St. Petersburg Chain Basics

Attach a stop bead to the thread, leaving an 8 inch tail. Pick up 6 seed beads, and slide them down to the stop bead.

Stitch back up through the center 2 beads again, and carefully pull snug to form a P-shaped cluster.

Pick up 1 seed bead. Stitch back down through the top three beads of the column that your thread is exiting – the long side of the P. Pull snug to lock the new bead into place at the top.

Pick up 1 bead and stitch up through the two beads of the short side of the P. Pull snug to lock the new bead into place.

Pick up 4 seed beads and slide them down to the beadwork.

Stitch up through the 1st 2 beads picked up again, and carefully pull snug to form a new P shape branching off from the first. To help keep tension, use your off hand to push the new beads towards the beadwork as you pull the thread tight.

Repeat steps 2-4 until your chain reaches the desired length.

Finish chain as desired.

You can create variations of the basic chain by incorporating patterns into the beadwork, or using different beads in steps 3 or 4.

Drops, small magatamas, size 8/o or 15/o seed beads, picot clusters, leaf fringe, and more can give you wonderfully unique chains.

To combine two chains together, add 8/o seed beads or 3-4mm beads in step 4. When your chain has reached the desired length, begin again from step 1 to create a second chain. In step 4, instead of adding a new bead, stitch up through the first bead of the original chain. Continue zipping the two chains together until you reach the end, then finish as desired.