My First KumiLoom Braids

Last week I told you all about my new KumiLoom. I thought I'd come back today and show you my first braids and how I have turned them into cords for pendant necklaces.

The pendant on the bottom represents the Tao of Creativity. It's my favorite piece of jewelry. I realize it's just a simple pendant, but being creative is important to me and so I like to wear this symbol around my neck.

I love the way the pendant looks on the silver and black braided cord. This is my first ever KumiLoom braid. I thought it was going to be too big in diameter, but the weight of it seems fitting for the large pendant.

The smaller pendant with the Celtic star belongs to my son. His favorite color is blue, so he picked light blue and black for his braid. He is currently reading Peter and the Starcatchers, so when he wears his pendant necklace, he imagines himself to be a catcher of stars.



To finish them and create a closure, I went to my favorite online bead store, Fire Mountain Gems, and ordered end caps for my braids. I ordered several sizes to have on hand, but for these necklaces, caps with a 5mm opening worked out great. I already had the hook closures, so it was just a matter of attaching my hook and loop to the end caps. I did this by inserting a headpin through the end cap, trimming off the extra pin length, and then curving the remaining metal wire around my fasteners with a loop. A wire cutter and a pair of round nose pliers were my only tools.

Before inserting my braids into the end caps, I wrapped them with metal wire to keep them from unraveling. Then I used a dab of E6000 glue to secure the braids to the caps. The result is a nice, finished look for my necklaces.

Now I'm working on my first square braid. I had to braid several rounds before muscle memory took over. The square braid has a few extra moves. I found a YouTube video that goes through the process step by step.

Well that's all my braiding adventures so far. It's nice to be making something that even my sons and my husband like. I've finally discovered something I can make for the guys in my family. Woohoo!