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| Purple Chain Maille Earrings Instructions available in the Learning Center! |
Getting started with Chain Maille can definitely be daunting. There's a lot to learn at the outset - a new set of vocabulary, a new group of materials, new concepts to grasp, but the good news is that you really only need 2 tools to get started making chain maille. You'll need two pliers - chain nose, flat nose, bent chain nose pliers - any combination that works best for you. And one technique - opening and closing a jump ring. If you can open and close a jump ring, you can do chain maille!
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| The Beadalon Snub Nose Chain Maille Pliers are perfect for making chain maille! |
The first thing to know is the "anatomy of a jump ring". There is an inner diameter (the distance between the inside edges of the ring), an outer diameter (the distance between the outside edges of the ring), and a gauge of the wire that the ring is made from. The relationship between the inner diameter to the gauge is called the "aspect ratio" (the inner diameter divided by the gauge of the rings). The best way to explain aspect ratio is that it informs whether or not the rings will fit together and how tight the weave will be. In the chain maille world according to Meredith, all of the rules get thrown out the window - if your rings will fit together and look the way you want them to, then they will work for chain maille!
Wyatt and I worked closely with the Chain Maille Lady, Lauren Anderson, to develop the Beadalon Chain Maille Program as a way to simplify the process of making chain maille. Here is the breakdown:
1. Start with the Chain Maille Booklet. There are full color instructions for 8 weaves, as well as all of the information you need to get started.
2. There are 4 colors of rings - Silver, Gold, Black and Antique Brass.
3. There are 2 gauges of rings - 18 and 20 gauge.
4. The Chain Maille Weave recommended gauges and rings per inch chart (shown below) is the guide to follow. You don't have to worry about calculating any aspect ratio, we've taken care of that for you! All you need to do is follow the guidelines on the chart and you'll know which rings to use and how many rings that you need.
For the Full Persian weave that I chose to demonstrate for the Facebook Live, according to the chart, I'll need either 20 gauge 11/64" OR 18 gauge 7/32" rings. 20 gauge wire will make a more delicate weave, the 18 gauge will be heavier and the rings will be slightly harder to open and close. I went with the 18 gauge rings, and chose black and silver in 7/32".
I definitely recommend watching the Facebook Live Replay, but here are my most important tips and tricks to set yourself up for success:
1. Start out with a nice airy weave using larger jump rings.
2. Use 8 Compartment Storage Rings to store your jump rings and label them with the gauges and sizes of your jump rings with either a label maker or a Sharpie.
3. Use different colors of rings for contrast as you are weaving. It makes it much easier to see the different steps.
4. When you are starting your weave, attach it to something larger so that you can have something substantial to hold on to - a QuickLink ring, a paperclip, a binder clip, a keyring, anything you can think of that you can attach to.
5. Keep a bit of "starter strip" for each weave. Sometimes starting the weave is the hardest part. If you have a bit already started, you never have to worry about fiddling with the start again.
6. Depending on your weave, start by pre-opening and/or pre-closing a bunch of rings.
7. Follow the Beadalon Chart, and the instructions in the Chain Maille Booklet to learn the weaves!
I'll be presenting several chain maille demonstrations over the next few months on Facebook Live. Be sure to set your reminders to join us live on the Beadalon Facebook Page - 2pm ET on Thursdays - or catch the replay! Have you done any chain maille weaving? Post what you've made in the Jewelry Making with Beadalon Facebook Group, we love to see what you've made.
Most of all - have patience, give yourself grace and enjoy the journey!
Until next time, Happy Beading!
Meredith
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