Beading the "Bead World" Way: Spanish Knot Bracelet Tutorial

Spanish Knot Bracelet

(also known as Snake Weave)

The Spanish Knot has become the go-to knot for all things fashionable at Bead World. Karen learned this knot on the beaches of Spain (hence the name) and we've been tying leather into gorgeous designs ever since!

Required Supplies:

1.5mm-2mm leather (5 feet)

4x2mm TierraCast barrel bead (10)

TierraCast button (1)

GS Hypo Glue (Red)

Cutters for Leather

For a double wrap: approx. 10 feet of leather and 19 barrel beads

Gather all of your materials on a roll-proof work surface.

Place your button on the 5 feet of leather, half way down. Hold the leather under the button with your left thumb and finger.

Take right strand of leather and place it under the left strand. Hold it with your right hand where it crosses, forming a 1 inch “D”.

Let go of the button for a second, while you flip the same strand of leather over the top of the center strand. Again, hold it where it crosses under the button.

Next, take the left strand of leather (still holding under the button with your left hand) and place it over the strand going out to the right.

Then go under and pass through the loop to the left, towards you.

Pull until you have formed two 1 inch loops that look like a pretzel.

Still holding under the button pull each strand (left, then right) gradually reducing the size of the loops. When the loops get to ¼ inch in size, pull on both strands at the same. Push up on knot with right finger and thumb.

To make the knot tight, turn button to face you.

Pull down on the knot towards you. At the same time, pull the two strands away from you. Do not pull too hard – you don’t want the leather to break! Just push and pull until it’s lightly in place. The knot should be located ¼ inch down from the button.

Repeat the previous to make two more knots. Make the knots close together and make them the same size. Remember, if the knots are not tight enough they will spread apart with wear making your bracelet too big.

Place one 4x2mm barrel bead onto both strands of leather.

Repeat the pattern, tying three more knots. Our Spanish Knot Bracelet uses 11 sets of three knots with ten barrel beads. Alternatively, you can just leave a ¼ inch space between each set of three knots.

Once the pattern is complete, leave a space the same size as your button and tie a knot.

Add a second knot.

Again, leave a space the same size as your button and tie two knots. This makes your bracelet adjustable. For bracelets that wrap around three or more times, consider making three openings for further adjustability.

Complete the bracelet by putting GS Hypo Glue (Red) inside the end knots to keep them coming undone.

Cut the leather strands off ¼ inch from the last knot.

The finished bracelet is shown below. The Spanish Knot can also be made with other materials, like nylon macramé cord, silk griffin thread and hemp. When using most cords, it’s best to leave a ¼ inch space between each set of three knots to prevent the bracelet from twisting or stretching too much over time.