Making a Herringbone Bracelet – Part 1

Making a herringbone bracelet is actually pretty easy, and it’s one of the few stitches (in my opinion) that is just as easy to learn on size 11 seed beads as it is on size 8.

The herringbone stitch is also called Ndebele stitch, after the African tribe that is famous for using herringbone stitches in their work.  And of course it’s called herringbone because of the way the stitches line up, resembling herringbone cloth.

Making a Herringbone Bracelet

I’ve been doing a series of beading tutorials, and my latest is making a herringbone bracelet.  It’s a simple pattern, but I think it ends up looking pretty nice.

Now while I have used matte beads in green and red, that’s just for photography — the matte finish lets you see the beads better in the video.  Otherwise, I would have used different beads.

Herringbone Bracelet Video, Part 1

I neglected to mention in the video that you’ll want to use a comfortable length of thread when stitching.  I tend to use 10 feet of thread at a time, so I don’t usually have to stop and start thread.  However, if you use shorter lengths of thread, you’ll need to tie off your work with half-hitch knots when ending one thread and starting a new one.

Without further ado, here’s part 1 of the how to make a herringbone bracelet.  And once you’ve finished, check out the herringbone video part 2.

Enjoy!

(Click on the video to start it playing.  If you double-click you’ll see it full screen.)