Tutorial: Square bead necklace

Materials, Step 1-2

Steps 3-4 and finished necklace

Materials
You'll need about 40in of cotton thread x 3.  You will be plaiting the strings to make a nice rope.  I salvaged the square beads from an op shop purchase, and found some small round black beads from a broken necklace.  The holes of the beads need to be relatively large to thread through 3 strings.

Step 1: String the round and square beads through the three threads.  You might need a needle like a cross stitch needle (a bit thicker than a regular needle with a rounded tip).

Step 2: Hold two ends of the threads together so the beads dangle about mid-way.  Put the peg on one end to hold it in that mid-way position.  Then you're going to knot (just regular knot) and keep knotting until the round bead can't move past it.  I knotted twice.  If this bit is hard cos the hole in the bead is too big, plait the thread and then try knotting again.  Then knot the thread on the other side of the beads.

Step 3:  Secure one end of the thread with the peg to something heavy on your table so you can plait the thread as tight as you like.  Tighter plaits make stiffer rope and vice versa.  Then plait the other side.  Leave a bit of the threads at the ends not plaited so you can do step 4.

Step 4: Knot once.  Slip a round bead on.  Knot a couple of times and try to tuck the ends in.  Given it's cotton thread, I didn't burn the loose bits at the end to it's really secure.  I just cut them.  (You might know better ways of finishing up!)

Ta-da!

Deenie