For every holiday I enjoy putting together a special table display. It ties together the feel of the holiday and gives everyone something special to look at while we gather around the table. This year for my Thanksgiving table I have made some wire wrap wreaths to put around candles. Learn how to make wire wrapped candle wreaths for your own Thanksgiving or any other celebration.
Here is a quick project to show you the ins and outs of using a jump ring.
This post is brought to you by Beadalon–thanks Beadalon for sponsoring my blog posts and supporting my love of DIY jewelry.
One of the very first things I show people how to do when making jewelry is how to open and close a jump ring. It’s such a simple act and you can make so many things by knowing this technique for making connections in DIY jewelry. That’s how I made this sweet moth necklace.
The jump rings at the tip of the wings connect the moth to the chain. In about 5 minutes, you can have yourself an over the head layering necklace (and a really good time). Check out the tutorial and video at the end of this post for details on opening and closing a jump ring.
It’s helpful to use two pairs of chain nose pliers (see materials list at the end of this post) when opening and closing rings. Some people like to use a bent chain nose pliers to help hold their jump ring as well. Beadalon also has a super helpful jump ring tool to make opening jump rings much easier. You will still use your pliers to close the ring when you are finished.
Place the ring’s opening at “12 o’clock” and twist the ring open with the two pairs of pliers. Don’t open it so the ring looks like a “C” because it’s super hard to get the ring to go back into a perfect circle after this.
Connect your clasp, chain, moth, etc… and twist the jump ring closed.
This is a super quick project with beautiful results. You can use any pendant that has two holes as the top to complete this project, let your imagination take over.
Supply List:
Beadalon Ergo Pliers
Beadalon Jump Rings
Jesse James Bead’s Moth Pendant
Have you checked out the Candie Cooper Etsy store?
For the last two months I’ve been loading the shop with unique DIY jewelry components. There’s a whole lotta rustic charm and sparkle.
Speaking of sparkle.,,,
One of our faves right now is the Blue Jean Louise Swarovski bracelet kit. It goes together in a snap and packs some mega sparkle. Good for gifts. Amazing for bridal accessories. Honestly, we can’t get enough of them around here.
Full Disclosure: I work with Beadalon and LeatherCord USA. They are sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine.
This stone slab pendant (here me sigh a sigh of aw).
One of the women in this week’s Facebook Live video said it was picture Jasper. I believe it because each one is a landscape painting, a forrest, the painted dessert or whatever you see ….
I wire wrapped leather lace with Beadalon’s flat Artistic Wire. So easy! Simply make your leather link, then wrap the middle with the flat wire, crimping it with chain nose pliers in between each wrap to cinch it.
Little knots give the ends of the leather a finished look.
Materials list:
Beadalon flat artistic wire, 3mm width
Leathercord USA deertan lacing, 1/8″ width
Picture jasper pendant: etsy.com/shop/candiecooper
Watch the live video recap here and join me almost daily at 2:30 EST for the Candie Cooper Facebook Live Show featuring easy DIY jewelry making ideas.
This post brought to you by Beadalon–Makers of great findings and DIY jewelry supplies. Thanks Beadalon for the sponsor love!
Tassels are still having their moment.
Everywhere.
I ain’t mad about it either. I love flair.
You can make your own tassels super easy with Beadalon’s tassel maker and some of that embroidery floss you were gonna use for that cross stitch project. For a tip-I like suctioning the tool to the top of a plastic bead storage box.
This is the tassel maker. You can adjust the mandrels and make a ton of different sized tassels. In this tutorial, I’m showing how to make tassel charms. You can also loop a wire through and make a wrapped loop if you want to add a bead cap over the top of the tassel (see bracelets above).
Either way, I like to tie off the top of the tassel so it is bound. You can use a contrasting thread color too.
Loosen the mandrels and slide the bundle off. I tied mine at both ends so I could get two tassels for the work of one.
Cut the bundle in the middle to create the two tassels.
You can leave them like this or….
Comb them out with a fork to make them nice and fluffy. You can also wrap wire around the tie or add seed beads.
Get the tassel maker tool from Beadalon.com.
You just never know where a quick little project like this will take you…All you have to do is start.
This post brought to you by Beadalon.com. Thanks Beadalon for sponsoring this post and helping me to share my love of DIY jewelry making.
It’s one of the great mysteries of the universe.
Well….the jewelry making universe anyway.
Beading wire.
This is nylon coated beading wire we are talking about. It’s flexible and used for stringing beads of all shapes and sizes. Beading wire is not used for wire wrapping stones. That’s a common confusion I’ve found.
There are so many different ones available and it can get really confusing. That’s why I created this post to help you understand the different types of beading wires used in jewelry making.
7 strand, 19 strand, this diameter, that diameter, but what if I’m stringing chunky gemstones or making an illusion necklace? So many jewelry design ideas, but where to start?
The first thing I ask myself is what am I stringing? Seed beads or heavy gemstones? I pulled this image from the Beadalon website so you can see what wires are good for what beads.
You can click on this image to make it bigger. From left to right:
Virtual size is the thickness of the wire.
Wire diameter is just that–I usually speak in millimeters here on the blog (i.e. .018)
Strand count is how many tiny wires are twisted together to make the single wire. More strands equal more flexibility.
More wire diameters–those are simply recommendations for the type of bead you are stringing. For example, Beadalon recommends .010 diameter wire for seed beads.
Before I forget–did you know Beadalon wire is made right here in the USA?! I love that so much.
Ninety percent of my jewelry uses 49 strand beading wire because it’s my fave if you can’t tell. It’s also the most expensive. And while I get mine for pretty much free from Beadalon–I’d still use this or 19 strand in my jewelry projects because I want it to last. You can see I have a few different diameters here.
If you’re just getting into this DIY jewelry making world I suggest starting with 49 or 19 strand .018 mm diameter. It’s a great all-purpose choice for your first jewelry making projects.
Beadalon wire also comes in a huge array of colors from neutrals like these to ones found in the rainbow. You can shop their site to see all of them.
Lastly, one really important thing to pay attention to on the package is what size crimp bead or tube to use with that particular beading wire. Crimps secure the clasp and beads to the wire in DIY jewelry. See the #1 or #2? These numbers vary according to the wire diameter. There are #3 and #4 crimps as well. If you would use those with this wire, your piece would most likely fall apart because they are too big for this wire.
I hope this post has solved some of the mystery. The more you make, the more you learn…sometimes the hard way, I’ve found! Haha!
Special thanks again to Beadalon for keeping me locked and loaded on beading wire and sponsoring this post.
This post brought to you by Beadalon.com–maker of jewelry findings in all types and metal colors.
Remember that pendant I made a couple weeks ago with the wire piece from the hardware store?
Meet it’s new BFF.
DIY bead wrapped horn pendant. 
The idea of wearing these chains together was a coincidence. I had the first two pendants on when we shot the tutorial. Naturally, I needed this statement horn piece to complete the look.
Can you say, power play?
I’m using Beadalon’s new bail making pliers at in this tutorial. More on those later, plus:
So first, make a loop using the bail making pliers. The thing I like about these pliers is that they are not conical like round nose pliers. This makes it easy to get consistent size loops every….single….time! And that makes me happy!
Loop in the horn pendant.
Grab the chain nose pliers and hold the loop while you wrap the extra wire.
String some unique beads…
and make a 90-degree bend just above the last bead.
Use the large section on the bail making pliers and wrap the wire up and around.
Now wrap the extra wire above the last bead.
So easy!
Cut away any extra wire with the flush cutters.
Have I ever told you that I think there should be no spacer beads left behind? That’s my philosophy–I think beads look so nice in a spacer bead frame.
Thread the chain through the wire loop.
Determine the length of the necklace that you want, open a link and connect the ends–No clasp needed.
That’s all there is to it! Let me know if you decide to try those bail pliers!
Have a great weekend!
Hi, I’m Candie. I design jewelry and crafts, author books, teach classes and host television programs. I thrive on simple ideas that anyone can achieve. I also love projects made from unexpected materials that stand the test of time. Join me as I lead a creative life! Read More...
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