Ohh, La, Cha, Cha, Cha! Let’s make a Cha Cha bracelet. I’ve made cha cha pieces before but I’ve never used them in a bracelet. This bracelet looks like a really complex piece of jewellery but please don’t be discouraged – it’s actually quite simple to make.
This bracelet is quite large. It measure 22cm (approximately 9”). If you wish to make it smaller, you can leave off some of the beads. Remember, if you take some off one end, you need to remove the same beads from the other end to keep it balanced.
Here are the materials I used to make this 4 Strand Cha Cha Bracelet.
Watch the video or follow the instructions below.
We begin by creating the cha-chas which will be the centrepiece of our bracelet. These cha-chas are made using head pins and the Baking Painted Glass beads. You'll need 14 pink beads and 28 white beads. To make the cha-chas:
If you haven’t made loops before, watch this video all about how to make the perfect loop.
Repeat the process to create 14 pink cha-chas and 28 white cha-chas.
Now that we have our cha cha beads ready, it's time to start stringing our bracelet. We'll begin with the centre strand. It’s important to try and get all the strands an equal. This will make the bracelet sit right. If you are using different beads to me, you can add one or two smaller beads to make the strands the right length. I do this in the video.
Cut your tiger tail at about 30-40cm (12-15”). You will need four pieces.
Place a bead stopper on one end of one piece of tiger tail.
String the first half of the beads onto the wire following the pattern below:
Now add all 14 of the pink cha chas. Just feed the loops onto the wire. They will bunch up and create a cluster once you add the rest of the beads.
Reverse the pattern above to complete the strand.
Place another bead stopper on the end.
Note: I needed to add a small rondelle and a 3mm metal ball to each to make it the same size as the other strands.
Strands 2 and 4 are the same except different colours. Start with a 3mm metal ball then add a glass druk. Strand 2 is made with the blue opal druks and strand 3 is made with the violet druks. You will need to string 20 of each druk.
Strand three is similar to strand one. It has two lots of cha chas and only one pearlized bead. Here’s how the beads go one:
Reverse this pattern starting with a large bead cap (there is only one pearlized bead) to complete the strand.
Before you move on, check that your strands are the same length. If not, you can add an additional 3mm ball or small rondelle to bulk it out. Just make sure that you repeat the same pattern on each end.
With all four strands strung, it's time to attach the clasp. I used French wire to cover the tiger tail and give our bracelet a polished look. I could have used a wire guardian but I felt that the French wire worked better with the design of the bracelet.
If you’ve never crimped a necklace or bracelet before, I suggest you watch this video – 3 ways to crimp.
Cut 8 pieces of French wire approximately 1cm long.
Remove one bead stopper from strand 1. Slide a crimp tube onto one end of the tiger tail.
Thread the French wire onto the tiger tail. Slide it down towards the crimp tube.
Thread the tiger tail back through the crimp tube and a few of the beads. Only pull it far enough for the French wire to hide the tiger tail. You don’t want to pull the French wire inside the Crimp Tube.
Using your Magical Crimping Pliers (or other method), squeeze the crimp tube.
Trim off the short end of the tiger tail.
Push all of the beads up to the crimp tube and repeat for the other end.
Repeat this process for all of the strands.
For this bracelet, I chose this beautiful magnetic clasp. It’s a design piece all on its own and the blue stone in the centre is so nicely set off by the colour of the beads.
Open a 4mm jump ring. Thread on strands 1 and 2. Then working from the inside, underside of the clasp, feed the jump ring through the hole of the clasp. Close the jump ring. If you’re having issues closing the jump ring you can just give it a squeeze to get it started and then close it properly using this method.
If you find it challenging to attach the clasp, you can replace the 4mm jump rings with 6mm jump rings. This will make the bracelet slightly longer.
Attach the other end in the same manner to the other piece of the clasp.
Repeat the process with strands 3 and 4.
Congratulations! If you've been following along then you’ve successfully created your own cha-cha bracelet. This four-strand beauty is sure to turn heads and add a touch of elegance to any outfit. Remember, you can customize your bracelet with different bead colours and patterns to suit your style. We hope you enjoyed this tutorial and feel inspired to explore more beading projects. Remember to check the links in the description box for more information and helpful techniques.
I would love to see your creations! Share your cha cha bracelet on social media and tag me for a chance to be featured. Happy beading!
In the video I was wearing my blue bead frame necklace.
The earrings are part of my 5 minute earring video.
If you make this bracelet, please let me know by sharing it on your social media and tagging me.
Tags:
November 28, 2023
Hi, my name is Carol Karl. I live in little old New Zealand. My family and I strive to live the most ‘real’ life we can – by that I mean that we eat real food, we live real lives and just generally be our most authentic selves.
