Flat Braid Kumihimo Bracelet Tutorial with Beads & Soft Flex Wire
This week on Free Spirit Beading with Kristen Fagan, I share a kumihimo tutorial using the Square Kumihimo Plate, Soft Flex beading wire and Czech Glass Table Cut Beads. Sara and I had a Kumihimo Beading Party on Facebook last week sharing this technique and thought it would be nice to revisit it in a different color way.
Supplies:
Soft Flex .019/Medium Beading Wire or Quad of Beading Wire
Mighty Crimping Pliers2x2mm Crimp Tubes
Our selection of round and square Kumihimo plates are perfect for use with any Soft Flex flexible beading wire. You can make a tiny design with color wire or add beads and make an intricate piece of jewelry. You won't believe how easy it is to learn. If you would like an in depth look at patterns and techniques, make sure you check out our blog - Everything You Need To Know About Kumihimo.
A note about beading wire lengths discussed in this video tutorial. I created this bone beading wire bracelet with just 1 spool of 10ft wire as a test to see if you could. I cut ten 12" strands, left 1" tail at the start and then braided my pattern. This resulted in a 5" braided length when crimped. It's a little short of a full bracelet on it's own but, it can be used as a portion of the design, I ended up using beads on one end in an asymmetrical pattern to fill in. You could also use that 5" portion for a choker necklace design perhaps? So, while my test of using just 1 spool of 10ft wire is possible, it gets a little tough to maneuver the braiding towards the end and you will likely need to fill in the design.
My preference is to use 14" of each strand and leave a 2" tail at the start. It will create a braid closer to 5.5-6" and allow for symmetrical finishing with a bead on each end with crimps and clasp. That is what I used in the this example from the beading party below.
Square Kumihimo Plates are a great way to make a flat design with or without beads. If you add beads, you can focus on the beaded patterns down the center of the braid or on the outside of the braid. If you just work with color wire, the colors will create stunning patterns, depending how you set the board up. If you mix your wire with other materials like cords and ribbon, you will create a fun texture on your design. Experiment! There are so many ways to make jewelry with a Kumihimo plate.
If you like this idea, you may like these other Square Kumihimo Plate tutorials using beading wire:
How To Make A Square Kumihimo Flat Braid Beaded Bracelet
How To Make A Flat Braid Kumihimo Bracelet With Beads
Kumihimo Braid Using Soft Flex Craft Wire On Square Plate
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Kristen Fagan is a Website Graphic Designer and Jewelry Making Educator for Soft Flex® Company. She is the co-author of Seed Bead Revolution, an artist and creativity guide. She lives in Arizona with her husband, their two sons and two dogs. When she's not painting, drawing or beading, she enjoys reading, yoga, exploring the outdoors and traveling. Her favorite stones are Turquoise, and Quartz and she can't bead without Bead Stoppers. Contact her at Kristen@softflexcompany.com or visit her Website | Facebook | Instagram