8-Strand Flat Kumihimo Braid with Hearts and Metallic Accents Tutorial

These bracelets made with a flat braid can be done on a round kumihimo disk or a square plate. The flat braid is easy to learn and the movements of the cords become instinctual quickly. Four variations of this 8-strand flat braid are shown on page 68 in Braids, 250 Patterns from Japan, Peru & Beyond, by Rodrick Owen, but none of the variations have the heart motif shown here. In this tutorial, this braid is done on a round disk, but instructions for the square plate will be forthcoming in a future post.

These bracelets can be worn singly or stacked. They are light and comfortable to wear. When stacked the magnetic clasps either attract or repel each other depending on the direction of their magnets, so take advantage of this property to stack them closely. Wear these bracelets triple stacked as shown on the top picture.

Tutorial - Step by Step Instructions

This is a free tutorial... but it is copyrighted!
If you want to share the content with others, always refer to this original post... and visit Marion Jewels in Fiber online store for supplies. Thank you! - Marion

Braiding Materials
Rayon Satin #2, or 2 mm Nylon Satin - or 2 mm Chinese Knotting Cord - 3 yard (2.7 m)
Metallic Cord with Shiny Finish - 12 yard (10.80 m)
or Metallic Cord with Iridescent Iris Finish - 15 yard (13.50 m)
or Metallic Cord with Fine Finish - 20 yard (13.50 m)

These cords will be cut into 1 yd length. The satin will be used individually, the metallic cords will be used as a bundle or strand with multiple cord treated as 1 unit. These steps are described in Step 1 and 2.

Finishing Materials
C-Lon Micro Cord - 1 yard (0.9 m) cut in 1/2 into 2 lengths of 18 inches (45 cm)
Magnetic Clasps with 6.2mm inner diameter

The tutorial shown below is made with Black Rayon Satin #2, Silver Shiny Metallic Cord, and a 6.2 mm Black Oxide Magnetic End Clasp. These materials are available by following the links in the material list.

Tools & Adhesives

4 inch Kumihimo Mini Disk
2 Mini-Clamps
2 EZ-Bobs (optional)
1 Paperclip
1 Weighted EZBob
Scissors
Micro Tip Pruning Snip or Shears
Pliers
Poly Zap Super Glue

All these tools can be found in Tools for Kumihimo, Tools, and the glue in Adhesives.

Step by Step

"Cord" refers to an individual cord or a strand - a group of cords is treated as a unit, as in the metallic strand.

Set Up the Braid

1. Cut 3 one yard length of Rayon Satin #2 or 2 mm Nylon Satin.
Fold in half and insert into the paperclip.

2. Cut the Metallic Cord into 1 yard lengths, keeping them together as a strand. Fold at the center and add to the paperclip. Add mini-clamps at each end or roll the ends into the EZ-Bobs to keep the cords from intermingling.

3. Tie several half hitches 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the paperclip with C-Lon Micro Cord.

4. Pull the paperclip through K-disk, the weighted EZ-Bob, and secure the paperclip with a mini-clamp.

5. Place the cords and strands in the slots on each side of the black dots. The heart pattern is created by placing the metallic strands in the slots above dots #24 and #8.

Braiding Steps

Left cord by #32 to slot below the 2 cords by #8

Right cord by #32 to slot below the 2 cords by #24

Now 3 cords are on each side and 2 cords are by dot #16

Left cord by #16 to slot above the 3 cords by #8

Right cord by #16 to slot above the 3 cords by #24

Now 4 cords are on each side

Right cord above dot #8 to slot right of dot #16

Left cord above dot #24 to slot left of dot #16

Now 3 cords are on each side and 2 cords are by dot #16

Right cord below dot #8 to slot right of dot #32

Left cord below dot #24 to slot left of dot #32

Reposition the side cords to the closest slots on each side of #8 & #24

Now all the cords are in the slots on each side of black dots.

The metallic strands are now on each side of dot #16.

Braiding Mantra

Top down

Bottom up

Center up

Reposition

Here is the Mantra shown in a graphic form:

Note: Move the left cord 1st

The cords are back to the same position as before Move 1.
To continue, repeat the Mantra.

Turn the disk over often and check the progress of the braid.

Tips

- Keep your tension even - I prefer mine on the loose side for this braid.

- Hold the flat braid on the back end of the disk with your left hand, braid with your right hand.

Repeat these steps until you have braided the cord to the desired length. Remove the cords from the disk while holding the braid with your left hand. With 18 inches (45 cm) of C-Lon Micro Cord, tie several half hitches right at the end of the braid.

The End Clasps

1. Prepare the part you just finished braiding - Wrap the cord ends in a corkscrew fashion with the Micro Cord. Do it very tightly but keep some space between the wraps. Wrap around 1 inch (2.5 cm). End the wrap with a few half hitches. For the end with the paperclip - Cut the cords first, then wrap the cord ends in a corkscrew fashion.

2. Add a few drops of Poly Zap Superglue over the wrapped parts. Let the glue dry. Cut the ends with the snip or shears leaving 3/8 “ (1 cm) of wrapped cords. Check the fit. Round the braid with pliers if needed. Dab a drop of glue on the end clasp and insert. Let dry.

Design Options

Peyote Sleeves

Add a Peyote Bead Sleeve over the magnetic clasp. Go the tutorials HERE and get the materials HERE.

Extra Colors

Add an extra color for the center of the braid as shown above. Grey Satin was used for the two satin cords by dot #16. This way the satin color at the center of the braid is different than the color on the sides.

Compare Materials

2 mm Nylon Satin: Shown on left. It has a bit more sheen than the Rayon Satin. It is strong and durable and devoid of the annoying little thread that sometimes stick out of the rayon satin.

Rayon Nylon Satin #2: Shown at center. Beautiful sheen. Needs to be treated nicely. Harder to clean than nylon. Little threads stick out sometimes.

2 mm Chinese Knotting Cord: Shown on right. Matte. Textured. Strong and durable. Easy to wash.