Learn: Spring Kumihimo Bracelet

Published: Mon, 11/14/16

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Learn: Spring Kumihimo Bracelet
The ancient art of Japanese knotted cord work - kumihimo - is making a huge splash. It’s so easy when you use the Beadsmith foam boards (available on our website), you can create a bracelet, anklet or necklace in a snap.
METHOD
Cut the cord into 75cm lengths, so that you have 8 pieces of cord 75cm long. Gather one set of ends together and tie around the large weight ring. Pull all strands through the centre hole of the disk, leaving the ring on the back side. Bring it up tight.
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Starting at the top, pull one bright pink strand through the slit to the left of number 32. Pull the second bright pink strand through the slit to the right side of 32. Pull one pale pink strand through the slit on the left of number 8 and the second pale pink through the slit on right of number 8. Continue with the two golden yellow strands either side of number 16 and the two orange strands either side of 24.  You should now have one strand on each side of the black dots on your board.
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Position the disk so that 32 is at the top. Now take the bright pink cord on the right of 32 and move it down to the slit between 14 and 15 (this is what is shown in the image). Then take the yellow cord between 16 and 17 and move it up to sit between 30 and 31 (ie from the top right to the bottom right, then from the bottom left to the top left).
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Turn your disk a quarter turn to the right so that 24 is now at the top. Take the orange cord between 24 and 25 and move it to the slit between 6 and 7. Take the pale pink cord between 8 and 9 and move it up to the slit between 22 and 23 (ie, again, from the top right to the bottom right, then from the bottom left to the top left).
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Turn the disk one quarter turn to the right so that 15 is at the top. Take the yellow cord between 15 and 16 and move to between 29 and 30. Move the bright pink cord between 31 and 32 up to between 13 and 14.
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Turn disk one quarter turn so that 7 is at the top. Move the pale pink cord between 7 and 8 down to between 21 and 22. Move the orange cord between 23 and 24 to between 5 and 6. Turn disk one quarter turn. Continue until you have approximately 25cm of woven cord trailing down the back of the disk.
Remove the strands and gather together tightly.  Check the length - remember that you will be adding ends, which will add a little length. Carefully open the glue and glue a ring of glue around the ends of the strands (at the spot where you measured to), so that they don't unravel.  Glue a ring of glue around the other end of the weaving also, close to the weight ring.

Leave to dry for 10 minutes. Untie the weight ring and cut the ends so that you have a neat group at either end. Place more glue in the metal seat of the findings cap, then tuck the ends of the cord into the metal seat. Do the same with the other end. Allow plenty of time to fully dry (depending on your glue, this could be up to 40 hours). Add a jump ring and clasp to one end, and a plain jump ring to the other end (as the jump rings are quite thick, you will need to use two sets of pliers, or a set of pliers and a jump ring tool).

PRO TIP - if you need to pause whilst making your bracelet, always stop when you have three cords on the bottom (like in our second illustration). That way, when you restart, you will taking the cord from the bottom left and moving it to the top left. If you stick to this habit, you shouldn't lose your spot!
Eureka! Beads has a wide range of Free Beading Projects available for download from our website, over 200 at last count! Instructions range from beginners to advanced, and include earrings, bracelets, necklaces and kumihimo patterns. Browse through our website to see them all!
 
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You're receiving this email because you signed up on for our beads newsletter on , either online, in one of our stores (Toomuc Valley & Cheltenham) or at a craft show around Australia.  If you no longer wish to receive our emails, please here.