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Peyote bail

Posted by Anna Draeger  ·  February 29, 2008 2:29 PM
QI bought a 2 x 1-in. (5 x 2.5 cm) gold-foil glass pendant, but I can’t find a bail that is large enough to fit the thickness (about ¼ in./6 mm). Can you suggest a solution besides stringing a cord through the hole?

Thank you,
Dorothy Siu
Leandro, CA

AThanks for your question, Dorothy. I have a few ideas for you. Use wire-wrapping techniques to make a customized bail that is as simple or elaborate as you like. Or you could string a few beads on a short piece of beading wire and crimp the wire into a ring, making a more decorative bail than just using a large jump ring (which you could also use).

Bail made with tubular peyote stitch (Online Basics)

Another option: Working in tubular peyote stitch (Online Basics), pick up enough size 11 seed beads to make a ring large enough to fit around the top of the pendant and accommodate the thickness of the cord you will be hanging the pendant from (photo a).
Photo a
Use size 11 seed beads for the next round (photo b).

Photo b
Switch to size 11 cylinder beads to stitch the outer two rounds (photo c).

Photo c
Stitch the last two outer rounds using size 15 seed beads. The decrease in bead size makes the bail curl in a bit along both edges.

Photo d
Hope these ideas help. If anyone else has an idea for Dorothy, please post your comment!

Anna Elizabeth Draeger
Associate Editor
Bead&Button magazine
Bead&Button Associate Editor Anna Elizabeth Draeger answers your questions about beading techniques - stitches, tools, design, and more - in this monthly column.

Click here to submit your question.

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