Jewelry Tutorial: Shamballa-la-la Bracelet

Hey hey! Here is the Shamballa tutorial promised to you a few weeks ago. These past few weeks have been CrAzY so I appreciate your patience with this how-to!! All good things in all good time (and this certainly is a good one!!)


A few blog posts back we made the "Sweet n Petite Dangle Earring" using just one Jesse James Beads Petite Strand and a few simple findings. After the earring was finished we still had a pile of beautiful beads left over. Hmmm...what to do with these little leftover pretties? I know! Shamba-la-la!

Shamba-lla-la all finished, plus the matching earrings! This set was made using just ONE Jesse James Beads Petite Strand - neat-o!

Let the newest edition of Backyard Beading commence!

Materials Needed:
-Leftover beads from Sweet Petite earring (or any set of beads you wish to use!)
-Two pieces of cording, one to be used the base cord and other to be used as knotting cord
-Clipboard (or clippy and hard surface)
-Scissors
-Glue and glue stick

Supplies needed.

 Step 1: 
 Arrange your beads in the pattern you wish to use. 
This allows you to see how much space you will need to allot for the beads around your wrist.

Beads ready to get their shamba-la-la on!

Step 2:
Measure Cord

Base Cord:
Measure the base cord around your wrist and then allow an extra 6-8 inches for the tassels. Double this up so that you have TWO strings for a nice supportive base (the two strings will act as one in this entire project)

Knotting Cord:
Measure the knotting cord approximately one full arm-to-arm stretch of length. This will give you the amount you need to knot a full bracelet.

Knotting Cord: A full body arm-to-arm stretch of string!

Step 3: 
Prep the Board
Clip you base cord to your work-board. Leave 3-4 inches of base cord hanging off, this will become a tassel later.

Step 3 - Clip to Board

Step 4:
Start Shamballa Knotting (How-To Square Knot)
 The Shamballa bracelet uses an easy 3-Step Square Knot. The steps are Over, Over, Under-and-Through. Details here!

4a. Run the knotting cord (blue) underneath the base cord (tan) so there is an even amount of knotting cord on each side.

Step 4a

Right Side of the SQUARE KNOT
4b. Cross RIGHT cord over the base cord. This will form a loop on the right side (to be used in step 4d)

Right Side #1: Right Cord Over Base

 4c. Cross LEFT cord over RIGHT cord

Right Side #2: Left Cord over Right Cord

4d. Pull LEFT cord UNDER the Base Cord and THROUGH the loop made on the right side.

Right Side #3: Pull Left Cord Under and Through

...and pull tight! That is side #1 of your square knot.

Side One is Done!

Left Side of the SQUARE KNOT
Now, we repeat the 3-Step Square Knot on the Left Side - Over, Over, Under-and-Through. Easy!

Left Side #1: Left Cord OVER Base, Left Side #2: Right Cord OVER Left

Left Side #3: Right Cord UNDER base and up through the Left loop

Pull Tight! You've just completed a full square knot. High Five!

 Step 5:
Knot Away!
Continue knotting several rows of square knots until you are ready to add beads.


Step 6: 
Start Beading
String you first bead onto the middle cords. I used very thin hemp for my center cords, however if your cord is not so thin just use a beading needle - they work wonders!!

Once your bead is in place continue the knot pattern around the bead. Pull tight to secure bead's place.

TIP! Remember which side's turn it is, left or right. An easy tip to remember which is to look at the last knot and see the piece running perpendicularly (up-and-down). If this up-and-down piece is on the left then you are due for the Left Side (that is, the knot that begins with the left string)

Continue with a few more knots before adding the next bead.

TIP! Odd numbers of knots look best. I created my bracelet using 3-knot spaces between beads

Continue this Bead-Knot pattern until you've strung all your beads. When you get to the end, add another length of square knots to match the beginning of the bracelet

Step 7:
Tying Off the Shamballa
When you are through knotting and beading, tie two sets of standard knots (shoe-string knots). Tie one on top of the base, and the second underneath the base. Pull super tight!

Tying shoe-string knot #2 on the underside of the base

Dab a lil bit o'glue to the knot to secure it extra tight. Use a little stick to ensure the glue doesn't get everywhere.

Glue on a little scrap of memory wire

A lil dab'll do ya!

Smush the glue in with your fingers gently to get it up into the tied off knot.

...and finally snip the knotting-cord tails! We are almost there, POW!

Snip!

Step 8:
Creating the Shamballa Enclosure

Use your clippy to hold the tassel ends of the base cord parallel to each other.

Add the first square knot to the cords. Once you knot the first square you no longer need the clip.

Continue the square knot about 7-9 times (I usually choose 7 for good luck!). Then, tie off the end of the square knot the same way as before in Step 7. You may also use a little glue here but make sure to move the tassels in and out a few times before the glue dries so the sliding function doesn't get stuck!

Tying off the Shamballa enclosure

When finished tying off, place bracelet loosely on wrist so you see how much tassel is needed to slide bracelet on and off.

 

Allowing just enough tassel when the bracelet is loose means you won't have ridiculously long tassels when the bracelet is tight.

Make a note of the point on cord where bracelet is able to slide on and off wrist.

Tie the Tassel! Loop the cord around itself a few times and add some glue to the knot to keep it secure. Do this with both sides and cut off any excess. Your shamballa is complete!!

You can also add fun danglies like beads to the ends of your tassels!

Step 9:
Go Out and Be Stylin!!!

The Shamballa Bracelet trend is in full force right now, and you can make it even trendier by using super-fly beads like the ones we used here. Jesse James Beads Petite Strands (see them here) have the perfect sized blingy beads for this project. And, one strand allows you to make these super cute Sweet n Petite Earrings AND the Shambal-la-la Bracelet. Nice!

Thanks SO MUCH for checking out the Backyard Beading portion of the Jesse James Beads blog. This edition had me getting eaten alive by our little backyard vampires (by that I mean South Florida mosquitoes, ughh!!), but I got this super awesome Shamballa out of it just the same!

Love your life and let your creativity sparkle everyday! XOXO!

Yours in Creativity,

Sarah & the JJB Team