How to Make the Pipe Chain Spiral Bracelet with SilverSilk Pipe Chain
Attractive, strong, and handy? Not only is your SilverSilk Pipe Chain the dreamboat of your design, in fifteen, heart-throbbing colors, but also handy around the bead studio! If you love creating seed beaded rope designs, you’re gonna love what we are cooking up. It turns out that SilverSIlk Pipe Chain is not just good looking, but also indispensable for maintaining perfect tension in many seed beaded rope stitches. In today’s tutorial, the featured rope stitch is a spiral with the perfect bead counts for your chain. Be on the lookout for more SilverSilk Pipe Chain beaded rope tutorials; a whole series in in the works!
Want to learn more about SilverSilk Pipe Chain? You can check out the profile page here: https://www.silversilkonline.com/silversilk-education/product-guide-pipe-chain
Gather your materials and let’s spiraling!
Tools:
Cutters (Lindström Tools): Flush cutters are used to cut your SilverSilk Pipe Chain.
Chain Nose Pliers: These pliers will be needed to weed the chain ends and work jump rings.
Wide Nose Pliers: Use Wide Nose pliers to compress your SilverSilk End Caps without marring.
Beading Needle: Use size #11 beading needle to stitch your spiral rope.
Round Nose Pliers: These pliers will be needed if you’d like to form wrapped loops for decorative dangles.
Materials:
16in • SilverSilk Pipe Chain, Lapis
2 • SilverSilk Single-strand End Caps, Copper
1 • SilverSilk Lobster Claw Clasp, Copper
5 • SilverSilk 6mm Jump Rings, Copper
75 to 100 • 4mm Czech Glass Druk Beads, Blue Iris
7 grams • 11/0 Seed Beads
65 inches • Beading Thread, such as Wildfire .006 or Fireline 6lb
Pipe Chain Spiral Bracelet Video Tutorial
Pipe Chain Spiral Bracelet, Written Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1: Creating the First Loop of your Pipe Chain Spiral
Cut a 65in-length of beading thread, leaving an 7in-length tail. String a pattern of three seed beads and one druk bead, three times. Go back through the first seed bead strung to form a ring. Go through the all the beads in the ring twice to anchor your thread. Leave your working thread exiting from the same bead as your tail thread and use the tail to pull to tighten the loop.
Step 2: Creating the Rows of your Pipe Chain Spiral
String one druk bead and three seed beads. Skipping the next two seed beads and druk bead, go through the first seed bead past the druk. Repeat Step 2 twice more.
Step 3: Stepping up from Each Row in your Pipe Chain Spiral
After finishing this (and each subsequent) row, you’ll need to do what’s called a “step up”. This just means that you’ll need to go through the first two beads your strung at the beginning of row before carrying on with the next row. Step up through the next druk bead and seed bead.
Step 4: Shaping Your Spiral on the Pipe Chain
Place your spiral onto your Pipe Chain. Pull the working and tail threads apart to tighten it on the chain. You’ll notice that the rope can slide slightly, but for the most part it will stay in place and hold the round shape, achieving perfect tension while your work remaining rows.
Step 5: Completing Remaining Rows using your SilverSilk Pipe Chain
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to complete your spiral rope on the Pipe Chain to desired length. You can work on your Pipe Chain pre-cut to your desired bracelet length, or work on a longer piece that you can trim to length later.
The sample design features a total of 75 stitched druk beads. It achieved a beaded length of four inches, which we recommend is a good proportion for a bracelet focal. The rope formed by this stitch formation is flexible and often collapses without the added assist of lovely Pipe Chain to fill it. Pipe Chain it turns out is the perfect tool to construct perfect beaded ropes of all types! More to come on that ;)
Step 6: Finishing the Spiral Rope
After completing your final row, weave through the beads, traveling through the work by following the existing thread path. You can achieve the necessary changes in direction that help lock in your thread by selecting a sort of zig zag path to weave up and down through a few rows. Repeat this step with the tail thread to securely weave in it as well. Trim remaining threads.
Step 7: Attaching your SilverSilk Single-Strand End Caps and Findings
Use chain nose pliers to weed any stray knits from the ends of your Pipe Chain. Fit the Pipe Chain into the end cap and press it shut using wide nose pliers. If you have the tips of your pliers coated with Tool Magic, you won’t have to worry about your finding getting scratched during this crimping process. Double check the seam of your end cap to make sure it is fully closed and tug on the Pipe Chain to make sure it won’t slip out.
Open each of your 6mm jump rings. Attach a lobster claw to one end of your bracelet design, Then use the other jump rings to form a chain for the other half, making your bracelet adjustable for optimal comfort and, more importantly, embellishing!
Step 8: Embellishing Your Bracelet with More Beads
If desired, create dangles to hang from the last jump ring on your design. String seed beads and druk bead onto a head pin and form a wrapped loop. Make a trio and suspend them from the end of your jump ring chain for extra sass.
Conclusion:
We hope this tutorial has inspired you to see your SilverSilk Pipe and Leather Chains in a new way! Not only are they a gorgeous medium for your jewelry making, but these chains are the most handy of helpers in achieving ideal tension and filler chain for bead woven ropes. Be sure to check out the full video tutorial on YouTube and give it a thumbs up. Don’t forget to subscribe and click the bell so your get notified first of exciting tutorials in the future!
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