My grandmother used to chain long garlands using metallic thread with plastic pearls in the chain every 6 inches. They were lovely on small trees. I used the same technique to make this very easy bracelet for my daughter.


The supplies for this fun summer accessory are very inexpensive. I got most of them from a thrift store. The button came from my button box.

My pattern uses size 30 crochet cotton and a size 9 hook. If you want to make it using size 10 thread and a larger hook, it will work, you'll want to use less chains between the beads. You can make a denser bracelet by using the size 10 thread and adding a chain on every single crochet instead of every other single crochet like I did. You can also use beads instead of shells.

If you have a shell necklace from a vacation you loved but you never wear it, this could possibly make those shells more wearable for you.

The shells on these necklaces usually have a bit sliced off the top, there is a small hole in the first chamber, and once you get through that hole, the rest of the chamber is open. It's a lot easier to string them through the top than through the bottom.

Start by pre-stringing the shells, I stiffened the tip of my crochet cotton with a bit of clear nail polish, then strung 25 shells. I wound up using 22 of them. Snip off the nail polish end.

The stitches used are single crochet and chaining in American terminology.
The chart is international crochet notation, and X indicates single crochet and O shows a chain stitch.

sc= single crochet
ch= chain

Size 30 cotton
size 9 steel hook (1.3 mm)
a shell necklace
scissors
tapestry needle for weaving in ends
clasp or button if you're using one

Chain 10
Row 1: sc in second chain from hook, sc in next 8 chs.
Row 2: ch 1 to turn, sc in each stitch
Row 3-5: Repeat row 2
Break off thread

Make a second piece like the first, but don't break off the thread. This is where you start adding the beaded chains to connect the ends. The chains are added every other stitch.


The beaded chains are done by pulling up a loop that's a bit longer than the bead, slide the bead up to the hook, yarn over, and pull through the loop.

Ch 10, add bead, repeat. My bracelet wound up needing 4 beads and 5 sets of chains.
Slip stitch to connect it to other end piece, slip stitch on the end piece to the 3rd stitch.
Ch 5, add a bead, ch 10, add a bead. This spaces the beads in between the beads of the first strand. Because they were all threaded on in the same direction, and the chains go in opposite directions, the beads will point the opposite way of the first chain set.
Make that chain the same length as the first chain. For me, that wound up being
ch 5, bead, ch 10, bead,ch 10, bead,ch 10, bead,ch 10, bead. So the strand ended with a bead stitch, then I slip stitched into the opposite side.
Finish the bracelet in the set pattern. The 3 and 5 chains will be done like the first chain, the 4 chain will be done like the 2nd.


Break off and weave in all ends. Attach a clasp or button, or if you like the really casual look, crochet ties to tie it closed. Maybe with beads on the ends.