Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Gold Toggle Flower Bracelet
Supplies: *Painted flower Brackets (as many as needed to go around wrist)
*Multi toned gold beads
*bead wire (.45mm in copper)
*gold toggle clasp
*clamp beads- Gold/Copper (6)
*needle nose pliers
*clamp pliers
*wire cutters
*Measuring tape
*Tip 1- Plan It Out* As with all jewelry designs I laid out the design on my bead board before I started doing anything. Had to try out different style gem stones to see which one matched best, as I did not buy any of the beads at the same time.
*Tip 2 - Measure* Always measure for each project to make sure the lengths that fit best are correct. This is important when making items for other people. Once you have done them enough times you will know the required lengths and can skip this step.
*Tip 3- Tight Loops* Try and keep the loop as tight as possible to keep from having a big gap. This can be done by holding one end of the bead wire with a needle nose pliers and then taking the other end of the wire and pulling it tighter.
*Suggestion 1* Doing one clamp bead at the end to make sure everything stays tight and then another to create the loop is NOT required. You can choose to use only one clamp bead, just be sure to keep the beads together tightly enough to not end up with large gaps when you wear it. I do it for both ease and strength. Beginners can do this until they get better at re-threading the closure clamp.
*Tip 4 - Consider Material and Purpose* You must always be aware of the type of give and strength your supplies have or you could end up with breaks, scrapping, and no flexibility. The heavier the wire the less bend and flexibility it has. String the beads too tightly together and some will rub together and break. String them too tightly and the beads will bunch and not bend well around your wrist. Some times you need to allow for "give room" with bracelets in order to get the bracelet to wrap.
Steps:
- Measure out the length of bead wire you will need to fit around your wrist and then give yourself about 2 inches to loop back through at the ends. Use wire cutters to cut correct length. Do this twice.
- Take a clamp and thread it on the bead wire; then slide the bead wire through the loop on the toggle clasp. Loop the bead wire back through the clamp bead and then use the clamp pliers to clamp it the bead in place. This should allow for a loop to hold the one end in place. (see *Tip 3*)
- Repeat last step for other side. (see *Tip 3*)
-Thread on the beads and brackets in the order of the design you picked ahead of time (see *Tip 1*)
-Continue this until you have the length you determined earlier. (see *Tip 2*)
-Once you have finished your design for the length, slide on a clamp and use the clamp pliers to secure it in place. (see *Suggestion 1* and *Tip 4*)
-Take another clamp bead and thread it on first, then slide the wire through the loop on the other end of the toggle clasp. And then thread the wire back through the clamp. Now tighten the wire until you have a small loop. Use the clamp pliers to close the clamp when you have the loop the size you want. (see *Tip 3*)
-Take a wire cutters and clip off the extra wire as close as possible to the last clamp bead. If the wire is bend-able enough and the bead holes are big enough you can thread the extra wire back through the beads instead of cutting it.
- Repeat the last two steps for the other loop on the toggle clasp.
That will finish off the bracelet.
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