My Garden's Gone Wild Bracelet
A twist on the Amy's Gone Wild bracelet, this version is perfect for someone who loves to dig in the dirt or who has a gorgeous flower garden! Adjust the number of dangles and spacer beads for a larger or smaller bracelet.
Level: Medium
Materials
Czech glass floral mix (leaves, hearts, flowers, etc.,) Crafts, Etc! has a nice packaged mix available at many retail craft stores.
2" sterling head pins (81-90)
6mm Czech firepolish AB crystal beads (25-30)
.5mm Stretch Magic
Make 81-90 dangles, depending on the finished length of your bracelet. Any left over dangles can be used to make earrings or use in another project. String a Czech glass bead on a head pin. Make a wrapped loop to finish the dangle. Some beads are top-drilled — use a wrapped briolette technique to create the dangle. Repeat until you have made all dangles.
Tip: I divide out my dangles as I make them into groups of three to ensure I have a good mix of colors, shapes and sizes in each grouping. Because the mix in these beads is very eclectic, I make sure I have some smaller ones with larger ones, colors are distributed well throughout the bracelet.
String on the Stretch Magic (Tip: I leave the Stretch Magic on the spool until I'm done stringing. This prevents the beads from falling off the end, and allows me to leave sufficient tail a the end of the bracelet for knotting) in the following order: 1 Czech crysta bead, 3 dangles. Repeat until all crystals and dangles are strung on the Stretch Magic.
At this point, I tie a single knot and test the length of the bracelet on my wrist before cutting off and knotting. Leave a 3" tail on the end of the Stretch Magic, and cut off the spool, leaving another 3" tail at the end closest to the spool. Tie ends together, using at least 4 knots. Further secure with a dab of glue or clear nail polish if desired. (Tip: Slightly stretch out your bracelet so no beads or dangles touch the knot. Put a drop of glue or nail polish directly on the knot, and continue holding the bracelet stretched out until completely dry) Test the knot by gently pulling the bracelet out near the knot. If it's secure, clip the excess ends close to the knot. Hide the knot by pulling into the series of dangles nearest to it.
