DIY Stylish Macramé Bracelet

Hello, I would like to show you how to make beautiful jewelry, increase your skill in hand craft and make something unique. Macrame is a technique to decorate space or in this case "micro" macrame to make jewelry (it's called "micro macrame" just because we are using thinner string than the ones for decorating space). The whole secret is in tying knot after a knot, so it means you won't need any kind of tool, just your fingers. You can use any kind of string, but for the jewelry is the best to use wax string, because of its texture that's kind of sticky,will not be stretched, you can not rip it off, and it's easy for finishing because you just need to burn it a little bit, and it will hold in place.It's very popular to use beads in making, gems, pendants...but that's up to you. In this tutorial I will show you how to make bracelet, decorated with glass cabochon bead, and some silver beads. When you are choosing beads for your work, you want to take ones that have hole not smaller then the wideness of your string.

Loose your creativity and play with colors, different beads and colorful gems! You can also try to make your own design by combining techniques that you will see here!

If you like this tutorial, please give me a vote in these contests https://www.instructables.com/contest/string/ and https://www.instructables.com/contest/firsttimeauth...

Thank you! <3

Step 1: What You Need

For this bracelet you will need styrofoam to use as a working board, with pins you will secure strings while you work, measure the size of your wrist and cabochon, scissors and lighter for finishing, 3 mm beads for decoration and here I have used 1 mm wax string.

Step 2: Tying Knots

Here are 3 types of knots that we will be using for making this bracelet. First one is called "Square knot", second one is "Double half hitch", and third "Lark's head".For all of them is important to tie it hard, as long as the string can go, don't leave it loose. To secure your standing cords, use pins and pin it right in the cord where you need it to secure.

For "Square knot" is important that you do both sides the same, but like in the mirror, so if you first bend left side, and pull through right side, the next one will be opposite (bend right side and pull through left side). You start with bending one side on top of the standing cord (black cord in picture), and the other one pull below the standing cord and through the loop that's made of first bended cord, and pull the both sides until you have a knot. Continue the process with changing sides.

For "Double half hitch" is important that you always have holding cord, and working cord. Holding cord will lead where the direction of knots will be, and working cord is the one that you make the knot of, and it will slide on holding cord to the place where you want to finish it. It's actually made of two same knots, repeated one after the other.

For "Lark's head" you putt bended in half working cord beneath the standing cord, fold the upper loop downwards over the standing cord and pull the ends through it and tight it.

Step 3: Prepare for Wrapping the Cabochon

Take 16 cords, each 150 cm long. First one secure in the middle with one pin on your styrofoam board. Start hanging others with "Lark's head" knot, and make sure about having the same middle point. Amount of strings needed is dictated by the size of your cabochon, so make sure that length of your knots is two times of your cabochon.Take the second string and secure it on the right side just a little bit bellow the first horizontal string. Make sure that the distance between them is so that your cabochon can fit in. Now your lower horizontal string will become holding cord and the cords that you tightened firstly with "Lark's head" knots will become working cords for the "Double half hitch" knots, that you will make all the way to the end on the left side.

Step 4: Wrapping Cabochon

Take out all pins that you used to secure strings for work, and wrap the sides of cabochon with that "canal" that you created, put all the ends of the working cords on one side (like behind cabochon), and use the 4 ends of the horizontal strings to finish the circle around the cabochon by tithing them with "Double half hitch" knots, upper with upper, and lower with lower. I choose right cord to be my holding cord, so I held it with my left hand above the left cord that becomes working cord, with whom I made knot with my right hand. When you are done, put the cabochon facing up on the board, spread the ends around it equally, (you should have 18 string on each side) and you are ready for the next step.

Step 5: Two Rows Around the Cabochon

Start on first cord from the middle on the top of cabochon (point where you finished circle in the previous step is the bottom) and hold it across the other with your left hand so it becomes holding cord, and start making "Double half hitch" knots with the rest of the strings following the shape of cabochon, make sure to tight every knot. Repeat the process on the other side. To connect sides use the previous holding cords that are now on the bottom of the cabochon and tie them with "Double half hitch" knots. Now start from the bottom, your holding cord will now be in your right hand, and make "Double half hitch" knots all the way up. When you finish other side as well, put the beads on those ends, pull them all the way to the end of the knots, and connect them with "Double half hitch" knots.

Step 6: Diagonal Crossbreeds

From now on I will show you what to do next only on one side, but it's the same on the other side. Since you have 18 cords on each side, separate from the middle of one side so that you have 9 cords on the left and right. Take the first one in the middle with your left hand so that becomes holding cord, hold it diagonally and make "Double half hitch" knots with the next 4 cords, and put the bead on the last one to the left. Diagonal of the holding cord will make the working cords create half circles, bigger and bigger as far as your diagonal goes. Now take the cord that's next to the cord with bead to your left hand and make it holding cord, and repeat the same process as with the first diagonal. When you finish, change the side (now take the holding cord to your right hand) and do the "Double half hitch" knots until you meet the end of the first diagonal, and connect them with another "Double half hitch" knot. Repeat the same process on the other half but like in the mirror (right 9 cords).

At that point you will have 2 squares (picture #9), so you will continue your both outer diagonals to meet in the center. Again I put beads on the middle working cords. When you finish diagonals (picture #12) add another row on each side having holding cords the outer ones and working towards in. Make sure that all connecting "Double half hitch" knots are the same (mine holding cord was always in my right hand).

Step 7: Vertical "Double Half Hitch"

Separate again left and right side (9 cords each) and take new cord about 40 cm long, fold it in half and tie a "Lark's head" knot, to the first cord from the middle. That 2 ends will become working cords with whom you will make "Double half hitch" knots (picture #5 and #6) on the rest of all 8 cords (since on the 9th you already tightened "Lark's head"). The ends of those working cords we won't use anymore. Repeat the same thing on the right side. When you finish both sides take the outer cord to be your holding cord and do "Double half hitch" knots diagonally towards the middle (picture #9 #10). To connect them, take one bead on each side, pull it all the way to the knots and make "Double half hitch" knot. Again take the outer cords to be your holding cords and make another row of "Double half hitch" knots towards the middle.

Step 8: Row With Beads

First of all congratulations for getting this far! At this point your hands are used to making these types of knots, so the rest will be easy and you are so close to have your unique macrame bracelet! :)

This step is basically diagonal crossbreeds, the difference is that you put beads the way you like, here I have on every 3rd cord. Working cords will be visible now in the size of the bead. Again, do both sides like in the mirror, everything toward the middle and be sure that all connecting "Double half hitch" knots are the same.

Step 9: Going Narrower

Here we are at the step where we are starting our finish. Make row after a row with "Double half hitch" knots going inwards, but every time leave the outer string and take the next one for your holding cord. Every row connect with another "Double half hitch" knot and make sure that in each you have the same hand holding holding cord so the middle is even and neat. You will notice how your bracelet is getting narrower, and that's what will make a nice ending.

Step 10: Finish

Now from the last 3 strings that you left with at the very end, do a simple braid. Measure the width of your hand and do the braid until it's longer than your hand width. You should have 1 or 2 cm more. Tie a simple knot with left and right string at the point where your braid is long enough. Carefully cut all the strings, leave few millimeters, and burn those small ends. You will notice how it's melting and "gluing" the ends.

To finish the bracelet, cross the ends (braids of each side) and do the "Square knot" repeatedly at least 3 times. Cut the ends, burn them, and enjoy in your new stylish macrame bracelet!