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Tricks to Laddering

Project Info:

    Beads:
  • 1 Strand Pearls
  • 2-3 Strands Gemstones
    Leather:
  • 2 yards 1.5mm Leather for 4 wrap bracelet
    Button
  • Select any button that has a shank or holes to fit your leather. Billie is a single hole button which Nicole wire-wrapped a headpin and made a shank.
Thread:
  • Any KO thread of your choice for gemstones.
  • C-Lon for silk wrapping
      Tools:
    • 1 Ultra Thread Zap
    • 1 Tube GS Hypo Cement
    • 1 Pair Thread Snips or Flush Cutters
    • 1 Spool Handy Tape
    • 1 Deep Dish Project Tray
    • 1 Deep Dish Project Tray Insert
    • Scrap Rattail
  • Level: Beginner

    Estimated time: About 1 hour per wrap

    by Beadshop.com Staff and Nicole Anderson

    Hands down, wrap bracelets are the number one requested project in jewelry making. After the tremendous response to our first laddering video, we began fielding phone calls and emails about..."How do I add a thread? What is KO? Is it the same using leather?" We realized there were still things we wanted to cover, so we decided to make another video that would add to our existing knowledge. You might be wondering, Why didn't we make this video to begin with? Tricks to Laddering answers questions we just did not know about when we filmed How to Make a Ladder Bracelet using soft cords.

    Tricks to Laddering

    Apricot- KO Thread

    KO Thread

    $4.95 USD

    Orange- Regular C-Lon

    C-Lon: Regular

    $4.95 USD

    Metallic Purple- 1.5mm Indian Leather by the Yard

    Leather- 1.5

    $1.75 USD

    Lilac- KO Thread

    KO Thread

    $4.95 USD

    New Leaf Button- Brass

    Buttons

    $1.35 USD

    Natural- KO Thread

    KO Thread

    $4.95 USD

    Brown- Regular C-Lon

    C-Lon: Regular

    $4.95 USD

    Gold- KO Thread

    KO Thread

    $4.95 USD

    Gold- Regular C-Lon

    C-Lon: Regular

    $4.95 USD

    Turquoise- Micro C-Lon

    C-Lon: Micro

    $3.15 USD

    Metallic Pearl- 1.5 mm Indian Leather by the Yard

    Leather- 1.5

    $1.75 USD

    Ivory- KO Thread

    KO Thread

    $4.95 USD

    Project Tray Inserts

    Design Boards & Storage

    $10.25 USD

    GS Hypo Cement

    Tools

    $6.75 USD

    Eurotool Ultra Flush Cutter

    Tools

    $36.95 USD

    Project Map

    PLEASE NOTE: These samples use many products we no longer carry. Feel free to email us at info@beadshop.com to ask for help choosing a replacement item if you can't find something!

    Sample A:

    • 1 Spool Sundance Red 1.5mm Greek Leather
    • 1 Strand 2.5-3mm Pearls
    • 1 Strand Copper Plated Pyrite Rondelles
    • 1 Strand Good Vibrations Rondelles
    • 1 Spool Apricot KO thread
    • 1 Peekaboo! Button in Sterling Silver
    • 1 Spool Orange Regular C-Lon

    Sample B:

    • 1 Spool Metallic Purple 1.5mm Indian Leather
    • 1 Strand 2.5-3mm Pearls
    • 1 Strand Dangerous Liasons Rondelles (no longer available)
    • 1 Strand Royal Wedding Rondelles
    • 1 Spool Lilac KO thread
    • 1 A New Leaf button in brass

    Sample C: 

    • 1 Spool Blue 1.5mm Greek Leather
    • 1 Strand Copper Plated Pyrite Rondelles
    • 1 Strand Gold Plated Pyrite Rondelles
    • 1 Strand Silver Plated Pyrite Rondelles
    • 1 Spool Natural KO thread
    • 1 Covent Garden button (no longer available)
    • 1 Spool Brown Regular C-Lon

    Sample D:

    • 1 Spool Metallic Champagne 1.5mm Indian Leather
    • 1 Strand 2.5-3mm Pearls
    • 1 Strand Gold Plated Pyrite Rondelles
    • 1 Strand Good Fortune Rondelles
    • 1 Spool Gold KO thread
    • 1 Spool Gold Regular C-Lon
    • 1 Peekaboo! Button in Sterling Silver

    Sample E:

    • 1 Spool Metallic Mint 1.5mm Indian Leather
    • 1 Strand 25-3mm Pearls
    • 1 Strand Rays of the Moon Rondelles
    • 1 Strand Winter's Day Rondelles
    • 1 Strand Reeds in the Wind Rondelles
    • 1 Spool Apple Green KO thread
    • 1 Billie Button (wire wrapped with a bead and headpin)

    Sample F:

    • 1 Spool Metallic Pearl 1.5mm Indian Leather
    • 1 Strand 2.5-3mm Pearls
    • 1 Strand Rays of the Moon Rondelles
    • 1 Strand Caribbean Rondelles
    • 1 Spool Ivory KO thread
    • 1 Peekaboo! Button in Sterling Silver
    • 1 Spool Turquoise Tuff Cord #3

     

    About Beads:
    Choose your colors and away you go. We started with a strand of white pearls 3.5-4mm 16” in length, some gemstone rondelles (about 3 packages for a 4 wrap bracelet), a button, 1.5mm leather and a spool of KO. For simplicity, we stayed with white pearls and kept the color in the gems, leather and KO. But you can easily mix and match colored pearls with colored gemstones...the permutations are endless!


    About Leather and Buttons:
    With so many colors of leather available, it is definitely hard to “just say no” to any of them. All of our samples were created with leather 1.5-1.75mm in diameter. We used both Greek and Indian leather. If you want guidance in choosing, we recommend selecting leather that will compliment one of your gemstone colors. If you’re going bridal, white or pastels are calming and harmonious. 

     

     

    About KO:
    Created by a well-known Japanese seed bead artist, KO is in a class by itself. For laddering of small beads, it is the easiest and best thread to use and it does not require a needle. The rule of thumb for how much thread to cut: KO should be twice as long as the leather. Just in case you do not cut enough, we demonstrate in the video how to add a new thread. Running out of thread happens to even the most skilled laddering artist...so join the club!

    Please send us photos of creations. We would love to post your results on our Facebook page. If you would be willing to share your design, we will happily give credit and publish your project story for our readers.
    xoxo thank you and enjoy!