I wanted a quick but beautiful accessory to wear with my newest belly dance dress!
Today you’re going to see how I made this pretty beaded belly chain. It’s an easy, relaxing project with an awesome result!
Let’s get started!
Click here to learn how to make the dresses I’m wearing!
How to Make Beaded Belly Chain for Belly Dance
To make this beaded belly chain I used:
Beads – For belly dance costuming, I recommend larger beads to make a belly chain or bunch up multiple strands if you use small beads. This way the belly chain will be visible from a distance.
Beading wire
2 small seed beads
2 bead tips – these are used to finish off the strung beads
Jump rings
Lobster clasp
Chain to use as an extender
Head pins
Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
So first, I measured my waist to see how long I needed this belly chain to be. I also measured below the waist because I want to wear this chain here as well.
Then I cut the beading wire to the waist measurement plus about 30cm (12in) or so.
I attached one of the bead tips at the end of the beading wire. It’s easy to use these bead tips. Just feed the wire through the hole, string 1 seed bead onto the wire, and tie a knot twice. If you have, add glue here for an extra secure finish.
Feed the end of the wire through the hole and pull both wires until the knot is encased in the bead tip cup. Then close the bead tip with pliers.
And now the fun part. String beads onto the wire as you like!
I fed the end of the wire through the first several beads and trimmed it.
I made it a few cm longer than my waist measurement, so there’s some room for movement.
Finish the other end the same way as before. Feed the wire through the hole of a bead tip, string a seed bead, and this time move everything to the end of the strung beads. Try to make a knot as close to the inside of the bead tip cup as possible and feed the end of the wire back through the hole and several beads. Trim the excess.
Close the bead tip with pliers.
Now I wanted to add some dangling parts, so first I took a headpin, snipped off the top, bent it at about 8mm (5/16in) from the tip, and made a small loop using round nose pliers.
Then I added a bead and bent the wire at a 90-degree angle.
I trimmed it down to about 8mm (5/16 in) again and made another loop to finish.
I repeated the process to make a few more of these and connected them and attached them to the belly chain using jump rings in between.
Finally, at one end, I added a lobster clasp with a jump ring.
At the other end, I added a piece of chain as an extender. The length of this chain is the difference between my waist and below waist measurements that I took at the beginning plus 10cm (4in) or so for extra room. When I close the belly chain at the closest area, it’ll be good for my waist height, and I can close it at the end of this extender, and I can wear it above my hips.
I added another charm with a jump ring at the end of the extender, so even the extender looks pretty!
And now my beaded belly chain is complete!
It was such an easy, relaxing project, and the result is amazing! It’s so cute, and I love how the charms add movement to the outfit. It’s great to wear to a lesson or layer it over your dress, and it’ll elevate your belly dance outfit instantly!
Curious about the dresses?
And if you’re curious about the dresses I’m wearing here, you can make them for yourself too!
Next Friday, I’m launching a brand new course where you can learn to make these simple yet elegant dresses.
You can custom make these dresses to YOUR unique measurements, so they’ll fit perfectly around the waist and hips, and you’ll never have a dress that’s too short or too long!
You’ll get lots of design elements to choose from so you can make your own style! If you’re curious, go over to SparklyBelly.com/amara, check out the design options, and sign up to be invited to the course launch sale next week!
Click here to check out the brand-new dress course!
Hope you liked this beaded belly chain tutorial, and if you did, please share this tutorial with your dancer friends!
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
P.S. Pin this image on your belly dance accessory board!
Like what you read? Want to make more costuming bits yourself?
Learn more and sign up for my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101 here!