A few months ago I took a metal stamping jewelry class. I really enjoyed my experience, so when I saw a class on pearl knotting I thought it would be a fun way to spend a few hours. Chandler Williams, a local jewelry designer, hosted the class at The University School of Nashville. (USN has a ton of fun evening classes, so check out their offerings if you live nearby).

Pearl Knotting Materials

Pearl knotting is the practice of making jewelry by hand tying thread knots between beads on a necklace or bracket. It is a pretty simple process, and you only need a few supplies: pearls (any size will do, but if you want a 20-inch stand you’ll need 65-70 6mm pearls), 2 clam shell knot covers, a clasp and jump ring, natural silk bead cord (size 4, .60mm), and some G-S Hypo Cement glue.

Pearls for Necklace

Before I started I neurotically laid out my pearls so the necklace would be symmetrical and the best and largest pearls would be in the front. I never miss an opportunity to be obnoxiously organized.

Pearl Necklace Begining

You begin by tying a knot at the end of the string and placing one of the clam shell knot covers at the base. The clasp is then attached and you have a start to your necklace.

Pearl Knotting

The knotting process can be pretty tedious. It took almost 2 hours to do a 20-inch necklace, but I enjoyed it. There was something calming about focusing on the knots. It took some concentration to avoid mistakes of having the knots too large or far apart. I was able to use the time to clear my mind and only focus on what was in front of me.

Homemade Pearl Necklace

Each time I tied a knot I used a corsage pin to move the knot as close to the pearl in front of it as possible. Then, I used the next pearl in line to tighten it. I repeated these steps approximately 70 times. The process was pretty mistake-free, except for when I got distracted by work texts and started getting the string tangled around itself.

Finished Pearl Necklace

Voila! After a little bit of effort the necklace was done! It ended up being a lot easier than I thought. I really enjoyed the class. There was something zen and relaxing about focusing on the knotting and not being distracted by the world around me (well, except temporarily by work).