Secrets to Making Stretch Cord Bracelets

One of the best places to get started making jewelry is by making stretch cord bracelets. Beadalon has two fantastic types of stretch cord to choose from  - Elonga and Elasticity. 

To get started, all you will need are 3 things: 1. Stretch Cord 2. Scissors 3. Beads. Easy enough! But you know I'm going to take it to the next level with all kinds of add ons! 

First things first, what is the difference between Elonga and Elasticity, and which should you choose? Elonga is miniature, multi-fiber elastic ribbon that is very supple.  It has a built in warning - once it begins to wear it will start to split, which is easy to see and replace. Elasticity is a soft, single strand elastic, all purpose cord that is strong and stretchy. 

Elonga is available in 3 diameters - .3mm (.012in), .7mm (.028in), 1.0mm (.039in) - in white, and in 12 colors. Elasticity is available in 3 diameters - .5mm (.020in), .8mm (.032in), 1.0mm (.039in) - and 5 colors - Rose Gold, Satin Silver, Satin Gold, Black and Clear. I like to match my colors to my beads, but if you need to pick just one spool to start, I recommend .8mm clear Elasticity. Remember, whenever you are doing any bead stinging, you want to make sure you fill the bead holes as much as you can to reduce the abrasion of beads on your stringing material. 

Always pre-stretch your elastic material. There's a 'sweet spot' that you'll feel where you are taking out the slack of the material, but be sure not to pull too hard and break the cord. If you don't pre-stretch, the material will stretch over time and you will get gaps in your strung design.

There are several ways to get your beads strung up on your stretch cord. The simplest is to just string up your beads onto the cord. Just take your time, use your magnifiers and you should be just fine. If that's a challenge for you, you can use a Collapsible Eye Needle, or even a twisted piece of scrap 26 gauge wire to make stringing easier. I also like using an Elastic Cord Needle. There's a great demonstration of how that works here. 

Knotting

On the back of the Elasticity spools, you'll find the recommended knot for finishing:

I also like using a surgeon's knot. Whichever knot you use, be sure to tighten the knot from all sides. More often than not, when I make stretchy bracelets, I use a doubled strand of elastic cord. When I do that, I use a technique that I learned from a "Tips and Tricks" section of one of the old magazines. I thread one end of the cord through the loop and tie a surgeon's knot. I also use the "Tricky Ricky" knot, made famous by Ricky from Dakota Stones. 

Glue

One question I always get about making stretch bracelets, is "should I glue my knots?". My answer is "it depends". If you've made a good, secure knot, you shouldn't need any extra glue. Truth told, I rarely glue my knots, and never have problems with my stretch bracelets. However, glue will add extra security (and piece of mind) to your bracelet. A little will go a long way, and be sure to use a flexible glue like Beadalon Bead Stringing Glue or GS-Hypo Cement.

I recommend checking out this class I taught for the Michaels Community Classroom with even more tips, tricks, thoughts and suggestions about stretch bracelets - including additional ideas about hiding your knots. And be sure to bookmark 5 Secrets to Making Stretch Bracelets - a handy reference. 

Do you like making stretch cord bracelets? What material is your favorite? Let us know in the Jewelry Making with Beadalon Facebook Group. Be sure to join, and set your reminders to catch us on Facebook Lives on Thursdays at 2pm ET.

Until next time - Happy Beading!
Meredith