My new beady friend and wire worker extraordinaire, Jem Hawkes, blew my mind on last week's Facebook Live when she showed me how to use the Artistic Wire Wire Crinkler Tool to make these gorgeous bracelets! Of course, if you don't have a Wire Crinkler, you can make the base zig zag with pliers, but why do it the slow way if you can zip the wire through the Crinkler in mere seconds? Jem takes us through both techniques, and several variations of this gorgeous design. I can already think of a whole bunch of other application for these crinkles. Can you?
You can watch the whole video in this Facebook Live.
A bit about Jem:
Jem Hawkes is a designer and tutor specialising in wirework and gemstone jewellery. In addition to originating her own brand of unique jewellery designs and techniques, Jem is a jewellery tutor and teaches both via project led workshops and on her YouTube channel.
Link to shop: https://www.numonday.com/shop/jem-hawkes-jems-gem-box
Link to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JemHawkesJewellery
Link to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/jemhawkes
Materials:
Artistic Wire Wire Crinkler Tool
Chain Nose Pliers
18 Gauge Artistic Wire - 2x 10 inches each
20 Gauge Artistic Wire - 2x 18-25 inches each
26 Gauge Artistic Wire
24x 4mm crystal bicones
Instructions:
STEP 1
Run each length of 20 gauge Artistic Wire through the Wire Crinkler Tool.
STEP 2
Trim the ends of the wires so the crinkles are even. Turn a small loop on each of the ends back towards the bend of the zig zag. Lay the wires so they are a mirror image of each other.
STEP 3
Thread all but one of the bicone crystals onto the 26 gauge Artistic Wire.
STEP 4
Starting at the second diamond from the end, leaving about a 3 inch tail, wrap the end of the 26 gauge Artistic Wire around the frames to the left of the diamond. Thread the one remaining bicone crystal onto the 24 gauge Artistic Wire. Pulling the wire from the bottom left to the top right, wrap the wire around the other side of the diamond twice.
STEP 5
Flip the design around, and wrap from the other end. Move a bicone bead into place, and wrap around the join of the diamond from bottom left to top right twice. Take care that the wires do not overlap. Continue to the end of the bracelet. Bring the end of the 26 gauge wire around the loop on the end. Wrap it around three times, trim and tuck in the end.
STEP 6
Repeat on the other side. Go back to the beginning and add another bead in the empty diamond. Wrap the wire around the loop on the end 3 times, trim and tuck in the end.
STEP 7
Create a coil on all of the ends of the 18 gauge wire, then lay the two 18 gauge wires on either side of the zig zag piece with the coils facing in.
STEP 8
Cut an 18 inch piece of 26 gauge wire. Take hold of the zig zag piece. Note the side that the crystals are sitting up on top of the wire. That is the top of the design. Wrap the middle of the 26 gauge wire onto the middle of the 18 gauge wire.
STEP 9
Thread the 26 gauge wire through the very bottom of the middle diamond (under the bead, above the wire). Gently draw the wire all the way through through. Wrap once around just the 18 gauge wire between the two diamonds. Continue wrapping through the diamonds and around the 18 gauge wire and to the end of the bracelet.
STEP 10
Once you get to the end, loop through the heart shape twice and three times around the excess wire. Trim and tuck the ends. Repeat steps 9 and 10 from the middle to the other side.
STEP 11
Grip the coil in the flat part of your chain nose pliers, and gently continue the coil to cover the heart loops.
STEP 12
Repeat steps 8-11 to add the second 18 gauge wire.
STEP 13
Use a mandrel and your fingers to shape the cuff into a bracelet shape.
Be sure to check out the whole video for all of the steps, tips, tricks and variation. I am so grateful to Jem for sparking my renewed passion for wire wrapping. I'm looking forward to taking this technique with crinkled wire to the next level!
Join me in the Jewelry Making with Beadalon Facebook Group for even more inspiration, and mark your calendar for 2pm EST on Thursdays to join me live on Facebook.
Until next time, happy beading!
Meredith
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