Learn How to Make a Bead Bracelet
with Beginner Beaded Bracelet Instructions

Use wire and beads to make beginner wire jewelry projects. Learn to make a bead bracelet by connecting simple wire loops for easy wire and bead jewelry.

Making Bead Bracelets

Use an easy wire jewelry making technique to make a simple line bracelet. This beginner wire jewelry bracelet project is stunning! The Swarovski® crystals make it sparkle and shine. Choose your favorite color crystals and you're set to brighten your day!

The wire jewelry making technique used is making simple or plain wire loops.

Cut lengths of wire, thread on crystals and bead caps to make bead units. Then, connect the bead units and you'll end up with a simple, yet surprisingly stunning line bracelet.

Wire and Bead Bracelet

Let's learn how to make a bead bracelet using wire!...

Tutorial Category: Wire Jewelry Projects

Skill Level: Beginning Wire Jewelry Making

Prerequisite Beading Techniques:

How to Make Simple or Plain Wire Loops Using Wire

How to Open Split Rings

Bead Jewelry Making Supplies

• 8mm Swarovski® round crystals (your choice of color)
• two bead caps for each bead
• 1 split ring
• 1 toggle clasp
• 1 5mm jump ring
• about 13" (33 cm) of 20 gauge half hard round wire
• beading board
• tape measure

Bead Jewelry Making Tools and/or Pliers

• round nose pliers
• chain nose pliers
• split ring pliers
• wire cutters

If you need it, here's a review of jewelry pliers used in bead jewelry projects.

How to Make a Bead Bracelet
Bead Jewelry Making Instructions

1. Gather supplies, tools, beading board and layout your pattern of beads.

If you do not know your wrist size use a tape measure and measure your wrist. My wrist size is about 7 1/2 " (19.1 cm).

On a beading board, layout your pattern of beads and toggle clasp to fill in this length of space as shown in the picture below.

For now, this is an estimate of the bead units that you'll need for this design. You will check the fit of the bracelet on your wrist as you make the bracelet and add or remove beads until you get a more exact fit.

The difference between your wrist size and the bracelet length is the amount of space taken up by the 8 mm beads, which don't allow the wire to lie flat against your wrist as the tape measure does.

Pattern for beads: bead cap, 8 mm bead, bead cap; repeat for number of bead units it takes to make a bracelet of your desired length.

Each bead unit is about 1/2" (1.3 cm). The toggle clasp is about 3/4" (1.9 cm) long. So, this bracelet will take ten bead units, add the clasp and you get about an 8 1/2" ( cm) bracelet.

2. Cut a 1 1/4" (3.2 cm) length of wire.

How to Make a Bead Bracelet
Bead Jewelry Making Instructions Continued

4. Thread a bead cap, 8 mm bead and a bead cap onto the wire.

5. Using the round nose pliers, make a wire loop on the second end of the wire. You've made a bead unit.

6. Make another bead unit.

Now, connect the two bead units by interlocking the wire loop of one bead unit to the wire loop of another bead unit. If the wire loop of each bead is not open, open it as you would a jump ring.

7. Using the chain nose pliers, close the wire loops.

The opening of the wire loop should be closed snugly and rest inside the opening of bead cap, hidden from view. (Don't worry if this doesn't happen on the first bracelet that you make. It comes with practice.)

8. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 until you have a length of beads units that is within about one inch (or centimeter) of being closed on your wrist.

9. Using the chain nose pliers, open the wire loop on one end of the bracelet. Slide on a split ring. Close the wire loop.

10. Using the chain nose pliers, open the wire loop on one end of the bracelet. Slide on a split ring.

Close the wire loop.

11. Using the split ring pliers, open the split ring and slide the large loop end of the toggle clasp onto the split ring.

12. Using the chain nose pliers, open the jump ring.

Slide the ring of T-bar end of the toggle clasp onto it.

Slide the wire loop of the second end of the bracelet onto it.

Close the jump ring.

You're done! You know how to make a bead bracelet using wire and beads. Gorgeous!

A simple beaded line bracelet design that doubles as a daily go-to bracelet or a night on the town show stopper.

Return from Make a Bead Bracelet to How to Make Bracelets page