6131036 coraling technique

8/8/2019 6131036 Coraling Technique

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Skill Level Intermediate

Time Required A few hours - can complete pair of earrings in a weekend

Materials Comments

Size 11 Seed BeadsI used a main color and a contrast color. Smaller beads work well (e.g., 13s

or 15s), but larger beads will yield heavy earrings.

Earwires Or other earring findings. Buy them or make your own.

Bead TipsOptional. I like to hang the beadwork from beadtips because the dangles

swing freely and the thread isn't damaged during wear.

Flatnose or

Chainnose PliersFor attaching bead tip to earwire.

Thread Snips I used my wire cutters.

Beading Needle I used a size 10 beading needle.

ThreadI used size D Nymo. Personally, I find other types of thread too stiff forthis technique. Nymo B is great with size 14/15 beads.

Accent BeadsOptional. I used a pair of 4-mm beads for the white earrings and a pair of

8-mm beads for the tutorial.

Coraling is easy, but it does require that you have practice controlling your thread tension. Also,it uses a large number of beads and takes a bit of time. Feel free to vary the number of beads

between branches, the length of the branches, etc. Have fun!

To start, cut at least a meter of your chosen thread. If desired, condition

your thread with beeswax or Thread Heaven. If you can, it's better to work

with a single long thread than to have to add thread, since adding threadwill make it harder to keep the beads under tension. I threaded one seed

bead onto the string, let it fall about a third of the way down the string, and tied a knot around it.

Put both ends of the thread through a bead tip. This bead will supportthe beadwork.

Using the shorter strand, string on 1 s

bead, your accent bead, and 40 main

seed beads (this will be the final leng

your earring, so adjust it longer or shdesired by adding or subtracting bead

multiples of three).

String on three accent beads. Go back through the last two main color

seed beads. Tighten the tension so there are no gaps between the beads.

If you are using nymo or any other nylon thread, remember that itstretches over time, so your beadwork needs to be fairly tight. On the

other hand, if you are using Power Pro or another fluoropolymer,


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remember that this thread will not stretch, so you want the tension such that there are no gaps

between beads yet loose enough for the beadwork to be fluid.

Add two main color beads and three contrast beads. Pass back through thetwo main color beads. Congratulations, you have completed your first pair

of branches!

Pass back through the next 5 beads, going toward thebead tip. Adjust your tension.

Add 4 main

color beads

and threecontrast color

beads. Pass

back throughthe last 2

main color

beads. Add

two main color beads and three contrast colorbeads.

Pass back through the

two main color beads,the two next 2 main

color beads of this

branch and then throughthe next 3 beads toward

the bead tip (total of 7

beads you go backthrough).

From here on, you are just repeating theprevious step. Add 4 main color and 3

contrast. Pass back through the last twomain color. Add 2 main color and three

contrast. Pass back through the 7 main

color on the 'branch' and 'stem', goingtoward the bead tip. You will continue

this pattern until you are as near the

bead tip as you like (5-6 beads for me).

Thread up through the accent bead andin the bead tip (reinforcing your thread

thread, and pass back through the 'stemthrough several branches to secure it aneedle on the other end of the thread a

bead and accent bead so that it is exitin

next stem with branches. This thread sbase of the accent bead. I added 26 ma

Add three contrast beads and pass back

main color beads. Add 2 main color be


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beads. Pass back through the last 2 main color beads and the next 5 main color beads on the stem

(7 main color beads total). Continue making branches until you are within 5 beads of the accent

bead. Pass through the main color beads to come out just below the accent bead.

Make the third stem/branch identical to the second stem/branch. When

you are finished, you can knot your thread or work it back through

several branches to secure it. Cut the thread. Use pliers to attach thebead tip to the earring finding.

Here's a finished earring. Make a second

earring to match the first. If you enjoyedmaking these earrings, you may be interested

in Varvara's bookof coraling patterns for

necklaces.
http://jewelrymaking.allinfoabout.com/reviews/coraling.htmlhttp://jewelrymaking.allinfoabout.com/reviews/coraling.html

6131036 coraling technique

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