Beautiful Beaded Butterfly Bracelet

Size: 7 ½” long (including clasp)

Materials for the Beaded Butterfly Bracelet

• 6              6/0             Czech Seed Bead Gold Matte (A)
• 14           8/0              Czech Seed Bead Gold Matte (B)
• 3g           10/0*            Czech Seed Bead Gold Matte  (C)
• 12           3mm           Miyuki Seed Beads Orange Luster (D)
• 36           4mm           Es-O Mini 2-hole Beads Pink Airy Pearl (E)
• 24           11/0            Czech Seed Beads Red Matte AB (F)
• 24           11/0            Czech Seed Beads Yellow Opaque (G)
• 32           10/0            Czech Seed Beads Orange Creamsicle Mix (H)
• 10           4mm           Czech Fire Polished Beads Crystal Honey (I)
• Beadalon® WildFire™ beading thread diameter 00.20 (.008”) Black
• Scissors
• Big Eye Needle

* You can substitute the 10/0 with an 11/0 seed bead.

Beaded Butterfly Bracelet Instructions

Six beaded butterflies were made for this 7 1/2″ long bracelet.

Body

You will create the body using the ladder stitch.

1. On 2 feet of thread pick up 1A and 1B. Pass the needle up through the bottom of the first bead and down through the top of the second. Pass through the beads again making sure to work with a tight tension and to create a firm base. The holes of the bead should be facing you and their sides are flushed against each other.
2. Add the remaining beads one at a time. Pick up 1B. Pass the needle through the top of the prior bead and up through the bottom of the bead just added. Work three more stitches using C. Weave back through the beads ending up exiting the first B you picked up.

Wing (make 2)

1. Add wing connectors/starting beads. Pick up 1D. Pass through B. Pick up 1D. Pass through B and the first D picked up.
2. Add wing center beads. Pick up 3E. Complete the circuit by passing through D. Pass through all four beads again.
3. Frame side one of center beads. Pick up 2C and 1F. Pass through the second hole of E.
4. Embellish center beads. Pick up 1G, pass through the next E—twice.
5. Frame side two of center beads. Pick up 1F and 2C. Pass through the following beads: 1D, 2C, and 1F.
6. Complete outer edge of wing.  Pick up 9H, pass through the center E and pick up 7H. Complete the circuit by passing through 1F.  (Note: 9G is for the top half of the wing and 7G is for the bottom. If for some reason you start step six from the bottom frame, then reverse the order. This means you would pick up 7G first and then 9G.)
7. Add wing connector beads. You will attach the wing connector beads to the middle bead of the 9H and the 7H groups. Weave through beads so that your needle is exiting the fifth bead of 9H. Pick up 1C. Pass through the H below, 1 C, and the starting H.  Weave through the beads so that your needle is exiting the fourth of 7H. Repeat the process for adding a connector bead. Prepare to add the second wing. Weave your needle to the D bead on the opposite side of the body. (Note: the benefit of attaching the wing connectors at this point is that you will also being reinforcing the wings.)
8. Make second wing. Repeat steps two through seven.

Secure Butterfly Wings to Body

You will use the 2C from the bottom part of the wing to connect it to the body. Weave your needle through the beads so that it is exiting one of the C beads. Pass through the closest B, the 2C on the opposite side and back to your starting point.

Connect the Beaded Butterflies

The sense of movement of the butterflies comes from alternating the connections methods.  There are two connection methods—a short and a long. (Please see photo for reference.)

Connect Two Butterflies

• You can use the leftover thread from creating the butterflies or add new thread to connect the them.
• Each butterfly has four connector beads—two on the left and two on the right.
• You can start with either the top or bottom connector bead.

The short connection method is a single right angle weave stitch. To apply this method, weave thread so that is is exiting from the connector bead of the right side of the first butterfly.  Pick up 1C. Pass through the corresponding bead of second butterfly.  (The corresponding bead  will be on the left side of the second butterfly.) Pick up 1C. Complete the circuit by passing through the connector bead of the first butterfly. Reinforce the connection by passing through all four beads a couple of times.

Weave through the beads of the first butterfly so that it is exiting the second connector bead on the right side.

The long connection method is comprised of two right angle weave stitches and two fire polished beads. Pick up 3C. Complete the circuit by passing through the connector bead again. Reinforce the stitch by passing through all 4C again and the first 2C picked up. Your needle should be exiting the C bead opposite the connector bead. Pick up 2I and 1C. Pass through the corresponding connector bead of the second butterfly. Pick up 1C. (Make sure the beads are snug together–meaning no spaces.) Create a right angle weave unit by passing through the next C—the one that was picked up after the fire polished beads. Reinforce the right angle weave stitch by passing through all 4C again.

Continue connecting the butterflies.

Making and Attaching Clasp

Ring

Create the ring using the square stitch. Thread should be exiting a connector bead (from inside edge) of  the first butterfly.

1. Pick up 17C and pass through the next connector bead.
2. You will use B for the first and last square stitches worked into the connector beads. Pick up 1B. Pass through the C below and the B just added.
3. Work 17 square stitches using C.
4. Use B to work a square stitch into the connector bead.
5. Weave in thread ends and trim.

Bar

Create the bar using the peyote stitch. On 2’ piece of beading thread, pick up 18C. Pick up 1C. Skip the first C and pass the needle through the next C. Repeat across the row. Work ten rows in the peyote stitch. The original 18C picked up counts as two rows. Roll the strip into a tube. Zip stitch the edges together.

Create a bar connector using the herringbone stitch. Weave thread so that it is exiting the center Es-O bead of the last butterfly. Pick up 2C. Pass through E and the first C picked up. Pick up 2C. Pass down through the C below and up through the next C and the one above it. Work three more herringbone stitches. Attach the bar by passing through the center bead of the bar and down through the C bead of the connector below. Repeat thread path until secure. Weave in thread ends and trim.