How to: Beaded Kumihimo

Intro to Beaded Kumihimo

Beaded Kumihimo can be fun and rewarding. If you're looking for a new hobby or a DIY idea, beaded Kumihimo can be a good craft to try. Here are a few reasons why:

• Easy to learn: Kumihimo moves are repetitive. Once you get the hang of the sequence, you'll be braiding in your sleep (almost).
• Professional-looking results: Unlike some other crafts like knitting, crochet or sewing which require time and practice to master, Kumihimo is straightforward. Your projects will turn out the way you imagined them, from your first try.
• Affordable hobby: Taking on a new hobby can be expensive, not beaded Kumihimo. You can get started with few supplies.
• Endless possibilities: You can make bracelets, necklaces or earrings (with light materials). If jewelry is not your thing, you can altenatively make a keychain or an accessory for your bag or to gift to a friend. By varying the shapes, sizes and colors of your beads and designing different patterns, there's no limit to the number of looks that you can achieve.

What you will need: Recommended supplies

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Beads

Beads come in many sizes, shapes and colors to choose from. These are three examples of beads that I use frequently:

Cord

You will need 8 strands of cord (or 4 strands folded in half). The length of cord you will need to complete your project depends on the size of the project, your tension, the size of your beads and disc, the thickness of your cord etc. The most commonly used types of cord are:

Tip: If you're making a bracelet, each strand needs to be at least 3 times the size of your wrist. To measure the cirmumference of your wrist, wrap a piece of string around it or use a tape measure. If in doubt, use more cord than you think you will need and adjust for future projects.

Step-by-step guide to Kumihimo braiding (without beads)

Step 1: Set up your Kumihimo disc

1. Place the Kumihimo disc on a flat surface with the numbers facing up. There should be 32 slots around the edge of the disc.
2. Take 8 cords (or 4 cords folded in half) and tie a knot on one end (or at the fold).
3. Pass the knot through the hole in the center of the Kumihimo disc. This will be the start of your Kumihimo braid.
4. Arrange the 8 cords around the edge of the disc, placing one cord on either side of slots: 32, 8, 16 and 24.

Step 2: Start braiding

Find the braiding style which comes more naturally to you. Is it A or B?

Style A: bottom-to-top-top-to-bottom braiding instructions

1. Take the first cord to the left of slot 16 and move it to the empty slot directly opposite to it on the disc (31).
2. Take the cord to the right of slot 32 and move it to the empty slot directly opposite to it on the disc (15).
3. Rotate the disc counterclockwise 🔄 and repeat the previous steps.
4. Continue until your Kumihimo braid is the desired length.
5. Tie an overhand knot using all 8 cords to secure the end of the braid. Trim any excess cord.

Style B: top-to-bottom-bottom-to-top braiding instructions

1. Take the first cord to the left of slot 32 and move it to the empty slot directly opposite to it on the disc (17).
2. Take the cord to the right of slot 16 and move it to the empty slot directly opposite to it on the disc (1).
3. Rotate the disc counterclockwise 🔄 and repeat the previous steps.
4. Continue until your Kumihimo braid is the desired length.
5. Tie an overhand knot using all 8 cords to secure the end of the braid. Trim any excess cord.

Tip: If you're new to Kumihimo, you may want to practice braiding with no beads at first, to get the hang of the moves. Are you eager to get started while waiting for supplies to arrive? Print out this free Kumihimo disc template on cardboard or a foam sheet. You can use any yarn or embroidery floss that you have on hand instead of nylon cord.

Step-by-step guide to Kumihimo with beads

Step 1: Set up your Kumihimo disc

1. Place the Kumihimo disc on a flat surface with the numbers facing up.
2. Take your 8 cords (or 4 cords folded in half) and tie a knot on one end (or at the fold).
3. Pass the knot through the hole in the center of the Kumihimo disc. This will be the start of your Kumihimo braid.
4. Arrange the 8 cords around the edge of the disc, placing one cord on either side of slots: 32, 8, 16 and 24.
5. Attach a weight to your knot in order to hold the strands in place and maintain tension.

Tip: No weight? No problem. If you don't have a weight on hand, you can fill a small bag with coins, spare beads, dice etc and clip it to your knot.

Step 2: Thread your beads

1. Braid a small section with no beads. This will be used to glue your clasp in at the end.
2. Thread your beading cord with a beading needle if you have one. This will make it easier to string your beads onto the cord.
3. String beads onto each of your 8 cords per the pattern. Make sure you're following the pattern which matches your braiding style: A) bottom-to-top-top-to-bottom or B) top-to-bottom-bottom-to-top.

Tip: If you don't have a beading needle and you're finding that your bead holes are too snug to string directly onto the Kumihimo cord, you can use a piece of sewing thread. Fold the sewing thread around the end of your Kumihimo cord and pass the bead through both ends of the sewing thread. You can now slide the bead down the Kumihimo cord.

Step 3: Start braiding

1. Take the first cord, release one bead and place it against the bottom of your braid.
2. Move the first cord to the empty slot directly opposite to it on the disc.
3. Take the second cord, release one bead and place it against the bottom of your braid.
4. Move the second cord to the empty slot directly opposite to it on the disc.
5. Rotate the disc counterclockwise and repeat the previous steps.
6. Continue until your Kumihimo braid is the desired length.
7. Braid a small bead-free section, to glue the other half of the clasp.
8. Tie an overhand knot using all 8 cords to secure the end of the braid. Trim any excess cord.

Step 4: Add a clasp

1. Apply a small amount of glue to the bead-free sections on each end of your Kumihimo braid.
2. Glue in your end-caps.
3. Attach your chosen clasp (eg lobster clasp) to the end-cap.

Step 5: Add charms (optional)

You can use jump rings to attach charms to your clasp, if you'd like to futher customize your finished bracelet.

Step 6: Share and enjoy!

Your beaded Kumihimo project is complete! You now have a beautiful and unique piece of beaded jewelry. All you have left to do is show it off. Snap a picture of your creation and share it on Instagram using the tag @patternate.art.

Experiment with different patterns, bead sizes, shapes and colors to create a variety of stunning designs.