Free Peyote Stitch Toggle Bar Tutorial

Have you ever gone on a quest to find the perfect clasp for your beadwork, but found out it didn’t exist? If the answer is yes, then you’ll want to learn how to make a peyote stitch toggle bar. Once you learn how to make a peyote stitch toggle bar you’ll be able to make a clasp that perfectly matches your beadwork using seed beads.

How to make a Peyote Stitch Toggle Bar

Thread a needle with a 2′ long piece of beading thread. Pick up a stopper bead and pass through it again. [Definition of a Stopper Bead. A temporary bead used to prevent the other beads from falling off the thread is called a stopper bead. Choose a bead that is distinctly different from the beads in your project. String the stopper bead, and sew through it again in the same direction. If desired, sew through it one more time for added security.] Pick up 14 seed beads. Pickup one seed bead. Skip the first bead and the needle through the next one. Finish the row by working in the same way. You should have worked a total of 7 stitches (added seven beads). Work ten rows in the peyote stitch. The original 14 seed beads picked up counts as two rows. [From this point on your needle will be passing through the up beads.} Roll the strip into a tube. Zip stitch the edges together. It is called the zip stitch because the two ends of the peyote strip are brought together like the teeth of a zipper. This means passing the needle back and forth through the up beads from the two ends of the strip. (The up beads are marked with a red x.)

Attaching the Bar

The connector strip you create to connect the bar to the bracelet depends upon your bracelet design. A simple option can be seen in the section called Loop Options—#1. The thread would be exiting the end of the bracelet. Pick up some seed beads. (I picked up 7 per side.) Pass the needle through the center bead of the bar. Pick up some more seed beads. Complete the circuit by passing through the end of the bracelet. Repeat thread path until secure. Weave in thread ends and trim. Here are two more options.

Peyote Stitch Connector Strip

Use the center two seed bead as the base for the connector strip as shown in the photo below. Pick up one seed and pass through the next bead—twice. Continue working in the peyote stitch until you have achieved the desired length.

Herringbone Stitch Connector Strip

If you would like to see examples that use this option, then go to the section Loop Options—#2 and #4.

Weave thread so that it it exiting the center bead of the bar. Pick up two seed beads. Pass through the center bead and the first seed bead again.

Pick up two seed beads. Pass the needle down through the bead below and up through the next bead and the first bead picked up. Continue working in the herringbone stitch until you have achieved the desired length.

Loop Options

Use the same seed beads that you used to create the bar.

First option is the basic loop.

The starting point for this option is a three square stitch base. Pick up 20 seed beads. To complete the loop you would pass through the base. You would reinforce the loop by passing through all beads a few times. Weave in ends and trim.

Second option is also a basic loop but it is worked off of a ladder stitch end cap.

Weave through beads so that your needle is exiting one of the two center beads. Pick up 20 seed beads and then passed the needle through the second center bead. Reinforce the loop by repeating the thread path until secure. Weave in thread ends and trim.

Third option is a square stitch loop worked off of a single bead.

This option is different from the other ones in two ways. The first way it differs is that the toggle bar is embellished. This means that more beads are needed for the loop to accommodate the bar. The second way it differs is that it uses a contrasting bead as an embellishment to the loop. With the needle exiting the end bead, pick up 27 seed beads. Complete the circuit by passing through the end bead. Pass through the 27 added beads. Pick up 1 contrasting bead. Pass through the bead below and the one you just added. Repeat 26 more times. Weave in thread ends and reinforce as needed.

Fourth option is a square stitch loop worked off of two endpoints (beads).

With the needle exiting from the inside edge of the first bead, pick up 17 seed beads. Pass through the inside edge of the second endpoint bead. Pick up a seed bead. Pass through the bead below and the bead just added. Continue working in the square stitch until you reached the end. Weave in thread ends and trim.