Disco Ball Beaded Kumihimo Bracelet

I seemed to have knocked out this disco ball beaded Kumihimo bracelet even though I’ve been out of the game a bit. I’m not exactly sure when I put my Kumihimo disc down but at some point I did… Lured in by crochet hooks and fuzzy yarn and the comfort of a warm kitchen in cold weather I haven’t done a whole lot of braiding recently. Until I wanted something.

I often get it in my head that I want something that I have never seen for sale and am not 100% sure on how to make. This time I wanted a bracelet that would glimmer and shimmer like a disco ball. To be honest I’ve only seen a disco ball in person a handful of times, most notably at the skating rink when I was a kid. But I wasn’t paying so much attention to the decor as I was not busting my butt on the floor. I was a terrible skater and you couldn’t pay me to lace on a pair these days.

I tried to find what I wanted online as far as the beads go but wasn’t sure how they would translate to the finished project and I kind of got over the whole thing. But then the other day when I started my massive office overhaul to streamline my work space I started going through boxes and boxes of beads and separating them out, like to like. It was a massive undertaking and I’d be lying if I acted like I finished it entirely. I clean got sick of it so I still have one box left. But when these particular beads were shimmering on the floor I went all ADD on it and knocked this bracelet out on my bedroom floor amid piles of beads and plastic baggies.

There is no tutorial today. Just showing off something pretty I made. If you want to get into Kumihimo I have some tutorials here on the blog that would be helpful.

• Basic 8 strand kumihimo braid
• Beaded 8 strand Kumihimo
• Finishing your braids with end caps 
• Kumihimo tips and tricks
• Using Kumihimo bobbins
• Plus a gallery of Kumi projects

If you’re needing to get the supplies to get into Kumihimo, I recommend purchasing a starter kit. They run around $20 with free shipping at Amazon and have the foam discs, bobbins and some satin rattail… basically everything you need to make a handful of basic braided bracelets. If you don’t dig it, you have some bracelets and you got to try a new craft but if you do dig it (and I bet you do!) you’ll have everything you need minus cords and beads to make so many very pretty pieces of jewelry.

The beads I used are 4mm faceted metal and I purchased enough to make a bracelet and still have enough left over for another from Hobby Lobby on sale for $1.50. Not bad at all!

I whipped up a braided strand, testing out using Super Lon instead of C-Lon and it was completely and totally honestly a pain in the ass. The cord is so fine that it was getting knotted up on me and it was terrible. Never. Again.

I finished the bracelet with some super cheapie end caps and let it dry overnight laying out flat.

I closed it up with some really pretty hooks I also found in my stash that day.

The finished bracelet is sparkly but seems dainty and feminine in a way. It’s gotten nothing but compliments when out and about and I often find myself slipping it on even when I have nothing to do but sit at my computer all day!

In the end I’ve knocked out quite a few braids out of faceted beads. They’re simply put, stunning though very simple to create. I’ll try and share some of the others when I get them capped and add closures.

Hoping you’re having a fantastic Sunday afternoon!

 

Written by Allison Murray - Visit Website