Summer is in full swing in our neck of the woods and we are getting ready for 4th of July celebrations. Recently when shopping for beads to add to my new and growing collection I came across Dollar Bead and fell in love. It’s so much better than buying on eBay and having to wait weeks sometimes months for my items to arrive. Everything on the site is just one dollar with flat rate shipping of $5.99 per order.
I’m a sales shopper at my core, whenever I’m shopping I start in the clearance sections, then sales, then regular priced items. I’ve always been that way, so it’s no surprise that my first order was filled with lots of sale and closeout specials from Dollar Bead. Its perfect for someone just starting our like myself because I’m not spending an arm and a leg to create a project. Since I’m just learning and mostly doing it for hobby it helps keep the costs down.
One of my very first creations was a pearl and turquoise mix that reminded me so much of Jasmine. In my first order I picked up a strand of abstract 4th of July beads and when they arrived I knew I wanted to create a piece using the beads.
These beads are so pretty and just screams Independence Day. I love how the blue and silver and drizzled over the red beads. It’s a lovely strand of beads and I know creating a piece to use them wouldn’t be difficult at all.
Since most of my beads in my stash were more along with my own personal taste I had to order some more beads from Dollar Bead to help me finishing this Independence Day bracelet. I was very impressed with their selection of Red, White, and Blue beads. I even picked up a USA charm pendant on clearance that really brings together the piece.
To get started you’ll need to gather all your supplies. My list is made based on the assumption you have the basic jewelry making tools already. Although for this project the main tools I used were round-nose pliers and a memory wire cutter. If you are going to make this bracelet using memory wire, do not use your regular wire cutters on the memory wire. Make sure you purchase the specific memory wire cutters (shown below).
If you don’t want to work with memory wire you can easily adapt the project for stretch cord and it should work out great as well. I just love the memory wire because I can create a stacked look on one bracelet. If you use stretch cord just create three bracelets for the same stacked look on your wrist.
[shoppable_image id=”42840″]Materials List
- 26x18mm USA Gold Pendant
- 12 mm Red USA Abstract Glass Bead – one strand
- 12 mm Red Round Crackle Bead – one strand
- 12 mm Crystal Round Crackle Bead – one strand
- 12 mm Blue Round Crackle Bead – one strand
- 3 mm Black Crystal Bicone Glass Bead – one strand
- 6/0 Silver Iris Glass Seed Beads
- Memory Wire
Once you have all your materials, start be creating a pattern you like for your bracelet. You can do just about anything you like. The design is the longest part of the process. I tend to design on the fly and I go because it just works that way for me. Laying out the design ahead of time can make the process so much faster once you get started.
Start by creating a simple loop at one end of your memory wire with your round-nose pliers. If you’ve never worked with memory wire check out videos on Youtube to help give you an idea of how to create the loop. Don’t worry if you don’t get it quite right, it gets easier the more you do it.
String your beads on the memory wire following the pattern you chose. Once all the beads are strung finish by adding an additional loop at the other end. Before closing the loop attach your USA pendant on the loop and close. If you have more memory wire than bead, simple cut the extras. I used about three loops for my brace but if you are using stretch cord you don’t have to worry about any of it.
It’s really hard to see all the color and how these beads pop from the photos. I don’t think I could ever do it justice. But it’s a great piece that can be worn in summer year after year. Handcrafted jewelry like this are great for gifting because it’s thoughtful.
Be sure to check out Dollar Bead for more great beads and visit my site again for more bracelet ideas like this easy Disney Princess Morse Code Bracelet. It’s a great summer project for girls.
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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