knotted waxed linen african glass bracelet

knotting waxed linen is a super simple technique that requires no tools besides wire cutters or scissors & your hands!

scroll down to find a list of all materials used + related content.

click here to see IGTV: waxed linen knotted bracelet demo

to begin this bracelet, cut a length of waxed linen that is approximately 5ft long. our waxed linen comes in 15 foot long segments, so don't worry - 5ft really isn't that much! if you are making a necklace, you will need a longer segment, & if you are not going to be double knotting you will not need quite as much.

find the middle of your linen & create a knot about half an inch or 10mm away from the center of the linen. double knot it for security.

next, twist the two end pieces of linen with your fingertips to make it easier to string your beads along the material. we are using the 15mm light rose african recycled glass strand, which you can find linked below. once the bead is butting up against the first double knot, create another double knot to keep the bead in place. try your best to limit the amount of wiggle room between the bead & the knots surrounding it on either side.

continue this process until the bracelet reaches your desired length. ours was 11 beads, but this can vary based on the size of your knots, your wrist size, & your bead size. keep in mind that if you choose to use a large clasp like we did you will want to take the length of the clasp into consideration.

when you are ready to add the clasp, single knot the last bead & string on your clasp of choice. we used a 27mm shiny gold lobster claw clasp, linked below.

next, create 1-2 knots securing the clasp to the rest of the bracelet. this can vary depending on the aesthetic you are going for, the size of your knots, or just how large your clasp is! we opted for a solid double knot.

once your clasp is securely connected, trim the remaining waxed linen to about half an inch, & do your best to tuck it back into the final bead on your bracelet. if this doesn't work for you, you can simply trim the waxed linen as close as possible to the end of your knots. if you like the look of having some leftover material sticking out, then go for that! there aren't really any rules... it's whatever you like!

boom! good job! we're so proud! lucky for you, there is a built-in "jump ring" at the other end of your bracelet, the loop from the very first step! simply open your clasp & attach to see your finished product.

all materials used + more info is linked below.