{"title":"How to Make a Leather Bracelet With Barrel Knots","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/jewelry-making/how-to-make-a-leather-bracelet-with-barrel-knots","category":{"slug":"jewelry-making","name":"Jewelry Making"},"creator":{"name":"Kellie's Bead Boutique","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdW2WjZs98tZKcLOZNu6h-A","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW5uLpk3qQY"},"tldr":"Make a boho leather bracelet with barrel knots, beads and a charm. Step by step knots, sizing, end caps and a toggle clasp.","quickAnswer":"Make a boho leather bracelet with barrel knots, beads and a charm. An easy project: about 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes to dry or set. Materials cost about $6 to $15. You need 11 things, including two 8 mm large-hole beads, charm and toggle clasp. The 10 steps start with cut and Line Up the Two Leather Cords for the Bracelet, wrap the Leather Three Times Around the Barrel Knot Tube and tighten the First Barrel Knot on the Leather Bracelet.","totalDurationSeconds":662,"videoDurationSeconds":662,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":45,"waitMinutes":15,"totalMinutes":60,"estimatedCost":{"currency":"USD","min":6,"max":15},"yield":"1 bracelet"},"tools":["barrel knot tube","ruler","sharp scissors","chain nose pliers (2 pairs)"],"materials":["2 mm round leather cord, about 30 inches","two 8 mm large-hole beads","charm","two crimp end caps for 2 mm leather","toggle clasp","4 small jump rings","jewelry glue"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Cut and Line Up the Two Leather Cords for the Bracelet","text":"Cut about 10 inches from your 30 inch length of 2 mm leather and trim the ends clean. Lay the two pieces together with the short one on top and the long one underneath. Line up the ends. The short piece is the core of the bracelet. The long piece does all the wrapping, which is why it needs the extra length."},{"number":2,"title":"Wrap the Leather Three Times Around the Barrel Knot Tube","text":"Measure about 3 inches in from the end and mark the spot with your fingers. Lay the barrel knot tube along the leather there. Take the long strand behind and wrap it around the tube and the short strand three times, always working toward your left hand. Then feed the end back through the far end of the tube and pull it through."},{"number":3,"title":"Tighten the First Barrel Knot on the Leather Bracelet","text":"Hold the coils with your thumb and slide the tube out. Keep holding, or the wraps fall loose. Line up the leather ends again, then tighten with a push and a pull. Push the coils with your thumbnail and pull the strand back and forth until the knot locks into a neat little barrel. Keep the short strand on top as you work."},{"number":4,"title":"Cut the Leather Tip at an Angle to Thread the Bead","text":"Slide your first 8 mm bead onto both strands and push it up against the knot. If the hole is tight, trim the leather end on a very sharp angle, almost a point. The narrow tip slips through the bead much more easily than a square end. Choose beads with a large drill hole so the doubled leather fits."},{"number":5,"title":"Slide On the Bead and Tie a Barrel Knot Beside It","text":"With the bead snug against the first knot, lay the tube on the far side of the bead. Wrap the long strand three times, thread it back through the tube and pull it out. It may look awkward with the bead in the way, and it will be loose at first. Push the coils over one strand at a time, then push and pull until it locks."},{"number":6,"title":"Add the Tree of Life Charm Between Barrel Knots","text":"Slip the charm onto the leather so it hangs down below the bracelet. Check that it faces the right way before moving on. Leave a gap of about half an inch, or more if you like, then tie the next barrel knot. Wrap three times, feed through the tube, pull the tube out and tighten slowly. Take your time here. The center knots show the most."},{"number":7,"title":"Add the Last Bead and Tie the Final Barrel Knot","text":"Slide the second bead on and push it over against the last knot. Place the tube on the other side and tie one more barrel knot: three wraps, through the tube, tube out, push and pull tight. That gives you a matching pattern, knot, bead, knot, charm, knot, bead, knot. The extra leather left over is trimmed in the next step."},{"number":8,"title":"Measure and Trim the Leather Bracelet to Length","text":"Kellie aims for a 7 inch bracelet. The end caps add about an inch, so the leather is cut to 6 inches. Find the center by setting the charm on the 3 inch mark of your ruler. Mark the 6 inch point with a thumbnail and trim. Turn it around and trim the other end the same way, so the charm stays centered."},{"number":9,"title":"Glue and Crimp the End Caps on the Leather Bracelet","text":"Put a small drop of glue inside one end cap. Too much will ooze out over the leather. Line the two strands up flat and side by side, push them into the cap, and check everything is even before you squeeze. Crimp with smooth-jawed chain nose pliers, working down each side rather than at the very top. Repeat on the other end."},{"number":10,"title":"Attach the Toggle Clasp With Jump Rings","text":"Open a jump ring with two pairs of pliers, twisting sideways instead of pulling apart. Link it to one end cap and the round part of the toggle, then close it until it clicks. On the other end, add three jump rings in a chain before the toggle bar. The extra length lets the bar slip through the ring easily, so the bracelet goes on without a fight."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-30T14:42:23.443Z","published":"2026-10-30T14:42:23.165Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}