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Build an X-Base

  • X-base
  • Cuff builder
  • 45 min

The real x-base: start from a closed single that divides by three, then net three beads at a time between the connectors until the crossings stack into a cuff.

X-base is the foundation almost every three-dimensional kandi cuff sits on, and it is not a wider ladder stitch. You start from a single you have already tied into a loop, then work outward in rounds with one long working end, netting three beads at a time between the connector beads until the crossings stack up into a cuff.

It comes out more open than ladder stitch, and it is what you build on when you want to add a second layer, points or spikes later. It is also the piece that most obviously says you have done this before, which is why it is the shape people ask about at a festival.

The one thing worth getting right is the count. Two base beads plus one connector, repeated, means the single has to divide by three — get that wrong and the last group has nowhere to land. And fit the single properly before you start the rounds: how much give the finished cuff has comes from your cord and your tension, not from the stitch.

Once the base is solid, turn an X-base into a 3D cuff or go for points in star cuff basics.

What you need

  • Pony beads, 2 colors so base and connector beads read apart
  • Stretch cord, 0.8-1.2mm — 3 to 5 ft, roughly two arm spans
  • Plastic beading needle, optional but it makes the rounds much faster
  • Scissors

Steps

  1. 1
    String a single that divides by three

    An x-base is built on a finished single, not on a flat strip. String two base beads, then one connector bead, over and over, until the loop fits your wrist. The total has to be a multiple of three — 30, 33 or 36 covers most people. Try it on before you commit: the single sets the size of the whole cuff and an undersized one does not stretch into fitting.

  2. 2
    Knot the single and keep one long tail

    Tie the ends with two or three tight knots — a surgeon's knot or a plain triple knot. Trim the short end close and leave the other end long; that single working end builds the entire cuff. Thread a plastic needle onto it if you have one and bring it out of any connector bead.

  3. 3
    Round one: three beads between connectors

    Add three beads, skip past the next two base beads, and pass through the following connector. Pull snug and repeat all the way around. You end up with a ring of little triangles, one sitting over each pair of base beads.

  4. 4
    Round two: this is where the X shows up

    Come out of the middle bead at the point of a triangle. Add three beads — base, connector, base — and pass through the middle bead of the next triangle. Go all the way round again. The legs of each new group cross the legs of the round below, and that crossing is the X the stitch is named for.

  5. 5
    Repeat the two rounds for height

    One pair of rounds gives you a 1x cuff. For a taller one, keep alternating: three beads point to point, then base-connector-base point to point. Snug every round before you start the next — loose rounds are what make an x-base go floppy instead of springy.

  6. 6
    Rim the top edge

    On the last round, add two beads between neighbouring points instead of three. The shorter round pulls the top edge in so it lies flat against your arm instead of flaring out.

  7. 7
    Knot it off and trim

    There is no seam to close — you started as a loop and worked in rounds, so the cuff has been closed since the first knot. Tie the working end two or three times around the nearest bridge of cord between two beads, weave the tail through a couple of beads to hide it, then trim close.

Next

A Tie-Off That Survives a Weekend — The knot that keeps a bracelet on your wrist for three days: a real tail, a surgeon's knot, snug against the beads, tucked inside and sealed if it matters.