Chatter

Lois D on “Bluebells”:
“Gorgeous earrings; gorgeous flowers! Thanks for sharing both.…” read »
Medieval Momma on “Bluebells”:
“Very pretty!…” read »
Ann-a706 on “Tourmaline Dream”:
“This is a piece one can wear from day to night, very beautiful!…” read »
Ann-a706 on “Totally Teal”:
“Wanda the ring is cute, did you a spiral worked in to your ring?…” read »
jdbeast1 on “Garden Droplets”:
“Love it....You always inspire me, Ali !…” read »
N Taylor on “Totally Teal”:
“Wanda you are such a skilled artist. Love those bracelets....Teal is such a happy color.…” read »
Beadzilla aka Wanda on “a taste of honey”:
“Gorgeous Doktor! My kind of colors.…” read »
Beadzilla aka Wanda on “Evergreen Copper”:
“Ooops! I meant, Thank you all!…” read »
Beadzilla aka Wanda on “Evergreen Copper”:
“Thanks you!....…” read »
Laud on “Evergreen Copper”:
“The copper, the stones--love it all. Lovely, dramatic design.…” read »
Laud on “Prince Moai”:
“Great set. Jimmy's a lucky moai.…” read »
Granny Chick aka Nancy on “Tourmaline Dream”:
“Love it! Exquisite beads.…” read »
D Bienen on “Prince Moai”:
“These pieces are just stunning!!!!! Love looking at the lovely projects beaders have done..it is…” read »
Chelsea H on “Lots of Copper”:
“You could always start learning etching! I find that 16g through 20g copper makes some of…” read »
SpiralGalaxyx7 on “Violet Tendril Earrings”:
“Wonderful use of the sari silk ribbons! Love the earrings! I'm so glad lucite is not…” read »
Lisa LaBarre-Kurz on “Lovely Impression”:
“KO thread is used without a needle because of the stiffness of it. At Lima beads…” read »
Mary S – Sweet Chick on “Blue Velvet Wraps”:
“Thanks Lynda and Kate! I'll take a closer look at Swellegant. Lynda, thank you for the…” read »
Beadzilla aka Wanda on “Prince Moai”:
“Great looking pieces Jimmy is wearing. The nuggets are gorgeous. …” read »
monicaocoatl on “Prince Moai”:
“I have a huge crush on Jimmy too and he loves wearing all the blink. LOL…” read »
Fresh Baked on “Blue Velvet Wraps”:
“Hi, Mary. There are other ways to get the oxidized look without the smell of…” read »
Chris Foust on “Simply Crystal”:
“Wow! Simply gorgeous!…” read »
Kate on “Blue Velvet Wraps”:
“Mary S-- You could try using Swellegant instead of LOS. These are slightly acidic and shouldn't…” read »
N Taylor on “A Green Cuff”:
“Wow! Blown away. Thanks for all the pics. Wow!…” read »
N Taylor on “Lots of Copper”:
“Great earrings. Can't wait to see what you do with the 16g.…” read »
N Taylor on “Butterfly Dance”:
“Wanda, I really like this. Love the Butterfly theme and admire all the hard work…” read »
N Taylor on “Prince Moai”:
“Please let Jimmy know that he is my first on-line crush. Love a guy who…” read »
N Taylor on “Blue Bird of Happiness in Brass”:
“Thank you all. Let me share with you, brass is the hardest metal I have worked…” read »
Blooming Ideas on “Tourmaline Dream”:
“Beautiful! Fabulous pendant...makes for a beautiful necklace.…” read »
Nancy Mc on “Tourmaline Dream”:
“Dream is the perfect word to use for this set. Oh my gosh!!!!!…” read »
Nancy Mc on “Prince Moai”:
“Much fabulocity here. I'm a huuuuuge Aqua nugget fan. They look great with Quartz.It has such…” read »
Nancy Mc on “Blue Velvet Wraps”:
“Thanks for that tutorial,FB. I would never have guessed about the "loop first" method. I'll give…” read »
Mary S – Sweet Chick on “Blue Velvet Wraps”:
“I read your tute and found it very easy to follow! And must agree with Kate and…” read »
Little Round Chick on “Mystic Mystery”:
“Love that color! Great design, too. …” read »
Little Round Chick on “Raspberry and Cream!”:
“YUM! Can I have mine with shortbread? This is such a gorgeous technique, Julia,…” read »
monicaocoatl on “Prince Moai”:
“No earrings for Prince Jimmy! I 'm wearing the earrings! LOL Thank you very much! These…” read »
Little Round Chick on “Blue Bird of Happiness in Brass”:
“Blue with brass. What more could anyone want? Great design. …” read »
Little Round Chick on “Yellow Dragonfly”:
“My kind of color! Love the design, too! Isn't it great to have a stash when…” read »
Little Round Chick on “Evergreen Copper”:
“Mmmmmm, yummy color! Love it! …” read »
Little Round Chick on “Blue Velvet Wraps”:
“Kate is right, It definitely has that "industrial chic" look. Great color, excellent design! …” read »
Beadzilla aka Wanda on “Butterfly Dance”:
“Thanks so much everyone. When I designed this I was thinking that the butterflies were skipping…” read »

New Cuff with Instructions

by Little Round Chick on 04/03/12

Bigger Photo

About this design:

This is a fairly comprehensive tutorial for making a beaded wire cuff. If any of the steps are unclear let me know.

Components:

copper wire, pearls and glass beads

Step-by-Step Instructions:

	Step 1: Supplies and tool used in this project: 22 inches of 12 gauge copper wire, 24 gauge copper wire for stringing beads, ruler, raw hide mallet or hammer with rubber head, bench block, ball peen or chasing hammer, cylinder with smallish diameter to make curves in the wire (nail polish bottle), twist ties, masking tape optional, marker, beads of different sizes in color choice
	Step 2: Mark the center of the 12ga wire. Mark 3 inches on each side of the center mark. Curve wire around cylinder at each side mark, make small curl on ends of wire then make a cross-over on the bottom. The piece should be about 6 inches when measured curve to curve. Tape cross-over at the bottom.
	Step 3: Curve the wire toward the top making a large loop and bring the curl in toward the center. Do the same with the other wire then stack the curls, one on top of the other. When this step is finished flatten the frame with mallet and remove the tape.
	Step 4: Texture flatten frame with chasing hammer or ball peen hammer. When texture work is finished turn the frame over and flatten on the back side with the mallet or rubber head hammer.
	Step 5: Begin curving the frame around a bracelet mandrel, large diameter metal pipe or baseball bat. Use the mallet or rubber head hammer to make the frame follow the shape of your mandrel.
	Step 6: Use twist ties or thin pieces of tape to secure the loops inside the frame and secure the curls in place.
	Step 7: Cut a length of the 24ga wire about 16 inches long. Tightly wind one end of the stringing wire around the frame wire make 3 or 4 wraps. I usually do this at the cross-over or where two pieces of wire touch. When the stringing wire is secured start adding beads. There is no set pattern for bead placement.
	Step 8: As you add beads the stringing wire can also be used to replace the twist ties or tape in what ever section you are working on. Secure the loops to the frame with the stringing wire as you string the beads. When you run out of wire wrap the last 1/2 inch or so tightly around the frame. I usually try to end my wire at a place where the frame wires touch or under the edge of a bead.
	Step 9: When you add beads along the bottom use the stringing wire to secure the cross over and the bottoms of the loops. Secure the curls to each other. I generally work on one area at a time moving from side to side.
	Step 10: Fill in the side areas as much or as little as you want. If you have small areas you want to fill in seed beads work very well.
	Step 11: After you finish stringing the beads check for little wire tails and trim them off as close to the frame wire as possible then flatten ends if needed. After all of the beads are strung and tails trimmed the cuff is ready for the final shaping around the wrist.

Read the comments (or add your own)

On Apr 03, 2012 at 10:59 pm #
S libbey says:

I love this! great job!
On Apr 03, 2012 at 11:02 pm #
gembeans says:

Thank you,thank you! You are such a dear!!! As soon as I hunt eggs until my brains are mush, and I recover, I’ll give this a try. I have copper wire now. Can’t wait, your cuffs are wonderful!!
On Apr 03, 2012 at 11:44 pm #
Little Round Chick says:

Thank You Ladies.

I wasn’t too sure if I was going to post it. I just hope the instructions aren’t to hard to follow.
On Apr 04, 2012 at 12:45 am #
Elaine aka Belly Chick says:

Gorgeous! Thanks for posting all of the pictures… definitely helps a lot!!
On Apr 04, 2012 at 12:48 am #
Nancy Mc says:

Gee LRC…looks like a great tutorial. It was so nice of you to take all that time to share!
The pearl bracelet is a masterpiece!
On Apr 04, 2012 at 1:03 am #
S Castro says:

Love it, thanks for sharing. I’ve been struggling with teaching myself from photos and I think your project will really help me to get the hang of it. Beautiful! I’ll post a picture when I’m done.
On Apr 04, 2012 at 1:15 am #
BrendaBeads says:

Wow! This is wonderful. I think your pics and instructions are great. Thank you!
On Apr 04, 2012 at 2:30 am #
Little Round Chick says:

Thanks for the comments and compliments Everyone. I hope that all of you will give it a try and let me know if the directions are clear enough and easy to follow.
On Apr 04, 2012 at 9:35 am #
Mary S - Sweet Chick says:

Nancy, you’re the greatest! And this is another beauty!
I’m with gembeads, after all the egg hunting & my brain has been turned to mush, I’m hoping new creativity will be the outcome.
On Apr 04, 2012 at 12:05 pm #
Fresh Baked says:

Great tutorial, Nancy. Congratulations and thanks for sharing with us. Love the mix of pearls with this design.
On Apr 04, 2012 at 12:47 pm #
olive penguin says:

Wow! This is wonderful and stunning! Thanks for the instructions! It’s really helpful and great to see how you make your beautiful bracelets!
On Apr 04, 2012 at 1:00 pm #
Vee aka Dream Chickie says:

Love your cuff bracelet!! Beautiful work and design! Thanks for sharing the step by step instructions. I have been thinking about making my first cuff bracelet soon.
On Apr 04, 2012 at 1:37 pm #
D D Mystic Chick says:

nice! thanks for the step-by-steps
On Apr 04, 2012 at 4:42 pm #
JustImagine - Val says:

Thank you so much for the instructions …you do amazing work!!!!
On Apr 04, 2012 at 5:32 pm #
Little Round Chick says:

Y’all really know how to brighten up my day! Thanks for all of the compliments and great comments.

I’ve got three or four frames ready to bead. Wonder if I will have any finger prints left by the time I finish them?
On Apr 05, 2012 at 10:51 pm #
Chickie Nonnie T says:

Can’t wait to try this! Great job!
On Apr 06, 2012 at 8:38 am #
Pam E aka funky tulip says:

great instructions, I almost feel like I could do this thanks!
On Apr 06, 2012 at 12:31 pm #
JC Hamm says:

I love your work!! I’ve been wanting to try my hand at wire work, and you make it look so easy.Thanks.
On Apr 06, 2012 at 10:04 pm #
Nancy Mc says:

Ha ha ha.LRC! Love the fingerprint joke!
On Apr 07, 2012 at 10:45 pm #
Gemme Designs says:

Thanks a lot, I have to try this, I just love your bracelets!! Love the colorful pearls
On Apr 08, 2012 at 11:56 am #
Little Round Chick says:

I’m expecting a bunch of cuff bracelets Everyone so get cracking. It will be exciting to see the changes or additions you make.

BTW thanks for all of the compliments.
On Apr 14, 2012 at 5:45 pm #
K Pelletier says:

i’m going to make a couple of these this week your directions look easy enough and I’m just starting to work with wire.
On Apr 23, 2012 at 11:11 pm #
Mildred D says:

Very nice piece of jewelry!

Thank you very much for publishing, I find it remarkable that you do this without asking money for it.

Regards,
Mildred
On May 12, 2012 at 12:21 am #
Shawneeindian says:

ok ladies i am gonna jump in on this one…hope the water is fine….
On May 24, 2012 at 4:24 am #
Lesli M says:

All I can say is WOW! Great job.
On Jun 16, 2012 at 7:59 pm #
Ananga says:

thank you so muh beautiful but i ant fin the wire 12 gauge! where it is pls
On Jun 22, 2012 at 3:40 pm #
Little Round Chick says:

Ananga, the best place to get 12 gauge wire is Home Depot! Lowe’s might have it or any other place that sells building supplies. It is just plain old 12 gauge bare copper electrical wire and much cheaper to buy from Home Depot that a jewelry supply place.
On Jun 22, 2012 at 3:42 pm #
Harriet aka BeadVizChick says:

Gorgeous design and fantastic detailed instructions. Thanks so much for posting!
On Jul 09, 2012 at 7:37 pm #
Creativity Unlimited says:

Yeehaw!!! Another great design with super instructions! I can’t wait to try this and I don’t know why but I happen to have some 12 gauge copper color wire I found the other day so I think I’m spring-loaded and ready to go! Thank you so much for your patience in taking the pics and writing the instructions for us.
On Aug 20, 2012 at 12:19 pm #
BeadSpirit says:

Absolutely beautiful design! I plan on making this for my daughters Bday in October. I’ve been making jewelry and simple wiring (for the 2nd time in my life) for about 3 years. It is my salvation to being home bound and disabled.
I have one ? For you that I didn’t see asked before~ are the copper wires just in one shape, round obviously…and does it come in just one hardness or can you get sft, hard, dead soft? And if so what should I use?
Thanks so much! Hope to hear from you soon. Congratulations on this brilliant design!
On Aug 27, 2012 at 12:13 am #
K Tuck says:

Thanks for the wonderful directions, and all the time that went into the photos, making it a great tutorial!!!
On Sep 06, 2012 at 6:27 pm #
Little Round Chick says:

BeadSpirit, sorry to be so slow answering your questions. As to the shape of copper wire, what I buy from Home Depot only comes in round and it is probably dead soft. There are other shapes of wire available from various vendors. It comes in square and half round and I think twisted. I haven’t checked in quite some time.

If you haven’t worked with 12ga wire it might be a bit difficult to shape. The first cuff bracelet I made was with 16ga wire, had a middle wire and spiraled wire ends. I have photos of some different style frames that I will post just as soon as I can find them.
On Sep 06, 2012 at 6:49 pm #
Little Round Chick says:

I found the picture!

This design is made using instructions found in the book, “Beautiful Wire Jewelry for Beaders” by Irina Miech. I took a class to learn how to make it and since then I have played around with many variations.
On Oct 09, 2012 at 4:06 pm #
KSD says:

Such great info – I love your bracelet. I’ve been wanting to do one. Now I know how to start. Thank you!
On Mar 31, 2013 at 7:57 am #
M starrett says:

Very Pretty. Definitely going to give this a try.
On Apr 26, 2013 at 9:26 am #
jdnr10 says:

Absolutely gorgeous!!!