My Starfish bracelet design idea is for everyone who loves peyote stitch and never gets tired of weaving those rows back and forth.
Even though all the elements of this design might look familiar to an experienced beader, layering three different stitching methods is somewhat new. The traditional flat peyote, the dimensional peyote, and the free-form techniques of the same stitch combined in one design are like fresh air in beadwork city jungle to me.
What You Need
1. Several beaded Starfish elements. I used three for my bracelet. You might want to use more or less. Pattern available in my shop.
2. Seed beads of size 8 for the bracelet base. Seed beads size 8, 11, and 15 in several different colors of your choice.
3. Embellishment beads such as pearls, bi-cones, or any other beads of your choice.
4. A clasp for a wide peyote stitch bracelet.
5. Beading needles size 10 and 12. Sie 10 is better for weaving the bracelet base. Size 12 is for all decorations, as well as Starfish elements.
6. Beading thread. I used Fireline 6 lb. And sharp scissors, of course!
7. Adventurous mood. Free-form peyote stitch is a fascinating beading technique. It is for everyone who loves experiments! I do!
Skills and Experience
First, you have to be familiar with peyote stitch.
If you need help learning peyote stitch, check out my video tutorial and instructions.
Second, joining threads, hiding thread ends, and attaching the clasp is essential to know for everyone who likes weaving bracelets.
Third, free-form ideas and experience. You won’t know until you try it! It is fun, and it opens up a whole new world of beading to you. I encourage you to try it!
Free-form stitching inspiration might include my other designs like lepidolite pendant, or beaded ring, for example.
16 Guiding Tips on Creating Starfish Bracelet
Tip #1
Start weaving even-count peyote stitch base using size 8 seed beads. The base is 16 beads wide.
If you need help with peyote stitch, check out my video instructions.
Tip #2
The width of the bracelet is just enough to fit the big starfish element.
If you want to make bracelet wider, add even number of size 8 seed beads to the amount I suggested in Tip #1.
Tip #3
Decide where on the bracelet base are you going to attach Starfish elements. Count and mark beads, if needed.
Tip #4 and #5
Attach Starfish by sewing the tips of it to the base of the bracelet. Consider the dimensional shape of the element, and do not stretch it too much.
One of the ways to do that is shown in my photo-illustrations.
Your needle and thread should be exiting the 11/0 seed bead located on the tip of the element. Then stitch through one 8/0 seed bead of the base of the bracelet. Return through the bead next to it going in the opposite direction.
Then stitch the 11/0 seed bead of the Starfish entering it from the opposite side.
Reinforce.
Tip #6
Attach all Starfish elements before you start working on the embellishment of the bracelet.
Tip #7
String seed beads size 11 and size 15 start forming the first row of the free-form peyote embellishments.
Tip #8
Add a second and third row of free-form using the same size of beads. Add the additional connections to the base of the bracelet if needed.
Tip #9
Continue forming a desired shape of the peyote structure, and string more seed beads.
Tip #10
Follow this technique to create more embellishments.
Tip #11
I encourage you to include other beads into the embellishment design. I used pearls and 4 mm Swarovski bicones.
In this illustration, you can see how I attached the pearl: I stitched through it several times while adding more seed beads, and sewing away from it in slightly different directions. Why? Because I don’t like to be wobbly while I am wearing the bracelet. I prefer it to sit firmly on the surface of the beaded fabric of the bracelet.
Tip #12
Then I continue to create another “wave” between the beaded starfish elements.
As I described in the beginning, I pick a direction, string beads, then attach the string to the surface.
Next, I add more rows to it.
You may choose to create several strings at a time to mark your design before you start adding beads to the second row of free-form peyote.
Tip #13
Don’t forget to “ground” the peyote embellishment structure in several places.
String one or two seed beads of size 15 and sew through the base of the bracelet.
Tip #14
Remember, that free-form doesn’t have to cover the whole space between starfish elements and large beads. Try creating an organic pattern resembling water, waves, or shapes of sea-inspired objects.
Tip #15
Another way to attach a pearl to the bracelet base is to cover one side of it with free-form beadwork.
Tip #16
I also added some Swarovski bicones to add more sparkle to the design. The process of attaching them to the base is similar to attaching pearls. Only when I decided to add bicones in groups, I used free-form techniques again, to connect all of them and make the design flow.
