Candy Cane Christmas Kit with Pyrite and seed beads

Candy Cane Kit

This kit contains a lovely selection of fine cords and delicate beads. The designs would work equally well with different colours of S-Lon and other 2mm or 3mm round beads. Sparkly crystals could be used instead of pyrite if necessary. The recording of the show can be found by clicking here and the demonstration for this kit took place approximately 2.5 hours into the show.

Candy Cane

This delicate tree decoration can be made longer or shorter according to taste.

1. Cut 40 cm 0.6mm wire, 4 x 1m red S-Lon cord and 4 x 1m green S-Lon cord. Thread one pyrite bead onto a 10cm length of 0.25 wire and wrap it around the mid point of both the 0.6mm wire and all the cords. Bend the long wire in half and wrap the fine wire  around it. Trim the excess fine wire.

2. Position the cords in the slots on either side of the dots on the kumihimo disk, with two cords in each slot and with the red cords in the north and south dots and the green cord in the east and west dots. Make sure that the wire is pointing up from the top of the disk. It is a good idea to bend over the ends of the wire with pliers for safety reasons.

3. Braid using the instructions for Round braid keeping the wire in the middle of the braid, so that it acts as a core. To do this. make sure that as the top-down/bottom-up moves are performed the cords stay on either side of the wire.

4. When the braid measures about 15cm trim the wire and carry out 8 individual moves of the cords to close up the end of the braid. Add a drop of glue to the end of the braid and allow it to dry.

5. Cut 8cm of 0.6mm wire. Form a spiral at one end. Wrap the wire around the end of the braid and form another spiral at the other end. Check the YouTube clip to see exactly this is done.

6. To make the beaded tassel, cut 6cm 0.25 wire. Centre a pyrite on the wire and form a wrapped loop using both ends of the wire together. Make 16 in total.

7. Decide how long the tassel should be and tie on a bead unit at this point with a double knot. Trim the end of the cord and seal the knot with a thread zapper or a naked flame. Alternatively seal the knot with clear glue and trim the end close to the knot. Repeat for the other cords.

Pyrite Bracelet

1. Cut 8 x 50cm 0.25 wire. Twist the ends together and position on either side of the dots on the disk. Round Braid for 3-4cm.

2. Cut 4 x 1m S-Lon. Lay it across the disk and braid the wire for 8 individual moves. Move the S-Lon into the slots with the wire and braid for 8 more individual moves, working the wire and the cord together. This technique was shown on the show.

3. Count out 16 pyrite and add a bead on the wire with every move until they have been used up. The easiest way to do this is to move the cord first and then the wire with the bead. Instructions for braiding with beads can be found here. Count out 16 of the next colour and add one with every move. Continue until the required length is reached.

4. Braid for 8 moves without beads. Remove the cords from the slots and continue to braid the wire for 3-4cm. Add a drop of glue to the end of the cord braid and trim off the cords.

5. Use the braided wire to form wrapped loops and attach a clasp to the loops with jump rings.

 

Glasses Cord

This is made in simple Round Braid, using 4 x 1.5m red cord and 4 x 1.5m green cord. Pull either end of the braid through small coils of 0.6mm wire to form the loops to secure the arms of the glasses.

Red Cluster Necklace

The beads in the cluster need to be attached to headpins or wire with wrapped loops so that they can be threaded onto the cord. These instructions explain how the cluster in the photo has been made, but feel free to use more or fewer and try different beads to achieve a similar look.

1. 6 x 120cm and 2 x 120cm green and 1 x 1mm satin cord as a core. The braid structure is Round Braid and the contrast colour should be positioned in slots 32 and 16. Braid for 20cm, making sure that the satin cord remains in the middle of the braid as a core. If a narrower braid is preferred the core can be omitted.

2. Cut 16 short lengths of chain and thread these equally onto two diagonally opposite cords. Thread 32 labradorite beads onto individual headpins or wire and form wrapped loops. Thread these eqally onto 4 diagonally opposite cords. Thread 16 green rounds onto headpins or wire and form loops as before and thread them equally onto the last 2 diagonally opposite cords.

3. Continue to braid, adding a bead on each move until they have been used up. Continue to braid without beads to match the first side of the necklace.

4. Select 3 chains in the middle of the cluster and attach a green bead with a headpin or wire. Thread a short coil onto the braid on either side of the beads.

Green Braid and Labradorite Bracelet

1. Cut 16 x 1m S-Lon. Braid using two cords in each of the slots on either side of the dots on the disk.

2. Make 16-20 double links by making a large wrapped loop on an 8cm length of wire, threading on two labradorite and finishing with another large wrapped loop. Be sure that the loop is large enough to accommodate the braid.

3. Fold the wire in half and wrap around a coil of wire made from 10cm wire and a spiral at the end (see pic). This forms half of the fastening.

4. Thread the bead units onto both ends of the wire

5. Finish off the two braid ends with glue-on end caps and a toggle. Alternatively, pierce the end of the braid with wire, thread on a coil and a bead and finish with a wrapped loop. Repeat for the other end and attach a toggle to both loops with a jump ring.