Silk Macrame Bird Bangle Tutorial

 

Some of you may remember this bangle from my Spring Fever design challenge earlier this year and as it was so popular I've put together a tutorial so you can make your own.

 

Materials

• Approx 12" 16 gauge wire
• 1 bird bead 
• 1 silk string cut into 2 equal pieces 
• Size 5 Miyuki seed beads
• Round nose pliers and wire cutters

Bird bead from Blueberri Beads
Silk strings from  Sowzere Designs

Notes: 
If you use different beads check your core wire will fit through the holes.
The silk strings used here are approx 50" long and sufficient for 1 bangle but you may require 2 strings if you use shorter ones.
The  amount of wire and the number of beads used will depend on the finished size of the bangle and the numbers quoted here are based on a bangle that fits my 7" wrist so adjust your requirements accordingly. There is a guide to sizing bangles here.

Step 1
Cut a loop of wire from a coil measuring approx 10"

Step 2
Starting at the centre of the coil tie a macrame square knot with the one piece of the silk using the the wire as the core - for a clearer diagram of a basic square knot see here. I hold to wire with my thumb and 3rd finger while knotting but it you find this awkward you can hold the wire in a vice to free up both hands for knotting.

Step 3 
Thread a seed bead onto the wire and repeat step 2.

Step 4 
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have 14 beads (or your required number) on the wire finishing with step 3.

Step 5
Turn the loop around and add your focal bead and then repeat the same process on the other side of the bangle with the second piece of silk.

Step 6
Bring the silk strings to the top of the wire and tie off in an overhand knot.

Step 7

Trim the ends of the wire to approx 6/8", files the ends smooth and turn a simple loop at each end - one on the vertical and one on the horizontal.

Step 8
With the remaining wire turn a simple loop at one end.

Step 9
Using round nose or bail making pliers curve the wire in the opposite direction from the simple loop to create a hook clasp. Bend the end up slightly, trim and file smooth. Hammer on the curve to work harden

Step 10

Use a jump ring to attach the hook to the horizontal loop of the bangle. The vertical loop forms the eye for the hook closure to connect with keeping it flat against the wrist.

Step 11
Trim the silk tails as you prefer - you can leave them long, cut them close, add beads or knot as you choose.

Alternative finish
I prefer this 'open' style bangle as I have large hands and to get closed bangles over them they end up quite loose on my wrist but, if you prefer a closed bangle you can simply forgo the hook and connect the simple loops to each other as shown here. If you choose this finish you will need to add extra beads to ensure the bangle will go over your hands - in my case 3 on each side. If your bangle gets misshapen while you are working on it you can ease it back using a mandrel or cylindrical item (baked bean cans work well) taking care around the focal.

And there you have it - you can of course adapt this to use any bead of your choice and I hope you'll give it a go and have some fun with this simple design. The bangles featured here are available in my Etsy Jewellery Shop.

Lesley
The Gossiping Goddess

More Fun With Chain

I've wanted to make some elongated chain for a while. I finally sucked up my nerve and gave it a shot:

I hadn't soldered in a while. I had a new torch this time, a propane EZ Torch. This one is configured for a disposable tank. You can get one for a refillable tank too. Just one fuel tank, with a baffle on the torch head to adjust the amount of room air that feeds the flame. Simple! It's not a super tight flame, even with the smallest head, but I don't do tiny fiddly work anyway so it works fine. It melted my hard solder in a flash.

EZ Torch kit (minus the propane tank of course)

Here's my setup:

I put the propane tank (the blue cylinder there) in a bread pan and velcroed it to the wall to keep it from tipping over. The bread pan keeps it from sliding around when I move the hose. You could put some rocks in the pan too to make it even more stable but it seems fine the way it is.

I used My-T-Flux for these, a liquid flux, from Rio Grande and it worked great.

I like to put my little solder bits in a tin can lid, pour in a tiny bit of flux (you don't need much), and coat them that way before I solder. (I learned this from a metalsmithing teacher at Glacier Metal Arts in Kalispell, Montana, Karen Chesna). Then I can just pick the bits out of the flux, as I need them, with my soldering tweezers. I use a cheap paintbrush to coat the join on the ring with the liquid flux. I like a charcoal block for my soldering surface.

For copper, I have been using copper-color solder wire that I get at Monsterslayer. The 20 gauge is easy to cut in very small pieces (don't use your good cutters though, get some burly hardware store wire cutters.) It isn't really coppery looking after you've soldered it (it's pretty much silver), but it takes liver of sulfur nicely, unlike silver solder, so at least you can darken it to make it "disappear."

(Nancy Hamilton has a great page and video about making jump rings (including oval rings)-->CLICK HERE. Here's the video. I am all kinds of excited about the dowel/saw technique, so easy! You have to watch the video for that. Plus Nancy is a NUT, you will crack up! I highly recommend her YouTube videos.

I won't go into the torching part here, let's skip to the shaping part.

After soldering, I make the ring into an oval with a couple pair of round-nose pliers. I just pull it apart, keeping the join on the side:

Then I make the curves tighter, forming a more capsule-like shape, with my round nose pliers and square nose pliers. I squeeze at both ends with the square nose pliers, using the round nose pliers as a form:

Then I hammer it, and I like to put a decorative stamp over the soldered join if the solder is visible--the liver of sulfur settles in the pattern nicely, camouflaging the solder. (My inspiration for this came from the incomparable Cindy Pack--check out her gorgeous metalwork HERE):

I joined my links with open, hammered figure 8s (I'm not quite ready to solder all my links together--I need to grow some more patience for that.) I start with short lengths of copper wire--these are 15mm lengths of 18 gauge wire, hammered flat:

Then I make the figure 8 with my round nose pliers:

Twist each end of the figure 8 open like a jump ring to attach it to the links, et voila! (I did some round link chain too):

I was pleased that the soldering went so well. The last time I tried it I was really frustrated but I got lucky this time. Starting with an easy project was helpful. I'm inching my way toward a bezel...

And in other news, here are the winners for the June Component of the Month drawing:

Mischelle of Micheladas Musings
Ann Schroeder of Bead Love
Therese Frank of Therese's Treasures

Congratulations, ladies! Linda Landig will be in touch with further information.

Keirsten

Make Your Own ~ Sweet Flower Dreams Bracelet

Yes, I'm still making jewelry… somehow I fit it in between all the bead making (my secret: I'm working very hard on giving up sleep. ;-)! Hey, everyone needs a hobby, right? So if making beads is now my part-time job, making jewelry is the perfect hobby… or at least that's the excuse I give myself when I need to shop for more beads and components.

And more jewelry for me always means more tutorials for you!

And if you love making jewelry, then being a part of AJE comes in very handy, since not only is there always a fresh supply of tutorials, tips, studio peeks, and inspiration, there's also the Component of the Month challenges, where if you're lucky you get a chance to add some new beads to your next design. Our May CoM was hosted by Sue Kennedy and that's how this new bracelet started… inspired by her sweet chicklet beads, I went with a soft shabby and worn vintage look, I turned away from my favorite autumn tones and put down my wire… and I really enjoyed it! I hope this little tutorial inspires you too!

Supplies you'll need:
- 2 (or more) bicone czech glass beads
- 3 (or more) glass chicklet beads
- a sleepy flower garden bunny
- 0/11 seed beads (I used frosted rosaline)
- a mother of pearl button
- one 2 inch fabric covered bead cord
- lace (make sure it's narrow enough to fit through the holes on the chicklet beads)
- hemp cord (or waxed linen… just make sure it fits your seed beads)

Tools you'll need:
- scissors
- a length of 22 gauge scrap wire
- glue

Before starting to assemble this bracelet, it's a good idea to lay out your beads and cords and measure to help you visualize the finished length. My finished bracelet fits up to a 6 1/4 inch wrist—I wanted it to fit somewhat tightly and I've got rather small itty bitty wrists, so depending on the size of your wrist, you may use need to use longer lengths of lace and cord and add a few more beads. Have fun with it and make it your own!

 1. I made the button clasp first. Start by cutting a 7 inch length of lace and fold it in half.

 2. Loop the scrap wire through the folded end of the lace for easy stringing.

 3. Gently pull the lace through.

 4. Remove the wire. Using a short piece of waxed linen, pass it through the loop of lace and tie the button in place. Move the chicklet up close to the button, leaving a bit of room between to form a shank.

 5. Glue the knot and you're done with this first bracelet section!

 6. Next I made the loop for the button clasp—cut about 12 inches of cord.

 7. String enough seed beads to form a loop that easily fits over the button.

 8. Tie a knot at the end of the loop, add the bicones and bunny bead, knotting between each one. You're now finished with the second part!

 9. Cut another length of lace, this time about 12 inches long. Fold in half and put the scrap wire through the cut ends (not the folded end).

 10. Pull the lace through the first chicklet, leaving a little space at the folded end.

 11. Take the ends of the cord at the base of the bunny and tie a knot inside the loop of lace.

 12. Trim and glue the knot.

 13. Move the chicklet bead up right beneath the bunny.

 14. Tie a knot in the lace and pull the other chicklet bead up just beneath. Remove the wire.

 15. Now for the last and easy step—first double check that your bracelet will fit and make any necessary adjustments…

 16. And then knot the ends of the lace together with the ends of the fabric covered bead cord.

 17. I added one more knot beneath the last chicklet and then knotted the lace and fabric together… trim and you're done!

I hope you had fun following along!

Have a most wonderful and creative weekend!

Adventures in Chain Maille: The Beginning

Chain maille has been on my to-do list for years.  No really, years.  I bought this kit at a Bead Fest several years ago and just never got around to actually doing it.

The kit is from fe Maille and includes detailed instructions on both jewelry basics and the weave pattern (byzantine variation), jump rings, seed beads and an artisan clasp.  You just need to supply your own pliers.

It only took me a few minutes to understand the basics of making the first byzantine link.  I did have a couple of "What the heck?" moments but they didn't last long.  The instructions really are that good.

I was able to get through making five more links relatively quickly with only minimal destruction to a few jump rings.  I've always suffered from plier death grip-itis.  

I left the house for a bit and when I came home I easily completed the large jump ring and seed bead connectors.  It doesn't hurt either that I have tiny baby-sized wrists so I didn't have to create as many links.

Well look at that!  I made my first chain maille piece....a Byzantine variation bracelet!

And since my wrists are so ridiculously small, I had enough jump rings left to make some earrings!  I paired them with my porcelain ammonite charms.  I think they look pretty spiffy!  Yes, I said spiffy.

I was warned that chain maille is addictive.  It's true.  I've since ordered a practice kit from The Ring Lord and plan to order higher quality saw-cut rings from C&T Designs once I'm confident I won't wreck all the good stuff.  I also purchased two books on Amazon; Chained and Chain Maille Jewelry Workshop.  

I hope you'll enjoy following along with me while I embark on this jump ring-filled adventure!

Happy Beading!

Diana P.

Suburban Girl Studio LLC