a b

1

BEAD WEAVING

Pair crystals with 4-hole metal buttons for a wear-anytime bracelet or necklace.

by Julia Gerlach

Criss-cross button bracelet

Embellished buttons1 On 1 yd. (.9 m) of thread, pick up an 80 seed bead, and sew through it again to use it as a stop bead, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Pick up a large-hole 110

seed bead, a button (from back to front), a 3 mm bicone crystal, a 3 mm pearl, and a 3 mm crystal (photo a). Sew through an adjacent hole in the button (photo b).

facetjewelry.comFCT-

SCO

N02

16_B

NB5

9

©2014 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Difficulty rating

2

Julia Gerlach is the editor of Bead&Button. Contact her at jgerlach@beadandbutton.com.

Materialsboth projects• beading needles, #13• Fireline 6 lb. test

bracelet 7 in. (18 cm)• 5 20 mm 4-hole concave metal buttons

(Dritz Belle Buttons BB1124, antique silver scroll; JoAnn Fabrics)

• bicone crystals (Swarovski, indicolite) - 20 6 mm - 20 3 mm• 30 3 mm crystal pearls (Swarovski, platinum)• 2 g 80 seed beads

(Miyuki 4217, Duracoat galvanized seafoam)• 20 110 large-hole seed beads

(Toho Takumi 204, Montana blue gold luster)• 1 g 110 seed beads

(Toho 509, bronze plum iris higher metallic)• 1 g 150 seed beads

(Miyuki 190F, matte nickel plated)

necklace 18 in. (46 cm)(all colors and styles same as in bracelet)• 1 20 mm 4-hole concave metal button • 22 3 mm bicone crystals• 75 3 mm crystal pearls• 1 80 seed bead• 4 110 large-hole seed beads• 32 110 seed beads• 1 g 150 seed beads• s-hook clasp with 2 6 mm jump rings• 2 crimp beads• 2 crimp covers (optional)• flexible beading wire, .015• crimping pliers• wire cutters

Online Beading Basics• attaching a stop bead• ending and adding thread• crimping

2 Working on the back of the button, pick up a large-hole seed bead, and sew through the 80 (photo c). Pick up a large-hole seed bead, and sew through an open hole of the button (photo d). 3 Working on the front of the button, pick up a 3 mm crystal, sew through the pearl added in the step 1, pick up a 3 mm crystal, and sew through the open hole of the button (photo e).4 Working on the back of the button, pick up a large-hole seed bead, and sew through the 80 again (photo f). Retrace the thread path through the beads, and exit a large-hole bead on the back of the button with your needle

facing away from the 80. End the tail but not the working thread.

5 Repeat steps 1–4 to embellish a total of five buttons.

Assembly1 With the thread remain-

ing on an embellished button, pick up an 110

seed bead, an 80, an 110,

c d

e f

g h

an 80, an 110, a pearl, a 6 mm bicone crystal, a pearl, an 110, an 80, an 110, an 80, and an 110, and sew through an adja-cent large-hole seed bead and 80 on the back of the button again (photo g).2 Sew through the next eight beads, exiting the 6 mm. Pick up three 6 mms, and sew through the 6 mm your thread just exited to form a ring (photo h). Retrace the thread path through the ring.3 Working on the front of the ring of crystals, pick up seven 150 seed beads, and sew through the 6 mm again (photo i). Sew through the next 6 mm.4 Pick up four 150s, and sew through the nearest three 150s added in the

i

3

previous step (photo j), the 6 mm your thread exited at the start of this step, and the next 6 mm.5 Repeat step 4 once.6 Sew through the nearest three 150s added in step 3, pick up a 150, and sew through the nearest set of three 150s added in step 5 (photo k). 7 Sew through the beadwork to exit a center 150 in the middle of the crystal cluster. Pick up a 3 mm pearl, and sew through the opposite center 150 (photo l). Sew back through the pearl, and sew through the 150 your thread exited at the start of this step, sewing in the same direction so the pearl is cen-tered in the crystal cluster (photo m).8 Sew through the beadwork to exit the 6 mm opposite the first connected 6 mm. Pick up a pearl, an 110, an 80, an 110, an 80, and an 110, and sew through a large-hole seed bead, 80, and large-hole seed bead on the back of another embellished button (photo n). Make sure the thread remaining on the new button exits away from the current connection. Pick up an 110, an 80, an 110, an 80, an 110, and a pearl, and sew through the end 6 mm in the crystal cluster (photo o). End the thread.9 Repeat steps 1–8 three times to con-nect the remaining buttons, and then repeat steps 1–7 to make one more crystal cluster. 10 Exiting the end 6 mm, pick up a pearl and then a repeating pattern of an 110 and an 80 14 times. Pick up a

j k l

m n o

pearl, and sew through the 6 mm again to form a loop. Test that the loop fits around the button at the other end, and adjust if needed. Retrace the thread path through the loop a few times, and end the thread.

Necklace1 On 18 in. (46 cm) of thread, make one embellished button. End both the working thread and tail.2 Center 22 in. (56 cm) of beading wire in a adjacent large-hole seed bead, 80, and large-hole seed bead on the back of the button (photo p).3 On each end, string seven 150 seed beads and a 3 mm bicone crystal.4 On each end, continue with: • a 150 and then a repeating pattern of a 3 mm pearl and a 150 five times• an 110 seed bead, a 3 mm crystal, and an 110 seed bead• a 150 and then a repeating pattern of a pearl and a 150 three times• an 110 seed bead, a 3 mm crystal, and an 110 seed bead5 On each end, repeat step 4 three times.6 On each end, string a repeating pattern of a 150 and a pearl three times. String a crimp bead, nine 150s, and a jump ring attached to the clasp. Test the fit, and adjust if needed. Go back through the crimp bead, and finish with crimping pliers. Trim the excess wire. If desired, close a crimp cover over each crimp bead.

p