THE KARO ROPE

Featuring the Karo Bead

Create Your Own

Written and designed by
Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.
blog.johnbead.com
John Bead Product Numbers
to Make the Karo Beaded Rope:

Rope A:
68000202-03 74422020-02
Czech Seed Bead KARO 5x5mm 100g Miyuki Nylon Beading Thread B
Opaque Violet Chalk Metallic Dyed Silver (50m) UOM:1Spool

695SB15O-1051V 74301016
Miyuki Seed Bead 15/0 22g Beading Gold Eye 7 pcs
Silver Galvanized Size 11 PCS/Unit: 7

27888170-110 74509850
Czech Superduo 2-Hole 2.5x5mm Beading mat
Vitral Crystal 100g
74509607
Scissors/Snips
Rope B:
68000202-06 74509836
Thread burner
Czech Seed Bead KARO 5x5mm 100g
Wildfire Battery Operated
Opaque Blue Chalk Metallic Dyed
Heat Cord Cutter (optional)
695SB15O-1051V
Miyuki Seed Bead 15/0 22g
Silver Galvanized
Clasp

27888170-110 96003128
Czech Superduo 2-Hole 2.5x5mm SS.925 BALI CLASP SPIRAL
Vitral Crystal 100g 70mm 1SET/10g

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Step by Step Instructions
for the Karo Beaded Rope Design and Pattern by Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.

Techniques: basic bead weaving knowledge, right angle weave, netting stitch

You will need:

K (100g) Czech Karo beads – Beading Thread – Miyuki B - silver

Sd (10g) Czech Superduo beads – Beading needles – size 11
S15 (4-5grams) 15/0 Miyuki seed beads Beading mat
– silver galvanized Scissors or thread burner

Finished Size: Sample rope A is approx 18 inches Remember - allow for the size of the clasp.

Tips:
• Thread tension: be careful not to pull the beading thread to tight. The rope will loose flexibility
if the thread tension is too tight.
• Cull the beads for uniformity and consistency.
• Switch to a smaller beading needle when necessary, to avoid breaking beads.
• I recommend using a new thread to attach the clasp.
• I recommend double stitching each row.

Sample Colorways for the Karo Beaded Rope:

Rope A: Rope B:

K – Opaque Violet Chalk Metallic Dyed K – Opaque Blue Chalk Metallic Dyed
Sd – Vitral Crystal Sd – Vitral Crystal
S15 – Silver Galvanized S15 – Silver Galvanized

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Karo Beaded Rope Before you begin beading, check
both holes in the two hole beads
2.
by Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.
to make sure they are open.

1. Begin by threading a size 11 beading needle with

approx. 4 to 5 feet of prepared beading thread.

2. Pick up 1 S15 + 1 K x 4. Leave an 4-6 inch tail

thread.[photo 2]

3. Sew through these 8 beads again to make a circle

[photo 3a, 3b] and sew through 2 more beads to overlap the
thread; 1 S15 + 1 K. Thread exits a K bead. [photo 3c]

3c
tail

3a 3b tail
thread
thread

tail
thread

4. Sew through the unused hole in the K bead you just

exited. [photo 4a, 4b]

4a 4b

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Karo Beaded Rope 3.
by Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.

5. * Pick up 1 S15 + 1 Sd + 1 S15. [photo 5a] Sew through

the unused hole in the next K in the round [photo 5b]. *
Repeat from * to * 3 times, adding S15 and Sd beads
between the K beads. [photo 5c, 5d, 5e]. Sew through
the first S15 + Sd added. [photo 5f]

5a 5b 5c

5d 5e 5f

6. Sew through the top hole of the Sd just exited in the

same direction as the thread exiting in the bottom hole.
This causes the thread to cross over the surface of the Sd.
By doing this the thread is wrapped over the Sd facing the
inside of the beaded tube. [photo 6a, 6b]

6a 6b

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Karo Beaded Rope 4.
by Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.

7. * Pick up 1 S15 + 1 K + 1 S15. Sew through the unused

hole in next Sd in the round [photo 7a]. * Repeat from * to
* 3 times, adding S15 and K bead between the Sd beads.
Sew through the first K added. [photo 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e ]

7a 7b 7c

7d 7e

8. Repeat Steps 4 to 7 until the beaded rope is the

length you want. Since I started the rope with K beads,
I also make the last row with K beads.

9. The thread exits a K bead in the last row of the rope.

Sew through the top, unused hole of the K just exited.
[photo 9a & 9b]

9a 9b

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Karo Beaded Rope 5.
by Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.

10. * Pick up 1 S15. Sew through the top, unused hole in the
next K in the round [photo a]. * Repeat from * to * 3 times to
add 1 S15 between each K bead. [photo 10b, 10c, 10d] Sew
through all these beads again.

10a 10b

10c 10d

11. Weave the tail and working threads into the bead
work. Trim any excess thread.

12. Adding the Clasp:

I recommend adding a new piece of thread to attach the
clasp. Securely weave a 12 to 16 inch piece of thread into
the bead work. Thread exits an S15 bead in the last row of
the rope [photo 12].

12

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Karo Beaded Rope 6.
by Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.

13. Pick up 6 S15 + one part of clasp. Sew through the S15
diagonally opposite the one the thread is exiting. [photo 13]

13

14. Sew through the 6 S15 + the clasp loop added in last
step [photo 14a] + the S15 diagonally opposite, that you
started with [photo 14b].

14a 14b

15. Sew through the 6 S15 + the clasp loop + S15 diagonally
opposite [photo 15a, 15b] and back up through the 6 S15 +
the clasp loop + the S15 you started with [photo 15c]. The
extra thread reinforces the clasp attachment. Thread exits
the S15 you started with in Step 12 [photo 15c].

15a 15b 15c

16. Weave the working and tail threads into the bead
work. Trim any excess thread.
17. Repeat steps 12 to 16 on the other end of the Karo
Beaded Rope.

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Karo Beaded Rope 7.
by Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.

The Karo Beaded Bead:

The Karo Beaded Bead can be as small as the beaded bead
pictured at the right or as long as 1 – 3 inches. It is made
following the instructions for the Karo Beaded Rope and
adding size 15 seed beads on either side of the Superduo
beads. Instructions below.

1. Follow Steps 4 to 7 to make a small – one Sd – Karo

beaded bead. Thread exits an S15 on the last row [photo 1].

2. Sew through the K bead next in the round [photo 2a].

Sew through the other hole in the same K bead, below
the one you just exited + 1 S15 [photo 2b].

2a 2b

3. Sew through the next Sd + 1 S15, in line with the S15 just
exited. Pick up 1 S15. Sew through the S15 above, on the same
side + the other hole of the same Sd + 1 S15 on the other side
of the Sd. [photo 3a, 3b]

3a 3b
S15 added to frame Sd

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Karo Beaded Rope 8.
by Debra Schwartz for John Bead Corp.

4. Pick up 1 S15. Sew through the S15 below the one just
exited + the lower hole of the Sd beside it + the S15 on
the other side of this Sd. [photo 4a, 4b]

4a 4b
S15 added to frame Sd

5. Sew through the next K, beside the S15 just exited + 1 S15
+ 1 Sd + 1 S15. [photo 5]

6. Repeat Steps 3 to 5 to frame each of the Sd beads with

S15 beads.
7. Weave the working and tail threads into the bead work.
Trim any excess thread.

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