daisy-chain bracelet tutorial

 

Study the picture; it's a lot simpler than the directions sound!
 
My (quite patient) first graders were able to get the hang of it after the first flower or two. If your child finds it too complicated and needs tons of help, keep in mind that you can tweak the project to make a simpler bracelet, with only one flower in the middle. (I have some vague plans of doing exactly that, maybe on wire, for Shavuos napkin rings.)
 
1. String two green (spacer) beads.

2. String four pink (petal) beads, then one yellow (center) bead. (Or whatever colors you like!)

3. Go back through the first pink bead. (I said go BACK because you need to go through it from the opposite direction this time. The string should make a raindrop shape, not a circle shape.)

4. String two more pink beads.

5. Go back through the fourth pink bead (from step 2), again making a raindrop shape.

6. Pull the string tight and admire your flower! (The string going through the flower should be the shape of the letter S, no tangles. If you don't have a flower yet, you probably have either a tangle, or a circle instead of a raindrop shape! Check and correct. Your second flower will go faster, I promise.)

7. String two more green beads. Now decide if you want to do flowers all around, or just finish beading your bracelet the ordinary way!

 

Note: we used pony beads, kiddie style. More experienced and dextrous crafters can use tiny seed beads -- how gorgeous would that be! Either way, I hope you will send me a picture of your masterpiece.