Cheap And Beautiful Jewelry: Using Stretchy Cord To Make Cute Jewelry

Wearing cute jewelry is fun, but making it yourself is a lot cheaper. Why would any one spend thirty dollars for a few glass or plastic beads on a piece of string?  I guess if you have millions of dollars to spend without discretion that might be a fine approach, but seriously, you can make cheap and beautiful jewelry for much less. When I was in high school I used to make most of my necklaces, but this hobby fell to the wayside as an adult. I have purchased many necklaces and bracelets over the years, but I am shocked to think about how much money I spent, especially considering that the materials to make these items do not cost very much.  One of the easiest items you can make on your own is bracelets, and all you need is a bit of stretchy cord.  Making bracelets for all your female family and friends is a wonderful and affordable Christmas present, and you can even use beads you already have lying around the house.  When I do buy beads I like to buy several packages that catch my eye, and then mix these all together so I can create an alluring pattern.  Take a gander at my hub below to see how you can make cheap and beautiful jewelry for yourself, or as presents for family and friends.

I have written several other Hubs about jewelry making techniques using stretch magic and beading wire, but I will go over the basic steps here. The first thing to do is to cut off enough stretch magic stretchy cord for making a bracelet.

Below are two videos where I demonstrate how to make simple and eclectic bracelets using stretch magic cord. The important thing to remember is make a knot at the end of the cord before placing the beads on, or everything will fall off. This may sound simple to remember, but there was even a time as a teenager when I made this mistake. I just like to warn everyone about that. Beads can be used in any pattern, or you can make an eclectic design for fun jewelry. There are no rules when it comes to the pattern of beads, and you can even emulate trendy looks from fashion magazines and movies if you like. Personally I like to make my bracelets according to designs that strike me at the moment of inspiration and usually do not follow the trends very closely.

I even made a necklace with stretch magic once, but this may be disconcerting to those who feel they need a more substantial material such a beading wire. One thing I love about my stretch magic necklace is it never gets caught in the back of my hair the way wire on necklaces can, and it is much lighter overall. This was something I just tried one day on the spur of the moment, but do not try this at home unless you are adventurous in the world of jewelry making. Thought us crafters never had a wild side, did you?! Have fun making simple, eclectic, and fashionable jewelry with stretch magic beading cord.