Knotting with Tweezers (July 06)
Information courtesy of Blue Moon Beads
This project demonstrates the use of bead tips. Bead tips offer a neat and simple way to finish a piece. There is another advantage to using bead tips: should a clasp ever break, bead tips allow easy replacement of the broken clasp without having to restring the entire piece.
STEP 1
Start with a piece of bead cord that is approximately twice as long as the intended length of the finished piece. Tie an overhand knot at the end of the bead cord, or, for extra strength, tie a double overhand knot. Then string on a bead tip so that the knot fits neatly into its cup, as shown below.
STEP 2
String on all of the beads.
STEP 3
Begin knotting after the first bead strung, using the "tweezers technique" illustrated below.
3-A Push all beads except the first one up towards the needle.
3-B Make an overhand knot.
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3-C Lay your work flat on the table. The loop of the knot must rest on top of the bead as shown.
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3-D Use the tweezers to reach through the loop and to grasp the bead cord where it exits the bead. The bead should be positioned firmly against the bead tip.
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| 3-E Pull the cord so that it tightens around the tweezers.
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3-F Gently remove the tweezers from the knot. Place the tips of the tweezers around the bead cord just to the left of the knot. Push the tweezers to the right and pull the cord to the left to tighten the knot against the bead.
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STEP 4
Continue knotting after each bead in this way. Do not knot after the last bead.
STEP 5
String on the second bead tip bottom-end first.
STEP 6
Use the "tweezers technique" to place a knot directly in the bead tip's cup.
STEP 7
Dab a bit of glue or clear nail polish on the knots in the bead tips. Let the glue dry and use a pair of wire cutters or a small pair of scissors to snip off the excess bead cord.
STEP 8
Attach the clasp to the bead tips as shown and use chain-nose pliers to gently close each bead tip.
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