| STEP ONE |  | STEP TWO | | STEP THREE |
|
 | |  | |  |
|
| Thread a needle with about three feet of Fireline thread. Use one contrasting bead as your tension bead. Pass through the tension bead once, loop around the bead and pass through it again, leaving a few inches for a tail. Pick up six beads. Pull them to the end of the thread. Next, run the needle point over fine sandpaper. That's right, take the ouch out of bead weaving! | | Holding the tension bead in your non-dominant hand, pick up one bead. Skip the sixth bead and weave through the fifth. Pull tight. Beads seven and six should now be stacked on top of each other. | | Continue to pick up one bead and skip one with each row, adding only three beads per row. It goes really fast! When you reach the end of the row, flip the piece in your hand and continue adding beads in the same manner to build the next row. The tension bead will act as a reminder of where the beginning is. |
|
| STEP FOUR | | STEP FIVE | | STEP SIX |
|
 | |  | |  |
|
| Once you have some length, measure it around your finger to get an idea of how long it needs to be. A ring mandrel is helpful especially if you're making them for someone else. As you reach the end, be certain to stop on a row that will "fit" the opposite end. One row or less of size 15mm won't make a big difference in fit. What you're looking for is a zigzag to zip together. | | Folding the ring in half, simply join the two ends by weaving (or zipping) them together. | | Once the ring is closed, weave back through some beads to the original tension or stopper bead so you can tie off the thread. If you like, you can remove the tension bead, thread the needle on the tail and work back a couple of beads so the knot isn't on the edge of the ring. |
|
| STEP SEVEN | | STEP EIGHT | | |
|
 | |  | | |
|
| Exit the piece from the bead adjacent to the starting point. A good square knot is all you need to finish this project. The Perfect Thread Burner is handy to melt the Fireline at the knot only. It cauterizes the knot into a tiny melted ball that won't come undone. | | While these rings are plain, they make a perfect base to further embellish. | | |
|
