Suzieq's Dab Hands: Tutorial - a simple macrame and leather bead bracelet

Morning all!

I've been mega busy making stock for my friend's shop, which will be opening in the next few weeks.

Thought I would share a simple tutorial with you on how to make a macrame and leather bead bracelet.

You will need:

1 button (I think mine is 15mm)
4mm beads (I used approx 40, but you will need more or less depending on the size of your wrist)
80cm of 1.5mm leather in a colour of your choice
1.5 metres of 1mm nylon cord in a colour of your choice
Scissors
Craft glue (mine is G-S Hypo Cement)
Fray Check or clear nail varnish
Clipboard and two bulldog clips

Take your leather and bend it in half. Thread both ends of the leather into the button and slide it to the middle of the leather. Tie an overhand knot to keep the button in place.

Clip the leather in place (with button facing down) as shown below.

Sorry - this photo is on its side!

Put a small amount of Fray Check (or clear nail varnish) on each end of your nylon cord. This makes the cord stiff and stops it fraying, making it easier to thread your beads. Leave to dry completely.

Put the knotting cord underneath the leather, close to the button, ensuring that there are equal lengths of knotting cord on either side of the leather.

Now, you begin the macrame knots. Starting with the left hand side of the nylon cord, make a loop across the leather as shown below. Place the right side of the nylon cord on top of the left side cord.

Then pass the right side cord underneath the left side cord and the leather and bring up through the loop on the left side.

Pull both cord ends tight to make a knot, Repeat the same process but on the right side.

Once you have done this on both sides, you have created one full macrame knot. Repeat this process one more time to make another complete knot. You have now completed two macrame knots.

You are now ready to add the beads. Thread one 4mm bead onto each side of the knotting cord and make one full macrame knot. Ensure that you pull the knots tight so that the beads are held securely in place.

After each macrame knot (only do one full knot between each set of beads, not two as you did at the beginning), continue to slide on your beads and continue to knot.

When you have added enough beads for your wrist (I use about 40 for a wrist of 6.5 inches), finish with two full macrame knots as you did at the beginning of the bracelet.