DIY Beaded Bracelets

Make Your Own Beaded Bracelets with Elastic Thread (Using Thrifted & Vintage Beads!)

Remember those friendship bracelets we made at summer camp? Or the joy of spelling out your name in beads, totally mismatched but perfect? Today, I’m tapping into that playful spirit with an easy and fun DIY beaded bracelet tutorial using elastic thread and—of course—vintage and thrifted beads!

This is the kind of craft that’s low-pressure, highly nostalgic, and totally addictive. Even better? You probably have everything you need on hand. Let’s use what we’ve got and make something fun, personal, and a little sparkly, shall we?

👉 Watch the full tutorial on YouTube here:

🎨 What You’ll Need:

• Elastic cord or stretch thread (any kind you like!)
• Beads – vintage, thrifted, chunky, seed beads, alphabet beads, anything goes
• Scissors
• Optional: Glue or clear nail polish to seal the knot

💡 Crafting with What You Have

This project is perfect for using up odds and ends—those one-off beads from a broken necklace, the leftover stash from another project, or the little bag of bead soup you scored at the thrift shop for $1. The more random, the better!

Just go wild with colors and textures. It’s all about the joy of making, not perfection.

🧵 A Quick How-To:

1. Measure your elastic cord to fit your wrist with a little wiggle room – or to 7”.
2. Do not cut the elastic yet, so your beads don’t make a run for it.
3. Start beading! Mix colors, sizes, shapes, and letters—make it fun.
4. Now you can cut your elastic – make sure you are holding both ends.
5. Tie it off using a tight knot (I use 5 knots), and seal it if you like.
6. Wear it proudly or make a stack and share them with your friends!

Why I Love Using Thrifted and Vintage Beads

Besides being a whole lot cheaper (hello, craft store sticker shock), secondhand beads have stories. I love imagining where that broken necklace came from or how someone else styled those chunky turquoise pieces. Giving them a new life as a bracelet feels like honoring the past while making something new.

Plus, it keeps materials out of landfills, which is always a win.

Tap Into Your Inner Kid

There’s something really freeing about making things just for the fun of it. No pressure, no expectations—just colorful, quirky, made-by-hand joy. These bracelets feel like a grown-up take on a childhood favorite, and I’m absolutely here for it.

Whether you’re making one for yourself or a whole stack to gift your besties, this is the kind of project that brings good vibes.