DIY Stretchy Dragon Fruit Bracelet Craft

How To Make A Dragon Fruit Stretch Bracelet

Dragon fruit are delicious and pretty, so it is fun to make a polymer clay dragon fruit bracelet craft using my DIY instructions.

The polymer fruit beads and heishi beads are vibrant, so the bracelet is a fun to wear conversation piece.

This dragon fruit bracelet craft is good for adults, teens and crafty kids.

Knotting can be a little tricky for beginners, but you can master the skill by practicing a few times.

Once you’ve practiced this jewelry making technique, you’ll be able to make secure knots.

Make dragon fruit bracelets to wear alone or to stack with others.

Dragon Fruit

As soon as I saw my first dragon fruit, I was a fan.

Naturally, it’s fun to make wear homemade jewelry featuring this delicious and unique fruit.

This fruit is in the cactus family and the plants have spines, but the fruit doesn’t.

It’s easy to remove the soft peel to reveal the delicious fruit inside.

My beads are white fleshed dragon fruit, but you can also eat the red fleshed version.

Both colors have little crunchy black seeds inside.

Polymer Fruit Beads

Fruit shaped beads made from polymer clay look great and are also easy to use.

The beads come packaged as mixed fruit, including dragon fruit beads that are pink on the outside and white with black “seeds” on the inside.

These are sturdy beads that will wear well and retain their bold colors, but they aren’t too heavy.

Holes are already drilled in the fruit beads going side to side, so they are ready to use.

You’ll be able to slip your elastic thread right through without using a needle.

Colorful Polymer Clay Heishi Beads

I used a combination of dark purple, bright pink and white polymer clay heishi beads, when I made the dragon fruit stretch bracelet.

Traditional heishi (pronounced hee-shee) beads are formed from a clay made from ground up shell or stone powder.

Today the term is used for a variety of flat disc shaped beads.

The most common type of heishi beads used for DIY jewelry crafts are made from polymer clay and come in a wide variety of colors.

They can be purchased as strands of beads, packages of loose beads and boxed jewelry making kits with beads organized by color.

Typical size of the beads is 6mm wide by 1mm thick with a hole that is 2mm in diameter.

The beads I used look great with the dragon fruit beads, but, of course, you are welcome to use different colors of heishi beads, if you’d like.

What Size Should A Bracelet Be?

A standard women’s wrist measurement for a bracelet is between 6.5 and 7.5 inches and a child’s would be 5.5 to 6.5 inches.

Use that as a general guide, if you can’t measure the wrist of the person you are making it for.

The best way to get a good fit is to measure the wrist of the person who will be wearing it and then add 1/4″.

That is how long the finished bracelet will be, but you’ll need to cut a piece of elastic thread several inches larger than that to allow room to easily string the beads and knot the bracelet.

You want the bracelet to rest comfortably on the wrist and then stretch to slide it off and on.

This bracelet was made to fit my 7″ wrist, so I added 7 1/4″ of beads to the thread before tying it off.

Elastic Thread for Making Bracelets

Stretchy, elastic thread is great for making a polymer bead bracelet.

The stretchy thread comes in a variety of widths, usually between .4mm and 1mm.

The thin .4mm elastic thread can be used with tiny seed beads.

A thicker thread is better for the polymer heishi beads with 2mm holes, since it will be stronger than the thin thread.

I used .7mm elastic thread for this bracelet, but you can also use .8mm or 1mm.

It will still be easy to slide through the heishi bead holes, but will result in a stronger bracelet.

If all you have is thin elastic, you can double it up when making this beaded bracelet.

Tape Measure or Ruler

A tape measure or ruler can be used to get the proper size, when you are beading.

I use a tape measure that can measure the wrist and then be set at the appropriate length to refer to it as I’m working.

You can also use a bead board to measure and arrange your bracelet.

How to Knot a Stretch Bracelet?

It is easy to knot a bracelet made using elastic thread once you learn how to do it.

Crimp beads will cut into and break the elastic thread, so they are not recommended for these bracelets.

The flexible elastic thread can easily be tied into a secure knot that will hold as you wear and enjoy the bracelet.

A surgical knot is a good knot to use, so are others.

For a surgical knot the thread is looped through an extra time, instead of a single time like you would for a regular knot.

Beaded Matching Bracelet

Make a matching set!

Check out my dragon fruit hoop earrings tutorial, so you can make a a pair of earrings to match the bracelet.

Where to Buy Jewelry Supplies Online

AliExpress has a huge selection of jewelry making supplies at super low prices – incredibly low prices. Plan ahead when you order, since shipping can take longer than US based companies.
Amazon also has a good selection of supplies and shipping can be very fast.
Beebeecraft has beads from around the world, jewelry findings and craft supplies with free shipping on orders over $25.

Dragon Fruit Bracelet Craft

Supplies / Materials

Dark Purple, Bright Pink and White Polymer Clay Heishi Beads
3 Dragon Fruit Fruit Beads
Elastic Beading Thread (.7mm to 1mm)

Tools/Equipment

Tape Measure
Tape
Scissors

Instructions

1) Determine the size of the bracelet (see tips above) and cut a piece of elastic thread that is several inches longer than that.

2) Make a plan of how you want to arrange your beads. They can be arranged just like mine or you can come up with your own pattern. My pattern is as follows:

Dragon Fruit, Purple x 3, Pink, White, Pink, Purple x 3 [Repeat x 3]
Purple x 3, Pink, White, Pink [Repeat until bracelet is desired length]

3) Tape your elastic to your work surface to keep the beads from falling off as they are threaded.

4) Add beads according to my pattern above or create your own pattern.

5) Tie the dragon fruit bracelet off with a surgical knot (tips above) and carefully trim the excess thread with scissors.

6) Your stretchy dragon fruit bracelet craft is ready to wear or give as a gift!

DIY Stretchy Dragon Fruit Bracelet Craft