the colorway used in the sample is called “Carnivale Fun,” #E-140, which was a limited edition color that is now hard to find. Don’t worry, as there are many similar Light Effects colorways that are equally beautifully. If you make fiber substitutions, keep in mind that your fiber needs to be strong enough to support the beads you’ll be using.
- Needle: You’ll need a beading needle or an ordinary sewing needle with an eye that’s large enough to accommodate your floss but small enough to fit through your beads; you’ll use this for threading your beads onto your embroidery floss or other fiber.
- Clasp or closure for the bracelet: A gold tone, bronze or silver tone clasp would work well with this colorway. You can’t tell from the photo, but the metallic floss does incorporate shiny flecks of gold, so a gold-colored closure would be harmonious.
- Crochet hook: Size C / 2.5 mm, or your preferred size
- ch = chain
- sl st = slip stitch
- st = stitch
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Update 6-24-2023: I didn’t use crimp beads on any of my bracelet project samples, but I recommend using them if you’re inclined to do so because it would solve a significant problem that can sometimes happen with a project like this one. Without crimp beads, when you weave in your loose ends at the end of the project, it’s possible that they might come sneaking back out of your bracelet later when you wear it. This is particularly worrisome if you use a silky, slippery crochet thread or embroidery floss for the crochet work. I learned that, if you affix crimp beads overtop of your loose ends close to your clasps at each end, you’ll ensure the loose ends stay put. I haven’t actually tried this yet to see how it would work out, but I’m passing the information along to you in case you’d find it helpful.
If you don’t want to bother with the crimp beads, you can always just re-weave any ends if they do happen to come undone; just make sure you leave a long enough length of floss at the end to ensure you’ll have enough length for successful end weaving.
Crochet Skill Level: Easy; but be aware that the suggested fiber I used for this project can be challenging to work with. If you’re new to crochet, the first time you make one of these bracelets, I suggest substituting ordinary mercerized cotton embroidery floss rather than its metallic counterpart. After you’ve had a chance to practice the bead crochet technique in a project, you’re likelier to be able to wrangle that metallic floss without tearing your hair out.
Finished Bracelet Size: Finished bracelet sizes will vary. Make your bracelet exactly the length you want it!
Crochet Abbreviations Used in This Pattern:
Special Stitch: The Beaded Chain Stitch: Slide a bead right up next to your work so that it is touching the piece in progress.
Tug gently at the active loop on your crochet hook and enlarge the loop until it is just slightly shorter than your bead. You don’t want the bead to go through the loop, but you want the loop to be a comfortable length for completing the stitch.
Then work your chain stitch. You’ll work it just as you usually would, except that there’s a bead trapped inside it. If you want to see step-by-step photos of how to do this, check out my beaded chain stitch tutorial.
How to Crochet the Bracelet:
Thread a needle with your metallic embroidery floss and string all of your beads onto your floss.
If you’re going to use more than one color or type of bead in your bracelet, you’ll have to string the beads in the exact order you want them to appear on the bracelet. For example, if you want to alternate red and green beads, you’ll need to string a red bead, then a green bead, then another red bead, etc. Double-check them before you begin crocheting to make sure you didn’t goof up on the pattern.
You might also want to string a few extra beads. You might not need the extras, but if you do, you’ll be glad they are there.
(ch 3, work beaded ch st,) Repeat until bracelet is desired length. End with 3 ch sts.
Finishing the Bracelet:
End off, leaving enough of a tail to use for attaching the bracelet closure. Attach bracelet clasps, one to each side of the bracelet. Weave in the remaining loose ends and attach crimp beads overtop if desired.
Wear and enjoy, or give as a gift.
Find More DIY Jewelry Making Resources:
Elegant Trios Bead Crochet Necklace Pattern by Amy Solovay from the Book Delicate Crochet by Sharon Hernes Silverman, Published by Stackpole Books
Find More Lovely Bead Crochet Patterns:
The Beaded Edge 2: A Bead Crochet Pattern Book Published by Interweave
Posted By: Amy Solovay
This page was last updated on 7-25-2023.