Cutie Fruity Toddler Bracelet or Hair Tie
PDF The Cutie Fruity toddler bracelet is stretchy so it's easy for little people to put on and take off. Apparently that's half the fun! I created this for the Summer Solstice challenge in the Color Combination Challenge Facebook group. I've included the pattern here, free on Near Miscellany, for anyone who'd like to make their own!
Cutie Fruity Toddler Bracelet
Materials:
- Stretchy ponytail holder the right size to slip on and off a toddler's wrist easily. Choose a compatible color with the finished work as you'll see a bit of this.
- Fruit-shaped beads about 1/4” to ½” long.*
- 8.75 yards of six-strand embroidery floss
- More embroidery floss in a contrasting color (optional)
- embroidery needle
- Crochet hook D/3-3.25 mm
How to make the Cutie Fruity toddler bracelet.
String beads onto the floss in the order you want them to appear in the finished work. Push the beads down the floss so that you can use the tail end that you've strung the beads on. If you can get to the opposite end you may want to temporarily knot a pony bead on it to prevent your beads from slipping off as you read the final part of the work.
Pass the hook through the ponytail holder, yarn over, pull hook back through and go over top of the ponytail holder, yarn over and pull through loop on hook. Chain one.
SC 2, *ch 3, SC 3* repeat all around the ponytail holder, making sure to do enough repeats to allow the band to stretch some, ch 4 and do not turn.
SC 2 in the first ch3 space, *slide a bead or beads into the work (leave the loop with the beads loose to allow movement), SC2, ch 3, DC 3 in next ch 3 space, ch 3, sc2 in next ch 3 space* sl st through orig ch 4 and pull through. Finish off.
Weave in any loose ends.
Optional extra: Thread needle with contrasting thread and wrap the loop at the base of each bead with it, pulling the thread down through the wrap then back up to finish off and secure it. (You can see in the picture of the finished work at the top of the page that I've done this in orange on only about three bead loops in the picture. I didn't have the right needle for this and what I had to make do with didn't work well.)
When all is finished and secure, hand off to the toddler for a test drive! Mine is a lousy model, she's more interested in seeing what's on the camera than in posing for it. She did enjoy putting the bracelet on and off (it's her latest thing) and inspecting the swingy beads.
Enjoy!
Glyph Out.
*The beads pictured here were handmade of polymer clay and painted with acrylics. You can do this yourself if you're as nuts as I am!
Crocheting a Beaded Bracelet
I had a simple crochet bracelet in mind, inspired by some polished pink stones that my daughter had gotten on sale a while ago. They've been sitting around collecting dust. Of course, when I found them and asked if I could use them she gave me the hairy eyeball and said 'maybe' before taking them and secreting them in her room. Note to self: next time don't ask!
So, okay, rather than the jute and quartz that I had in mind, I decided to work out the design with what I had to hand: leftover dishcloth cotton and some metallic-looking plastic pony beads that had exploded all over the house from a Christmas gift beading set. I had a little trove of foundling beads up on the bookshelf...collecting dust. (Shoot, I just realized how much dust I have)
Anyway, the test-drive of the design went well so I thought I'd write it up and share how to make your own crocheted beaded bracelet.
Beaded Crochet Bracelet Pattern
(Or headband, or belt, or necklace, purse strap, hackamore headstall, or dog collar...use your imagination and make it whatever size you want)
First make the knotted and beaded foundation:
- Begin with two lengths of yarn or thread about half again as long as you actually need.
- Knot the end (leaving generous tails of unused yarn), leave a space and tie another knot (this should leave a loop big enough to get your crochet hook through multiple times. I made the end loops a little smaller than the ones between the beads)
- Wrap the opposite ends of your yarn or thread with a bit of scotch tape. I couldn't find any scotch tape because the kids always take it so I have wrapped my ends with a small twist of paper. Just make it easy to string the beads on.
- String on a bead and tie a knot right up close to that bead.
- Put a pencil between the two pieces of yarn and make another knot. What you're doing here is making a uniform loop to crochet in later.
- Repeat steps four and five as many times as you need to in order to make the length of bracelet or other item that you want. Knot, loop, knot, bead, knot, loop, knot, bead, etc.
- End with a knot, a loop, and a final knot. Don't cut your ends yet.
Next use the foundation you just made to crochet the rest of the bracelet.
Crochet Pattern:
Ch = chain, SlSt = slip stitch, DC = double crochet (USA)
- Pull up a loop in one of the very end loops that you've made in the foundation, Ch 3.
- DC 2 in the same foundation loop.
- *DC 5 in the next loop on the other side of the bead. Repeat from * to the last large loop between beads.
- DC in the loop on the opposite side of the last bead. Do as many DC's as it takes to go all the way around (it took me 7 DC's in the end loop) so that you're ready to crochet the other side of the bracelet.
- *DC 5 in the next loop on the other side of the bead. Repeat from * to the last large loop between beads.
- DC 4 (or 5 if necessary to get back to your starting point and have a nice flat join) in the last loop and SlSt to the beginning Ch. Finish off.
If making a bracelet as I did, overlap the two ends of the work and pull the long ends of the yarn that you originally had left to the inside of the bracelet. Knot and cut or finish off. Alternatively this would work well with a button, the end loops would make good buttonholes.
Please do not reprint this crochet pattern elsewhere, instead please feel free to link to it here on Near Miscellany. If you make some great variations of this bracelet or use it for something else please do tell about it here in the comments!
Finally! A place to keep my yarn needles.
Enjoy!
Glyph Out