Finishing Necklaces & Bracelets

Finishing with Crimps

Crimps are used only for finishing necklaces strung on beading cable (such as Soft Flex, Soft Touch, or Beadalon)- they will cut right through silk or nylon.
1. Thread one end of the cable through a crimp, through a ring on your clasp, then back through the crimp.
2. Grasping the tail end and the cable firmly, snug the crimp up close to the clasp, leaving just enough room for the clasp to move freely.
3. Squash the crimp with chain nose pliers or our special crimping pliers so it grips the cables tightly.
4. String your beads, sliding the first one or two over the excess tail before snipping off. (optional)
5. After stringing all your beads, thread the remaining cable through another crimp, through the other ring of your clasp, back through the crimp, and, optionally, through the last bead or two. Pull the tail to cinch your strand tight, and repeat the crimping procedure.


Cord passes through crimp, ring on clasp, crimps again, and first bead or two



Tying off with Bead Tips

A bead tip conceals your knot inside a round ball.
1. Lay out your beads on the bead board first, creating your design. Thread enough cord through the needle to use double for the entire length of the necklace, leaving plenty of extra thread to make your knots. Tie a knot or two in the end of your cord, slide the bead tip onto the cord with open clamshell facing the knot.
2. Coat the knot with nail polish or bead tip cement, then pull the cord to seat the knot securely in the clamshell. When dry, snip off excess thread close to the knot.

Knot sits inside the clamshell

3. Use chain nose pliers to gently close the shell over the knot. Hook the claw through a ring of the clasp and, with the pliers, close the claw.


Clamshell closes to form a bead; claw hooks onto clasp

4. String the beads on the cord in desired pattern, then repeat the bead tip procedure at the other end, but this time, thread the cord through the bead tip first and pull the cord tight before tying off.


Tying off by Knotting to a Clasp

You can simply tie your cord to the clasp by making several tight overhand knots. Saturate knots with nail polish or bead tip cement and when dry, snip off excess cord. String the remaining beads on the necklace and repeat the knotting procedure at the other end.
1. To hide a knot and make a nicer finish, use an end-bead with a hole large enough to fit over your knot. Slide this bead over the knot before the glue dries, so the bead is cemented in place. If the fit is very snug, slip the cord between the tines of a fork and use the back of the fork to push the bead over the knot.

Knot can hide inside a large-holed end-bead

2. If the hole in your end-bead is not large enough, thread back through to one with a larger hole and tie knot there.


Knot can be tied a few beads away from the clasp



Tying off a Continuous Strand

This technique uses no clasp. In order to slip over your head, a continuous strand necklace must be 24" or longer. Start with 12" of extra cord to allow for tying off.
1. Tie a knot at one end of your cord to keep beads from sliding off, then thread on all your beads.
2. Continue threading by passing through your first three or four beads again.
3. Pull the ends of the cord in opposite directions to cinch up the necklace and eliminate gaps.
4. Tie off in two places, using two or three overhand knots. Dab knots with nail polish or bead tip cement and snip off excess cord when dry.


Cord passes twice through several beads and knots are made in two places




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