Maloccio Bracelet

I got the idea for this linked stretchy bracelet from one I bought from Sears (uh, yes, Sears!)a while back. I thought the design would be easy to copy. 80 beads and 144 links later I ended up with something that looks nothing like the "inspiration piece". But that's how it should be right? Not to copy a piece but to use the idea and make something unique out if it.


I made 16 nine-link segments, then used stretchy cord to thread on my glass beads, alternating evil-eye and spiral patterns. After stringing the five rows of beads, I tied off the ten loose ends, dabbed the knots with hypo cement, and done. Which is really over-simplifying. I had one issue after another making this, ending with gluing the B and SpaceBar keys together on my keyboard with the hypo cement. (TIP: Don't manhandle tubes of glue near your computer.)


It makes for a rather heavy (80 glass beads tend to weigh a lot) and wide bracelet, but I like that. With the chain links running one way and the stretchy cord running the other, you can wear it scrunched up, or, stretch it out some on your wrist to make it even wider. I like that, too. But you could easily change the size and number of links and beads in this design to make the finished bracelet larger/smaller.