Generally, I use 6lb or 8lb Fireline and I like to be well-stocked in both sizes and both Smoke and Crystal colors. Unfortunately, when I ordered my last role of Fireline, I apparently bought 20lb instead of 8lb.

What on earth am I supposed to do with 20lb Fireline?

Now, 8lb Fireline is already a bit stiff to work with and does not get along well with my stash of 15/0 seed beads, so you can imagine my dismay upon realizing my mistake. But, since I bought a huge 125 yard roll of the stuff, I figured that I would need to find some way of using it. I glanced through my bead stash to see what I had on hand with a larger interior diameter.

Cubes to the rescue!

I found 4mm Miyuki squares! I absolutely love these colors together (Galvanized Gold, Matte Khaki Iris, and Matte Black AB) and decided to whip up this sturdy Peyote cuff with them. Working peyote stitch with these beads was an absolute dream. They just clicked right together, like giant Delicas. Even with the thick thread, there was plenty of room for reinforcement and tightening up the edges. I did need to use a big eye needle, though. There was no way that thread was going through the eye of my size 10 or 12 needles.

The squares were big enough that I could use jump rings to attach my clasps. I chose two strong magnetic clasps in a complimentary antique tone. Normally, I don’t like to use magnet clasps without a safety chain, but having two of them eased my mind a bit. Plus, with the use of the jump rings, I could easily extend this bracelet if it did not fit a prospective buyer.

Such was my first inventive use of my accidentally obtained 20lb Fireline. I let you know what else I come up with, since I have so much left. It’s been a fun to challenge to think up ways to use it, but I’ll definitely be more careful next time I order.