Do you like cute jewelry? Do you enjoy paying almost thirty dollars at the department store for a cute bracelet that was made out of plastic beads and elastic string? Does this make sense folks? No because with the wonderful product stretch magic anyone can make beautiful and simple jewelry. As a teenager I was constantly making bracelets and necklaces, but over the last fourteen or fifteen years life had progressed and I was busy with other ventures. I had bought a few pieces of overpriced jewelry at department stores and from vendors at fairs, but one day I sat down and realized it is so simple to make your own creations, so why would I spend an arm and a leg for something I can make myself? Bracelets are the easiest pieces of jewelry to make with stretch magic, but even necklaces can be made with this product. Stretch magic is a super stretchy plastic beading cord that can withstand quite a bit of wear and tear, which makes it ideal for beading. Whereas some strecht magic cord is made in China, one thing I like about this product is a large amount of the supplies are made in the US. I try to buy crafting products that are made in the US when I can to support our local economy, which I think is the bonus of making a nice piece of jewelry. From time to time I do have beads that are made in the Czech Republic, England, Austraia and China, but by and large I even try to use beads that are made here in the US. Thus a crafting activity using stretch magic can be something that supports the local economy, looks cute, fashionable, and saves you quite a bit of money.

I have written several other Hubs about jewelry making techniques using stretch magic and beading wire, but I will go over the basic steps here. The first thing to do is to cut off enough stretch magic stretchy cord for making a bracelet.

Below are two videos where I demonstrate how to make simple and eclectic bracelets using stretch magic cord. The important thing to remember is make a knot at the end of the cord before placing the beads on, or everything will fall off. This may sound simple to remember, but there was even a time as a teenager when I made this mistake. I just like to warn everyone about that. Beads can be used in any pattern, or you can make an eclectic design for fun jewelry. There are no rules when it comes to the pattern of beads, and you can even emulate trendy looks from fashion magazines and movies if you like. Personally I like to make my bracelets according to designs that strike me at the moment of inspiration and usually do not follow the trends very closely.

I even made a necklace with stretch magic once, but this may be disconcerting to those who feel they need a more substantial material such a beading wire. One thing I love about my stretch magic necklace is it never gets caught in the back of my hair the way wire on necklaces can, and it is much lighter overall. This was something I just tried one day on the spur of the moment, but do not try this at home unless you are adventurous in the world of jewelry making. Thought us crafters never had a wild side, did you?! Have fun making simple, eclectic, and fashionable jewelry with stretch magic beading cord.