Bracelet Length Calculator - Bracelet Sizing

The bracelet shown here is the Kumihimo Bracelet
with Long Magatamas and C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord Kit 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever made a bracelet, and when you were all finished, it was either too snug or too loose?

Here is a guide for making bracelets that will fit wrists perfectly. It is especially important for bracelets that have a certain thickness, such as beaded kumihimo bracelets, crochet rope bracelets, or bracelets with large beads. For thin bracelets you can skip #3 as the diameter of the bracelet becomes negligible.

Before making the Bracelet, you need the following:

#1. Wrist Size
Measure with a flexible measuring tape at the place where yo want to wear the bracelet. This will also work for an anklet.  

#2. Type of Fit

Tight Fit - Do not add anything

Snug Fit - Add 1/4“ to 1/2” (0.25" to 0.50") / 0.6 cm to 1.25 cm

Comfort Fit - Add 1/2“ to 1” (0.50" to 1") / 1.25 cm to 2.5 cm 

Loose Fit - Add 1“ to 1 1/4” (1" to 1.25") / 2.5 cm to 3 cm

#3. Braid Diameter/Bracelet Thickness

That's the measurement between the inner and the outer circumference.  

 

CALCULATOR

Enter all the input numbers in inches or cm and in decimal form - no fractions. The calculator work with inches or cm but do not mix the two.

Then of course if you are making a bracelet with a clasp, take the clasp length in consideration.

For the Kumihimo Bracelet with Long Magatamas and C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord shown above, the magnetic clasp covered by a peyote sleeve is 1 inch/2.54 cm long. Braid a first short section with no beads that will be wrapped and glued into the clasp. Braid the beaded kumihimo section. Then another short section with no beads for the other end of the clasp. The braid is 0.38"/0.96 cm thick, so the adjustment for the bracelet thickness is 1.19"/3.02 cm. Minus the clasp from that and you get 0.19"/0.48 cm. So make the beaded section just a tad longer (0.19" - that's a 3/16"  or 0.48 cm longer) than the wrist size adjusted for the type of fit desired. The clasp length will make up the difference. 

REFERENCES

This chart shows average sizes for both women and men.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR MATH PEOPLE....

The math is all Pre-Algebra and Geometry… Yikes that was a long time ago...

Circumference = π x Diameter

Diameter = Circumference / π

π = The Number Pi = 3.14

From this, we can deduce the following:

Inner Diameter = (Wrist Size + Type of Fit) / π 

Middle Diameter = Inner Diameter + Bracelet Thickness

Middle Circumference = π x (Inner Diameter + Bracelet Thickness)

Difference between Inner Circumference and Middle Circumference = π x Bracelet Thickness

So the adjustment for the bracelet thickness is as follows:

Adjustment for Bracelet Thickness = Bracelet Thickness multiplied by Pi

Adjustment for Bracelet Thickness = Bracelet Thickness x 3.14

I recently got an email asking me how long a beaded braid section needed to be for one of my kumihimo bracelet kits. After really pondering on this question, I had to write this post and create the online bracelet length calculator. I hope this will help you for your next bracelet! - Marion

DIY Tassels for Jewelry Continued... Larger Tassels with Chinese Knotting Cord Micro Size E

Tassels, especially larger tassels can be a focal center to a neckpiece or mala. This mala has 108 beads with 4 marker beads (the 4 lepidolite). The 8mm beads are strung with C-Lon Bead Cord and knotted in between. The mala can be worn long singly or doubled up as a shorter piece. The 5 inch (12.5 cm) long tassel is made with Chinese Knotting Cord Micro Size E.

I have made these larger tassels from 4.5 to 5 inches long. I tend to make them long as they can always be shortened. Silk can be used for these these larger tassels, but the ones made with the Chinese Knotting Cord drape better than the silk ones. Smaller tassels can be made with Chinese Knotting Cord or with silk.  > Check this DIY Silk Tassel Tutorial

Materials and Tools for a 5 inch Tassel

• 40 yards of Chinese Knotting Cord Size E - 0.4mm in diameter
• Tapestry Needle Size 22
• Sharp Scissors
• A Small Book, Several Layers of Card Stock or a Large Bobbin Plastic Box

1. Wrap the cord 100-115 times around a box, book, or card stock.  

2. With a separate piece of cord and the tapestry needle, wrap many times around the cord bundle. 

3. Use a flat knot to bind the cords. 

4. Cut the tassel cords along the other end. 

5. Fold over the cords of one of the sides over to the other side. 

This will make a perfectly symmetrical tassel. 

6. With a separate piece of cord, wrap the tassel neck, starting with 2 half hitches.

7. Continue with a simple wrap and finish it with 2 half hitches. 

8. Stitch the end back into the tassel and through towards the ends of the cord.

9. To trim the cord ends, wrap a piece of plastic around the tassel. 

10. Use your sharpest scissors to trim the ends. 

11. Using the tapestry needle, the tassel can now be attached. Alternatively, it can be attached prior to wrapping the neck at step 5 or before trimming it at step 8.

References

> DIY Silk Tassel for Jewelry

> Chinese Knotting Cord Micro Size E - 0.4mm in diameter

> DIY Instruction on How to Make a Mala with a Tassel

Cord Making - 3-Ply Cord made with C-Lon Bead Cord

Making your own 2-ply and 3-ply cord is an easy process and the tools required are simple. Cords of various diameters can be made with C-Lon Bead Cord or any other type of cord you want to experiment with. 

A 2-ply cord made with 1 C-Lon Bead Cord will have a diameter of about 0.75mm whereas the 3-ply cords shown above have a diameter of about 5-6mm. These larger cords are made with 12 lengths of C-Lon Bead Cord per ply, so a total of 36 lengths of C-Lon Bead Cord for the 3-ply cord.

The Tool Kit

This is the tool set I designed and use for making 3-ply or 4-ply bonded nylon cords. For short 2-ply silk cords I often use a manual mini cord twister. Read about 2-ply cord on this previous post. The mini twister os better suited to twist silk or thinner cords; whereas this set up with a reversible electric drill is better for bonded nylon cords or thicker diameter cords made with multiple cords in each plies. 

This tool kit is designed to work with a reversible cordless drill. The hook is ready to be attached to the drill and this is how each of the plies will be twisted.

A central hook is attached to a table with the 2 inch C-clamp provided.

A bar with 4 hooks is attached to a portable chair. I wrapped the wood chair with a bead mat to protect the chair. A towel will work too. A rolling cabinet can be used instead of a chair as long as the wood bar with the 4 hooks can be moved. The bar needs to moved closer to the central hook after twisting the first ply.

The mini-bungies work well to attach the bar to the chair. If the bungies are too short or too long, a cord will work. 

Making a 3-Ply Cord

Once your set up is in place, you are ready to make the cord. Choose the diameter of the cord, the number of cords per ply. Lay each ply and its color composition. Then twist each plies counterclockwise. Lay them together and tie the ends together and let them twist clockwise all by themselves. 

Each tool kit comes with PDF instructions sent by email. The instructions list all the steps for making 3 and 4 ply cords. Plus it has a handy reference chart with diameters for cords made with C-Lon Bead Cord. 

Here are some projects done with 3-ply cords made with C-Lon Bead Cord. 

Adjustable Double Slip Knot Cord Bracelet

made with 3-ply cord made with C-Lon Bead Cord

3 or 4-Ply Bracelets Made with C-lon Bead Cord and Euro Magnetic Clasps & Spacers

2, 3 and 4mm 3-Ply Cord Made with C-lon Bead Cord

Cord making is a nice technique to have at your fingertips. It is very useful when you need a thicker cord that what you have on hand or what's available. As to what can be made with cords… your imagination is the limit...

References and Links

> Cord Making Tool Kit

> C-Lon Bead Cord

> Griffin Jewelry Silk and 2-Ply Cord Making

> Euro Magnetic Clasps

Griffin Jewelry Silk - Spools versus Cards

Griffin Jewelry Silk on Spools

The Griffin Jewelry Silk is a high quality filament silk from Germany. This silk is a standard beading silk that has be made for many years. Griffin has been around since 1866. The thread quality, diameter and colors are incredibly consistent. It shows the high quality standard levels at the factory where this thread is made. The silk on the spool is a 3-ply cord with a left twist made from 100% natural silk.

I currently carry two sizes of the Griffin Jewelry Silk on spools > Marion Jewels in Fiber Online Store

6/F Ø - 0.35 mm - 65 meters per spool

8/FFF Ø - 0.42 mm - 40 meters per spool

Griffin 100% Natural Silk on Cards

The silk on the card is the same silk as what's on the spools, but it is twisted into a cordon, a 2-ply twist with a needle attached at the folded end. One of the drawback is the short length of the card, only 2 meter long making it difficult to use this silk for longer necklaces, crocheted necklaces and any other project requiring longer length of silk.

So yes one of the solution if you need silk with a needle attached at the end like the one that comes on cards is to make your own. To make your own 2-ply silk cordon (re-twisted 2-ply cord) > Check this post on making 2-ply twisted cord with Griffin Jewelry Silk

Here is a chart that compares diameter sizes between the silk on spool and cards, plus 2 and 3-ply cordons made with the silk on spools. It is a handy reference for anyone working with this silk. Diameter sizes are approximate and based on information provided by Griffin.

I hope this will help anyone with questions about how these two silk products compare. It will certainly make a handy reference when I am next asked questions about how to compare Griffin Jewelry Silk and Griffin Silk on Cards! - Marion

Kumihimo Bracelet Duo & Necklace Plus Continued - Santorini Colorway

In the previous post, the colorway featured was Place Vendome. 

Here are the photos of the kumihimo bracelets and necklace done with the Santorini colorway.

Oh, and why Santorini? The colors reminds me of the Minoan murals in Crete. Then I thought of the lost Minoan civilization of Atlantis, but the Atlantis has a bit too much attached to its name, so Santorini seemed much more appropriate as a name as it is the island where Atlantis may have been, before being destroyed when its volcano exploded… 

Here is the materials for the Kumihimo Bracelet Duo…

The start of bracelet #1

Bracelet #1

Left shows the back side of the bracelet, nice a soft against the wrist with no beads.

Right shows the front side with the small bead ridge in the center. 

Here are the two bracelet done with this kit. 

Bracelet #1 on the right; bracelet #2 on the left. 

What's intriguing is the texture and color differences between these two bracelets. It is also possible to switch and start with bracelet #2 first, then the color arrangement would be changed. 

Bracelets stacked

The Necklace Plus makes a long necklace and a bracelets, or two necklaces, your choice. 

A handmade glass bead can be added. 

 

The large bead can sometimes slide on over the clasp and beads. 

Other times, depending on the actual diameter of he inside hole, the beads needs to be integrated into the braid. Each bead is handmade one at a time, so inside diameter are not exact. 

The borosilicate bead contains silver globs and dichroic fragments within, giving it life when it moves. 

This pieces were braided with Rayon Bouclé that is space dyed, C-Lon Bead Cord, 4mm Magatamas, these beads are in the form of a droplet, Size 8 seed beads for bracelet #1, gold tone magnetic clasps covered by Peyote Sleeves. The focal large glass bead is an optional add on to the kit. > Get a kit

Kumihimo Bracelet Duo & Necklace Plus

Occasionally a new kit starts with a skein of yarn. 

I fell in love with the texture of the rayon boucle and its colors. 

It is a space dyed yarn with gorgeous colors, but would it work for kumihimo?

I started with the necklace...

Then tried a flat looking bracelet with beads only on the side - it is shown on the left.

It is made with the standard round braid but it looks like a flat braid.

Then I altered it by adding a ridge of smaller beads down it center… See bracelet on right. 

When I finished the first bracelet, I had lots of yarn left, so I added a second bracelet.

The second bracelet has a different bead placement. 

It makes it more interesting when both bracelets are worn together. 

Then I added a focal bead to the necklaces and Peyote sleeves over the clasps. 

This one is Black Starburst - a borosilicate glass with silver globs and dichroic chips inside. 

It is handmade in the USA. 

This one is Silver Moon. Not sure which one I like best… 

Here is what comes with the Bracelet Duo and the kumihimo tools that are needed. 

This colorway is Place Vendome > Get a kit or if you already have all the materials for this project, just the PDF of the instructions.  

Of course this process took some time. I got the skeins in two colorways in February and now it is August. And I still have to package the Necklace Kit Plus and finish the instructions for the Necklace Plus. Necklace Plus? Oh, that's because you can make two necklaces, or one long necklace and a bracelet with the kit.  

I brought this kit to my last show, last weekend in Portland. I only had the Bracelet Duo ready in the two colorways, Place Vendome and Santorini. Santorini sold out… Now, of course I need to post all the pictures showing the Santorini color way. See next post entry. 

Oh, why Place Vendome? The colors reminded me of Paris, the classy colors of the architecture and Place Vendome came to mind. I looked again at pictures of this beautiful square in Paris off Rue Rivoli and yes the colors are similar, with soft greys, soft rusts, some charcoal and some golds and bronze… 

DIY Silk Tassels for Jewelry

One of the latest trend in jewelry is tassels. They are featured everywhere on malas, attached to bracelets, earrings and more... In fashion you can find them on clothing, belts, shoes, purses along with lots of fringes. Tassels can be made out of many different type of materials depending on their final use. They can be simple or complex. 

Here is a tutorial for a silk tassel well suited for jewelry. 

I found filament silk best suited for tassels. The weight and flexibility of the silk makes gorgeous tassels. Kanagawa 100 Denier Silk and Fujix Tire Silk come in an amazing array of colors. Kanagawa 1000 Denier Silk comes in 162 colors; Fujix Tire Silk in 121 colors; Griffin Jewelry Silk in 11 colors. The following tassel was made with Kanagawa color #5. The two Japanese brands, Kanagawa and Fujix Tire, are comparable and they are as far as I know the best filament silk available. Griffin Silk, a beading silk is also a very high quality silk suitable for tassels. 

1. Cut a folded piece of cardboard a bit longer than the desired length of the tassel.

2. Insert the thread in the cardboard fold and wind the thread around. 

This one was wound about 45 times around the card. 

The more you wind the thread around the cardboard, the fuller the tassel will be. 

3. With separate thread, bind all the tassel thread on one of the end.

I go around the bundle twice, then tie the two ends into a flat knot.

4. Cut the thread along the other end of the cardboard while holding the bound end. 

Continue holding the bound end for next step. 

5. Run the thread under lukewarm water to remove the folds and to make it easier to cut the ends. 

Blot the tassel with a towel to remove excess water. 

This step can be skipped with Griffin Silk, and with silk coming off of spools, but cutting wet silk is easier than cutting dry silk. It is just like getting your hair cut wet rather than dry...

6. Continuing while the tassel is wet… 

With a separate piece of silk, wrap the tassel neck. 

Stitch the ends back toward the tassel ends. 

7. To trim the tassel, wrap the tassel in a piece of plastic shed.

Use your sharpest scissors to trim the ends.

Here is the finished tassel.

The finished length of this tassel after trimming is 4.5 cm long.

The head is about 5 mm in diameter. 

The bottom of the tassel skirt is about 18 mm wide. 

Tassels made with Kanagawa 1000 Denier Silk and Fujix Tire Silk.

Some are longer, fatter… The fattest one on the right was made with the full card. 

Tassels made with filament silk.

The two on the right are made with Griffin Jewelry Silk Size 6. 

The Kangawa and Fujix Tire silk tassels have a bit more sheen than the Griffin ones. Griffin Jewelry Silk is another filament silk often used for stringing beads. It is less sheen and more grip, so a bit easier to handle than Kanagawa & Fujix Tire. It is available in 12 colors at this time. Griffin Jewelry Silk comes in spools. Size 6 has 65 meters per spool.  

> See earlier blog on Griffin Silk - it comes in spools and in cards… 

Tassel made with Madeira Silk

This tassel is soft and fluffy, but the floss does not have the weight of the filament silk, so it does not hang quite as nicely. It might make a good tassel, but it would not be my choice for jewelry. Madeira Silk Floss come in 108 colors. It is made in Germany with spun silk from Switzerland.  

Tassel made with C-Lon Micro Cord. 

This tassel skirt is bit stiff. I may attach this ones to my keys or a purse, but I would not attach it to a strand of beads, nor wear it as a jewelry charm… 

I am now experimenting with tassels made with Chinese Knotting Cord, so far I really like the results with Micro Size E. > Read New Post on Tassels 

See latest post on tassel HERE. 

Silk - References

All these fine silks are available at Jewels in Fiber online store

Here are the silks, I tested for tassels. I made the same types of tassels growing up in Geneva, Switzerland. I came up with a few improvements while making them this past week… Oh, I was told at the show I just attended that books are good to wind the thread around to make the tassels. I will try this next. 

I have several books on tassels, but I have yet to make one of the fancy tassel featured in them. If you are interested in further research in the art of passementerie, that is the French word for fancy decorative trimming such as tassels, braid and fringing, check books on tassels and look for future posts on the subject!