Checker Rail Cuff
- Cuffs
- Cuff
- Ladder stitch
- Weekend maker
- 2 hr
- 144 beads
Six rows, twenty-four columns, black and white in two-bead blocks so the checker still reads once the cuff curves round a wrist. Monochrome is the grown version of this pattern: it sits under a stack of colored singles instead of fighting them.
What it looks like finished
What you need
| Color | Beads |
|---|---|
| Black | 72 |
| White | 72 |
| Total | 144 |
- Cord
- 255 cm (100.5 in), including slack for the knot
- Cord length already includes about 20% slack. Cut long, trim after you tie off.
Chart — follow this when you string it
Get the beads
Neon Bright Mix Pony Beads (500pcs)
BeadTin144 beads in total
The multicolor bag most charts on this site are built around. Fluorescent neon, so it lights up under a blacklight instead of going gray at 1 a.m. — 9mm barrel beads that run true to size.
View on BeadTin$2.89 / 500 beads · checked 2026-08-30Black Opaque Pony Beads (500pcs)
BeadTin72 × black in this pattern
Blackout stacks and cuff outlines eat black faster than anything else. A dedicated bag means you are not fishing black beads out of a mix one at a time at midnight.
View on BeadTin$2.89 / 500 beads · checked 2026-08-30White Opaque Pony Beads (500pcs)
BeadTin72 × white in this pattern
The spacer that separates letters so a phrase still reads across a rail. Cheap enough to keep a full bag on hand even when you only use a few at a time.
View on BeadTin$2.89 / 500 beads · checked 2026-08-301mm White Stretch Cord, 90m spool
BeadTin255 cm (100.5 in) per piece
The default cord on this site — every cord length in every bead count assumes 1mm. One spool is dozens of singles or a handful of cuffs before you reorder.
View on BeadTin$4.99 / 90m · checked 2026-08-30
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How to make it
- 1Cut the cordCut 255 cm (100.5 in) of 1 mm elastic cord. The extra is what you hold on to while you string — you trim it at the end.
- 2String the first rungEach column of the chart is one ladder rung. Put column 1 — 6 beads, top to bottom — on the middle of the cord, with an even working end left on each side.
- 3Ladder the rest of the columnsPut the next column's 6 beads on one end, pass the other end back through them from the opposite side, pull both tight. That is one rung. Repeat for all 24 columns, checking colors against the chart as you go.
- 4Join it into a cuffFold the last rung round to meet the first and pass a working end through it so both ends come out the same side. Tie two or three tight knots before you trim anything — the join is knot-held, not friction-held.
- 5Tie it offSurgeon’s knot, pull it into the gap between two beads, then a dab of clear glue. Trim the tails once it is dry.
Never done this stitch before? The Ladder Stitch Cuff · A Tie-Off That Survives a Weekend