Three Strand Sterling Chain Bracelet

By Ginny

Sterling silver is a chameleon. The finish can be brilliantly shiny or given a dark patina. The surface can be smooth, brushed, or embellished. This project uses brightly polished chain, sterling beads in a traditional “squash blossom” shape, and a toggle clasp joined together with wire wraps. This is a quick project that has a rich look. It can be adapted to your own style using Swarovski crystals, glass beads, or gemstone beads.

Wire wrapping is one of the most popular classes at Beads Amore. The technique allows you to make chains, links, earrings, pendants, and embellishments. For a photograph see: Primer to wire working . Check the schedule online, or pick up a printed schedule in either store. All our beading.

Skill: Wire Wrapping

Tools: Chain nose pliers, round nose pliers

Materials: for 7 ½ inch Bracelet(fits average 6- 6 ¼ inch wrist)

• 14 inches of sterling


• silver chain


• 4 – 8mm fluted sterling beads


• 1 toggle clasp22 gauge


• German Jewelry Wire

After measuring your wrist and allowing for any differences in wrist size or bead chosen, cut the chain in 9 equal pieces.

As pictured, cut the pieces one and one half inches long. (Since you are cutting links away, you will need about to allow one half inch more chain)Making a small loop, attach the first bead to the toggle clasp with a wire wrap.

At the other side of the bead, make a larger loop on which 3 strands of chain will move easily after the wrap is closed.

Continue in this fashion, adding two more beads wire wrapped with large loops, and two more sets of chains.

Wire wrap the fourth bead with a large loop one the chain end, and a small loop to which the other end of the toggle is attached.

Your bracelet is complete.

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Wire Working with Natalie

This is my first post on our new Beads Amore Blog, so I decided to tell you a little bit about me! I have been working here at Beads Amore for over 2 years and I love it. Before I came to work here, I started out shopping at both of our stores because I found that the selection was second to none. I then decided, “Hey, this is a place I can really see myself working and growing as a designer.” The rest is history. I love to teach classes and meet new people here. Sometimes I think we may have too much fun during our classes! Though, I also think that anytime you can work in an environment that really lets you be who you are, then everyone around you can feel that you are enjoying what you are doing and that allows them to have fun, too.

I have been making some kind of jewelry since I was in elementary school. (Even if it was just the little woven friendship bracelets.) I was the “go-to” gal if you needed one. :-) Though I so loved making those little woven bracelets, my friends get much nicer friendship bracelets now, to say the least. I have found in jewelry making and design that even though there are so many aspects that you can really get into, people tend to find what works the best for them, whether it be basic stringing or something far more advanced like metalsmithing. My dad always called me a “Jane-of-all-trades” because I always want to know a little bit about everything. And though I have tried many facets (pardon the pun) of jewelry making, my FAVORITE is wire working. We offer quite a few classes here in wire working.

If you are intrigued by working with wire, but feel a little intimidated, start out with our Wire Primer class. In the wire primer we teach you how to essentially make a beaded chain by making loops and coils with wire and beads in between. This is a very versatile technique that can be used in making bracelets, necklaces, earrings, anklets, and even rosaries. We offer this class twice a month at each of our two stores. Here are some examples of this technique. Wire Working Primer.
If you want to take wire working a step beyond the basics, we offer many other classes. Two of my favorite classes to teach are: Mounting Cabochons with tools and Mounting Cabochons Freehand . I like both of these classes because it allows you to really put yourself into the piece. Even if everyone in the class started out with the same wire and the same stone to wrap, each piece would turn out differently, which is really cool! With a little practice you can wrap just about anything from rocks or shells, to marbles, to pieces of broken pottery. You can even wrap fossils or sea glass. We get a lot of people that come in with rocks or shells that they have found on vacation. It’s a great way to make an unexpected showpiece out of a memory. We try to offer these classes fairly often and we are more than happy to schedule one to fit it into your busy schedule. Please check out our class listings here: Beading, Wire Working, Bead Stringing Classes. If you are unable to find the class at the time you need, click on the box at the top of that page to see a full listing of classes that we offer. If you give us a time that works for you, we will try to set something up.

Thanks for checking us out. I hope to see you in one of my classes soon!

Natalie

Beads Amore Bead Store

We have established this blog to give our employees and customers a place to post information about beading, learn new skills and help us become the best bead store in the world. Please visit often and help us help you become better beader.

A New Adventure - Wearable Art Galleria

We have started a new project that was designed to be a win win for our designer customers and our gift buyer customers. It is called Wearable Art Galleria. It is an area of our store and a website that is dedicated to a new artist every month. The artist can display up to 60 of his creations for one month in the store and twelve month on the website. The artist will also be assisted in learning how to market his creations. Please visit our new venture and check out a new artist evey month.