Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Metro Pearls Bracelets



These bracelets are simply chic; the champagne color of the wire and gold rings, plus the matte shine of the pearls makes for a very "cocktail hour" type of bracelet! The contrast between the classic pearls and more industrial look of the exposed wire and metal rings makes for a truly unique piece of wrist candy!


All of my materials came from Cousin Corporation; the beading wire and jumprings I used are Beadalon Brand, which are now sold by Cousin! These materials are great and high quality, and are very versatile. In this tutorial, I use jumprings as beads instead of the traditional chainmaille application. 


I named them "Metro Pearls Bracelets" because they feel much more metropolitan to me than traditional. Plus, the channel crystal bead in the center is a more contemporary take on the classic rhinestone! 
Let's get started!


Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are pliers, a clasp, crystal spacers (mine from Cousin), Beadalon Champagne Stringing Wire (mine from Cousin), 6mm or 8mm pearls (mine from Cousin), and Beadalon Artistic Wire jump rings (mine from Cousin) in gold or brass.
These jumprings are great because they are non-tarnish! 


First off, make sure you close all the jumprings; in the pack, they aren't fully closed. Simply close with your pliers by twisting, NOT pulling, so that the ends meet up together.

Step 2: Measure your wrist, now add 2". Now, double that length and cut your Beadalon wire to that length. Fold your wire in half and string on your clasp. String on your crimp through both wires and crimp shut right against the clasp. Now, string on a pearl on each wires, then a jumpring through both wires, creating a group. Keep up with this technique until you reach the center of your bracelet. For the center motif, string on three jumprings through both wires, then your crystal spacer, then three more rings. Then, continue your pattern until your end. To end, simply string on a crimp through both wires, then a jumpring; string back through the crimp, pull tight, and crimp. Cut with your pliers flush so the wire doesn't stick out. 


These are addicting to make! They are so totally fast, and there are no hard techniques involved. They look ultra chic because of the mix of classy pearls and contemporary metal wire, and would be great to give as gifts for any occasion. 


These are great stacking bracelets, because they sit together nicely and can be made with different size pearls. I used 6mm pearls for the champagne and mocha colored bracelets, and 8mm for the dusty grey bracelet.


If you share/use/post this tutorial, you must link back to me please. All photos  
copyright Allison Beth Cooling. Do not use photos without crediting me!




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