One of Sondra’s bracelets from Bead & Button 2011.
Hello, bloglandia! Our sales manager, Sondra, was fortunate enough to attend Tracy Stanley’s “Bangles with a Message” class at Bead & Button last month. We’ve been oohing and ahhing over her wristful of chunky metal, so yesterday we got together and made some of our own bracelets.
For a sturdy yet slightly flexible bracelet base, we used 14 gauge copper wire. Start with about 10-11″ of wire. Simply form a large loop on one end with round nose pliers and hammer slightly. Slide on lots of large hole beads: 14 gauge wire is about 1.63mm, so your beads need to have holes that are at least 1.7mm big. Anything marketed as a Pandora or European-style bead will easily fit.
Mixed-metal mania bracelets are fun to wear en masse!
We mostly used metal, but trade beads and gemstones look great too. TierraCast has some especially nice large hole metal beads. You can also add coils of wire as decoration beneath floating beads, or as stoppers between beads. Shape the wire into a bracelet shape around your wrist and finish with another loop.
You can connect the two end loops together directly, connect them with jump rings or add a jewelry clasp. It is better to err on the small side, since a too-small bracelet can be extended with a jump ring or two, while a too-large bracelet will just go flying off your wrist!
Lindsey used a few jump rings to make her bangle fit her wrist – and a rooster to make it fit her personality!
A giant lobster clasp is easy to open/close.
A couple of other bracelet-making tips:
- Patina your wire, decorative coils and other components before assembling your bracelet.
- Be sure to file down any sharp wire points or metal edges.
- Have a whole bunch of beads ready, because once you start, you’ll want to make a bunch!
Metal, metal and more metal!
Check out Tracy’s teaching schedule if you’re interested in learning how she makes stamped word charms to fit on bangles. Our new brass and copper strips will save you a lot of sawing and cutting time!
~Cindy
9 Comments
Do you ever put these in a kit? Just love them!!!!
Hi Pam,
The basic ingredient is simply 14g wire, then any (large hole) beads you want. You can even user thinner wire and coil your own beads to space between more expensive beads.
~Polly
Do you ever sell these?
Hi Clare,
We just sell the parts to make jewelry; we don’t actually sell the completed items. You might be able to find something similar at your local mid- to high-end arts & crafts shows, local galleries that feature hand-made jewelry, or on etsy.com.
~Polly
I just love these! Pure awesomeness!!!
Where do you get the metal message beads? Thanks!
Hi Diane,
The metal message beads were made during a workshop. They are simply little strips of 24-gauge copper and brass sheet, that has been stamped, hole punched, and then folded into a bead. Here is a metal stamping 101 info page: https://www.rings-things.com/Metal-Stamping/ and here is a page with lots of supplies, and some more info: https://www.rings-things.com/Products/Metal-Stamping-Tools-and-Metal-Stamping-Supplies/
~Polly
I just love everything about these arm candies!! Can u tell me where I can get all of these beads n peices?? I’m just getting back 2 making my jewelry again n ur wrk is just the inspiration I needed!!
Hi Elissa,
All the parts are available at http://www.rings-things.com, including the 14g wire, and the metal stamping supplies. Be sure to check out the how-to’s at the bottom of our metal stamping category, or the “Learn” tab in the top nav, for instructions on metal stamping.
–Polly