Beading a Peyote Stitch Toe Ring

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Okay, hear me out. Toe rings are in again, at least for some of us. We can thank the surge in popularity of the late nineties and early two-thousands fashion for resurfacing this once essential accessory. If you are like me and do not have one to pull from your stash of jewelry, do not fret! Beaded toe rings are quick to finish. Dig into your collection of beads and let’s begin with a peyote stitch toe ring! 

Above: Beaded peyote stitch toe ring perfect for summer!

For this toe ring, I adapted instructions from Leslie Rogalski’s Finger Food! project from Interweave’s Free Peyote Stitch Pattern Collection. Because we are making a toe ring and not a traditional ring, you may be tempted to use stretchy thread. Do not do this, as tempting as it is. Thermally-bonded beaded thread and the weave itself provide just enough give to ensure a good fit. 

Supplies for Beaded Toe Rings

• Matching colors of size 11° cylinder beads 
• Size 12 (thin) beading needles  
• WildFire beading thread 
• Scissors  
• Bead mat  
• Bead Stopper (optional) 

Getting Started

It is important for me to mention that I am a beginner when it comes to beading. That being said, I am ambitious, and still tried to create a checkered pattern on my ring. This did not work out, so I pivoted and went for a turquoise and oil slick color palette instead. If this is your first-time beading project as well, I recommend sticking to two colors to keep it simple. 

Related: Peyote Stitch: A Brief History

The first thing I did was measure the thread to 30 inches and placed my stopper bead roughly six inches from the end of one side. Next time, I will probably go a bit less, as I did not have much thread by my needle at the end. The stopper bead will prevent your beads from falling off as you are beginning your project. Make sure to use an obviously different bead for this so you do not mistake it as part of the project. You can slide this bead off at the end. 

Beading the Peyote Stitch Toe Ring

The next step is to lay down your pattern. I did turquoise, oil slick, oil slick, and turquoise. Slide these all the way to the stopper bead. Then, I picked up another turquoise bead, thread the needle through the second oil slick bead, tightened it, picked up an oil slick bead, thread it through the turquoise bead by the stopper bead, tightened it, and finally picked up a turquoise bead, thread the needle through the most recent oil slick bead, and repeated the steps. 

The first two rows and the most difficult, as the beads want to turn around, but after the third row is complete, the project becomes much easier and repetitive. Keep measuring the ring around your preferred toe to make sure you are keeping track of your progress.

Once you get to the preferred size, you repeat the steps through the first row of beads you put on the project, then voila! You have your toe ring.

Related: Peyote Stitch with a Twist

Next time, I would make sure to sort out the beads before starting to ensure they are relatively equal sizes. I would also try to tighten the thread, so it is less noticeable when worn. 

Next Steps in Peyote Stitch

This is a quick and easy project that is perfect for beginners and beaders alike who are looking for fast results. And, it was the perfect project for me to get my feet wet (sorry!) learning peyote stitch. Now that I’ve tackled toe rings, I’m excited to continue my ring making (and other beaded jewelry making) journey with more ease thanks to the concepts I learned in this project.

Happy beading!

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