... I would like to make sure that the necklace would not unravel and would keep its twist. Does anyone have any advice about how to make a torsade necklace that will keep its shape?...
The person who wears the necklace twists it before putting it on. To
keep it from unraveling while being worn, it’s best to keep the
torsade short, 16 inches or so. If it’s much longer than that (on a
medium size woman), the strands may start to separate.
This is how I was taught to make a torsade:
Make an odd number of strands – all the same length – one inch
longer than the finished length of the necklace (the twist will take
up at least an inch).
Put strands in this order, based on their weight:
– medium weight
– lightest weight
– heaviest strand always in the middle
– lightest weight
– medium weight
Also, design it so the beads nest into each other - for example, put
a big bead on one strand that will fit neatly into two little beads
on the strands next to it. That helps them all stay in place.
The torsade can have more strands, but needs at least five. If you
distribute the weight of the strands correctly and it’s the proper
length, the strands will stay twisted while being worn. To keep it
simple while learning, use a five-ring clasp so you can attach the
ends of each strand to their own ring.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Debra,
in NYC