Here's a pretty way to make a splash. Combine donut condoles with dagger fringe beads to make a splashy bracelet. This is quick and easy to make, and a great beginner project. And, you'll learn something you didn't know you were going to learn too!

Supplies

• 21 (approx.) 5 x 15 mm dagger beads, in Light Aqua AB and Blue Zircon AB (but feel free to choose other colors)
• 22 (approx.) 8 mm Czech firepolished donut or gemstone-cut rondelle beads, in mixed colors, Light Aquamarine, Blue Zircon, Capri Blue.
• Size 8/0 Metallic Silver seed beads, approx. 25.
• 1 toggle clasp
• beading thread, such as Nymo or similar

Tools

• scissors
• beading needle, #10

Unwind approximately 1 yard of thread. Use a good quality beading thread.

Beading thread can seem a little tricky to work with at first - it tangles and snarls itself as if it is possessed! To prevent this, take the thread in short sections between your two hands and pull it out until it stretches a little.

Then pull it, again in short sections, across a warm (lighted) light bulb. This "irons" the thread and helps it lay flat and be well-behaved.

Most beading starts with a "stopper" bead or a "tension" bead. This bead will come off later and not be part of the final project. You can use any bead that you have handy. This bead is only to act as a stopper so that your beads don't accidentally slide off the end of the thread before you are finished.

Thread your needle, and pass through the stopper bead - and slide it to the end of the thread. Go back through the bead (in the same direction as you did before) two more times. Be careful not to slide your needle through the strands of the thread already in the bead - as that will make it very difficult to get the bead off after!

Start with a

• size 8/0 seedbead, and
• then an 8 mm firepolish donut.

Finish the bead sequence with a seedbead, and then go through the loop on one half of the toggle clasp, and then back through the seedbead and the first donut bead.

Slide off the stopper bead, you may need to use the end of the needle to loosen the threads a little.

Knot the threads securely to hold the clasp in place. You can use a square knot, and tie another on top of it.

Thread each end of thread on to your needle, one at a time, and run the threads back through a few of the beads to make the ends tidy. Cut the threads off close to the bracelet, but very carefully.

And there you have it, your finished bracelet. Easy - and a good project to do with a friend - you could make a bunch of them.

And, you have learned something else too, without even knowing it! Many seed bead weaving techniques use a technique called "peyote" stitch or "gourd" stitch. And that is what you just did - a first straight row of beads, and then adding a bead every other bead on the second row, as you work your way back. How easy was that?