This simple, minimalist beaded triangle pendant is an easy addition to any wardrobe. I’ve made this one in black cubes with a touch of iridescence, but it could be made to coordinate with any number of colors or textures, and is an ideal piece to pair with a v-neck.
Supplies:
– seed beads – these are 1.8mm glass cube beads made by Miyuki
– beading thread – I used black 00 nymo – if your thread clashes with your beads you’ll also want a bead colored permanent ink pen
– chain or cord with a diameter equal to or less than the size of seed bead (so it fits through a one-bead sized hole
– jump rings and clasp for your chain
Ordinary seed beads will work beautifully for this project, too. I’ve had these cubes in my stash for a while and I love them, but they don’t work for anything that needs to curve. They’re perfect for something like this that needs to stay flat.
Useful Links:
– friction knot for beadwork
– even count peyote – learn this first if you’ve never done any peyote stitch
– odd count peyote – this project is worked in odd count peyote and this tutorial explains the process in detail
– square knot – if you run out of thread and have to join a new strand
Thread your needle with a doubled piece of thread. If you go pretty long (2 yards/meters folded in half) you can probably finish the pedant with one length of thread. Add a friction knot about 6 inches from the end and thread on 31 beads.
Add one bead to turn around.
Peyote stitch to the end. Try not to twist the work, but because there’s no color pattern it’s not that big of a deal if it does.
Because of the single color element, you can skip over one of the most tedious parts of starting odd count peyote. Just add a bead and turn, then work back on the other side of the first row.
Stitch back on this side instead!
Now we need to start the holes. Add the first two beads of this row.
Now skip this next bead by stitching through the bead that it would have been placed next to.
Continue on as before, until you arrive at the matching point on the other end of the row.
Skip this one as well (it’s the 5th column in from the end.)
Turn around odd-count peyote style.
Add the first bead as usual.
Now string on 3 beads and skip the dent you left in the last row.
You should have a little loop like this. It won’t really stay open yet, but that’s okay for now.
Do the same at the other end – string on 3 beads where the dent is.
Turn, and stitch through all 3 beads again when you reach those points.
Do that odd count peyote turn again.
Add the first bead normally, then add a bead and stitch through the center bead in the 3 bead loop you added earlier.
Add the next bead and work as usual to the other loop. Stitch only through the center of the 3 bead loop on that end as well.
See? Perfect one-bead sized holes.
Now you need to start the decrease rows. I flipped my work vertically to turn around on the back. Stitch in through 2 beads on the diagonal.
Then back out through the same bead.
Then through the two beads that are on the edge. Flip the work back over.
Peyote across from this place, leaving that edge bead missing.
Don’t do the normal odd-count turn here.
Again, I’ve flipped the beadwork over. Stitch in at the diagonal, but ignore that outer edge column.
Stitch back out through the same bead.
Then through the diagonal edge to start the next row.
Work back and forth this way until you reach the one bead point at the end.
Work in your tail. Stitch one way, then make a u-turn (like the way you turned around to start the next row.) If you only work your tails in in one direction they can come loose, but once you make a u-turn or two they’ll be locked in place for good. Trim that tail.
Remove the stop bead and thread the needle onto the thread tails at the beginning of the work. Add a bead in every other gap across the top – add a bead, go through 3 beads, add a bead, etc.
When you reach the end of this row weave in these tails and trim what remains.
Thread the chain through the holes and finish your jewelry to whatever length looks best on you!