Beadalon Tying Station Archives

This post brought to you by Beadalon.The ~~Spring~~ Beadalon Break 2015 parTAY has officially started, people! All this week you’ll find fun tutorials on my blog with Beadalon products. I’m really excited about it. First up: Macrame Bracelets!Macrame’ hemp jewelry will always have a special place in my heart because I made a ton of it when I was in high school–very early in my jewelry making career. Picture me thrifting for chunky glass beads, tying the cords to my toe and knotting my heart out. Cue Dave Matthews band.

Those were the days. (snaps back into reality)

These days, I’m loving the texture that hemp adds to my bracelet stack. And thanks to Beadalon, my not-so-flexible self doesn’t have to secure the cords to my toe, because they made a cool Tying Station.

For this bracelet you will need: the Tying Station, 19 strand beading wire .018 diameter, hemp cord, clasp, crimp beads and beads (I’m using Czech). AND some wire cutters!I really love the Tying Station because you can make hemp jewelry without having large holed beads (oh and that I don’t have to sit like a pretzel for hours while I knot). Here’s how:String the beads for your bracelet onto the beading wire.

Secure the end of beading wire with a crimp bead onto the top peg of the Beadalon tying station. The loop needs to be loose so you can slide it off easily.Wrap the opposite end around the bottom, under the plate of the Tying Station and twist the nut down so the cord can’t slide. It was when I looked at this with fresh eyes and thought to myself yeeeahhhhhhh. No.

What is going on in this photo??

The Hokie Pokie?

Sorry.

For the hemp: Cut a yard of cord and tie it to the central wire so that both tails are even length.

And now, I’m going to send you here, if you want to learn this basic square not.

Why I didn’t make all the knots like this photo? I have no idea. BUT! You get the idea right? Slide a bead into place and knot around it.

The second reason I love this tools is because of the measurements on the side so you know how long your bracelet will be.

Also, you can also use the tool to create really long wrap around bracelets thanks to the foam plates that hold everything down.

Right now, this bracelet is 7.25″ long which is good if your clasp in 1/2 inch to 3/4″.When you are finished, slide the bracelet down on the core wire toward the bottom peg. This gives you a little wire on the end so you can cut away the loop and attach your clasp with crimp beads like normal. Tie the hemp in a knot and secure it with multi-purpose epoxy.Here are a couple clasp ideas (from L to R): traditional toggle, seed bead loop/button, button/lobster clasp.I love all the colors hemp comes in now. When I was in school we had brown, brown, or brown.The peach bracelet on the right is actually a necklace or wrap around bracelet.