Wire Link/Charmbracelet Fun!

Wire Charm, or link Bracelets!

So, recently someone asked me about my favorite thing to make, and hands down, this is one of them! The links are easy, and you can make them in large batches. Plus, if you make them in groups, you can throw them in a tumbler to polish.

To connect them, you can use either jump rings, or beaded links. If you use the jump rings, make sure you get the good ones! 16G, or 18G rings are available from Fire Mountain Gems, and I've found them to be good quality. Also, I like to make a beaded link with 22G wire and pearls. It takes more time, but is a nicer look.

To make it into a charm bracelet, you simply loosen the curls in the links and add beaded charms. (Remember to tighten them again later or your bracelet will fall apart!) I like to make beaded links in huge numbers. Often, when I don't know quite what I want to do, I'll make bead dangles and charms with whatever beads I left out on my table since the last time I worked. So, sometimes I call these my "clean-up-the-table" bracelets.

To make them, you'll need 14G, and 22G wire. Jump rings or beads as desired.

Tools: Extra long round nose pliers, cutters, needle files, hand file, ball peen hammer, and a hammering block.

I teach these in almost every term I teach at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, or Sweetwater Center for the Art. And I have a class coming up at Moonrise Bead Company in Monroeville Pa March 20th on this very project.

I hope to see you there!