Metal Hammered Fringe with Beadalon Flat Artistic Wire

You all know that I love my tassels on many projects and today I am putting a twist on that concept. Rather than using fabric or beads to make a tassel I will be using Beadalon Flat Artistic Wire to create fringe on an enameled pendant by Anne Gardanne. Take a look at the supplies list and lets make a hammered fringe necklace with Beadalon Flat Artistic Wire.

Hammered Fringe Necklace Supplies:

• Pendant
• Beadalon flat Artistic wire (5mm x .75mm)
• Jump Rings
• Wire Cutter
• Wire Punch
• Bench Block
• Chasing Hammer
• Leather
• Sandpaper

To start this project off I cut a piece of my Flat Artistic wire. I started cutting the longest middle piece to give me some direction. From there I could cut my next shortest layer and then my final layer, shortening them as I like. Be sure to cut both pieces at once so that they match the opposite side.

When you cut the flat wire the corners will be sharp. To make these rounded and more comfortable to wear I used some sandpaper to file down the corners. Sanding before you start to hammer will make it easier to see how your piece is developing but it can be done after you hammer, as I did to save time.

After sanding the corners I used my metal punch to put a hole in the top of each of my fringe pieces. They are now ready for hammering. I always put my bench block on top of a leather sandbag to help it from moving around and to dampen the sound. For this project I used the ball side of my chasing hammer to give the texture I wanted for the fringe.

Some tips for when you are hammering, be sure that you don’t make the piece too thin. As you hammer you will be moving the molecules of the wire. This will give the edges a rounded look depending on how close to the edge you get while hammering. You will want to watch how much hammering you do around the whole at the top of the fringe. If you hammer too much or get too close at the whole it will loose its integrity and not be as strong to hold the jump ring.

If you look at both sides of the hammered piece you will see that the texture is different. You will not hammer both sides as this will iron out the texture. Although you won’t hammer both the front and back, you should turn the piece around (top to bottom) to make sure that your hammering is even.

While I am making the fringe I decided to also make the jump rings for this project. You will need a bail making pliers to be able to make jump rings. I used 20g artistic wire but could have used 18g for a more snug fit.

To finish this piece I used Leather Cord USA Deer Skin leather lace. Rather than using a finding to finish off the necklace I tied two knots to make a sliding knot. This will allow me to have a shorter necklace or a longer necklace depending on how I want to wear it.

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