Tutorial - Beaded Spiral Wire Bangle

Today I'm sharing with you another design featuring one of my favourite fusions - macrame and wire work which combine to create this lovely rigid beaded Bangle. You can adapt this to your own style with your choice of beads and can also change the weight of the piece by using a heavier gauge wire

Materials
2mm copper wire
0.60mm copper wire
Focal bead, accent beads and spacers
Copper head pin
10mm heavy gauge closed jump ring
Cutters round nose pliers
Bench vice

Note: This bangle measures 6 1/2 inches (2 1/3 inches diameter). You will need to adjust your wire requirements for the finished size you require and to take into account the size of the beads you use.

Step 1
Cut an 8 ½ inch length of 2mm copper wire. Add the focal beads, centre on the wire and mark the position with a sharpie. Remove the beads and secure one end of the wire in a bench vice.

Step 2

Cut 2 3ft lengths of 0.60mm copper wire. With one length and working from a mark out towards the end of the core work a macrame half square knot spiral pattern until 1 ½ inches of the core wire remains. Use 2 pairs of pliers to pull the wire taught. Instruction for a macrame half square  knot can be found here.

Step 3

Remove from the vice, wrap one of the wire tails around the core 3 times and trim. wrap the second tail it over the first and trim. 

Step 4

Add the central beads for the central section, return the core wire to the vice and repeat steps 2 & 3 on the other side,

Step 5
Add a bead to each end of the core wire and turn a simple loop.

Step 6
Take a 10mm copper jump ring and place it over the close tips of a pair of round noses pliers. Open the pliers to make an oval jump ring.

Step 7
Gently shape the bangle over a mandrel then open the loops one at a time, attach the jump ring and close the loops.

Step 8
Make a beaded dangle and wire wrap to attach to the oval jump ring.

Step 9
Use Liver of sulphur to patinate, polish back to your preferred finish and tumble if desired.

           

And there you have your completed bangle...

Heart  bead by Josephine Wadman Designs

Mini melon beads by Pebble Dreams

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you give it a go don't forget to share your makes with us on the AJE Facebook page.