This clasp design is based on a belt using a triglide slider buckle. This sort of buckle is a metal rectangle with a bar across the middle that is not fixed in place and moves across the buckle. One end of the beadwork is looped around this moveable middle bar and the other end of the beadwork is then threaded through the clasp. When you pull it tight the moveable bar tightens against the loose end of the beadwork.
The only problems with this is that the bracelet will work itself loose over time, but I have a little trick to stop this from happening! I also added a loop to stop the loose end flapping, just like on a belt. This is not perhaps a good choice of clasp for those with little experience of peyote stitch. It has a number of different elements, including reducing peyote and ditch stitch.
For this bracelet I used a 20mm bronze triglide slider buckle. The precise one I used is no longer available on amazon but it looks to be pretty generic and commonly available. The bracelet was 14 rows wide using delicas. This means the free end of bracelet fits through the clasp just fine when putting it in place. The fixed end however needs to be narrowed a little to have a loop flat around the moveable bar because the bar is not flat for the width of the clasp.
Start a new thread and then add the the first row of peyote for the loop for the sliding bar using the thread path shown. Continue adding additional rows of peyote to get the required length for your loop. You need the loop to be loose around the slider bar because it will need to move. The thread will exit the bead highlighted blue when finished.
Thread the loop around the slider bar.
Fold the loop around the bar and attach the end of the loop to the base of the loop to finish it off. The beads highlighted red are closest to the main part of the beadwork and the green beads are the beads at the end of the piece of beadwork created to make the loop. Go through the join twice if desired and then finish off the thread.
The bracelet is based on a belt so needs to be longer than the length of the wrist. Mine is about two inches longer and the end not attached to the triglide can be finished square or tapered. Below is a chart showing the version I used which was an asymmetrical taper.
Next create the loop that fits around the beadwork to hold the loose end of the bracelet in place. Mine is six beads wide and 28 beads deep. While it fits closely, it isn't perhaps tight enough so there is some movement. I don't know that you could take two rows out and it not be too tight but feel free to experiment!
Take the strip of beadwork and turn it into a ring, then thread it on to the beadwork.
At this point you can wear your bracelet but as you move, it will work itself undone over time and it risks being lost. You can add a little tab or flap to the beadwork that stops the clasp from moving back up the beadwork. Mine was six beads across and 9 rows deep (4 - 5 beads due to the odd number of rows).
I made sure this flap was well attached because it take most of the strain of holding the bracelet shut. You need to attach it to the bracelet in the correct position to hold the clasp in the place you want it. Create the tab by attaching each row to the beadwork and then continue for the additional rows.
Begin by adding a new thread then stitch through five columns.
Add a new bead across the next column and then stitch into the 7th column bead on the same row as the bead you exited in the fifth column. This is often called ditch stitch because you are adding a bead into the ditch created where two beads meet in an existing piece of beadwork.
Add a further two beads in this row using ditch stitch before stitching through to the edge of the beadwork.
Stitch back and add a further three beads using ditch stitch to create a second row of beads.
Add a third row.
Add a fourth row.
Stitch through to the edge of the bracelet then turn back and go through the very first ditch stitch bead you added.
Each individual yellow bead is connected to the bracelet and we now stitch through them to turn them into a little piece of peyote stitch. From this point you no longer need to stitch into the beads of the main piece of beadwork.
Having sewn all the anchored yellow beads together as a piece of peyote, we now add additional rows to this well anchored peyote to create the flap. These beads are not stitched to the bracelet and are coloured red.
Once you have created the tab, finish off your thread in your normal way, without attaching any of the red beads to the bracelet. You can further stitch the yellow beads to the bracelet if you desire before finishing the thread.
Here is the completed bracelet being worn!
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