Woven Wire Bracelet

This Instructable is a woven wire bracelet. It's 1" in width & you can use any kind of wire you'd like in 16 & 26 ga...(24 ga also works well for the spike weave & the main bracelet weave.)

Tools:

Tweezer nose pliers (I suggest Xuron)

Heavy duty wire cutters to cut the 16 ga wire

Flush wire cutters

Flat nose pliers

Nylon jaw pliers

Looping pliers to make the ring for the clasp & use the largest mandrel.

Ruler

Sharpie

*Tip: I use an old plastic 'key code card' as a 'wire pusher' to save from marring the wire & also use the nylon jaw pliers as much as possible to prevent marring the wire.

Supplies:

16 ga silver plated wire

16 ga copper wire

26 ga weaving wire

To secure the wire while weaving use either: painter's tape, masking tape, clamp, or binder clip.

Cut 7 pieces that are 8" in length of 16 ga silver wire & cut 3 pieces 8" in length of copper wire. The silver wire is for the actual bracelet & the copper wire is only used as a mandrel for the weave & then the weave is removed from the copper wire mandrel & attached to the bracelet using 26 ga wire. Use the nylon jaw pliers to keep your wire straight as you work.

*Note that the bottom of the weave is where one of the silver wires is used & the weave remains on it. Do not take the weave off the 2 silver wires. The two 8" sections of weave are easy to make & they will be added to the outer edges of your bracelet. You basically make what looks like a 'spike', using the 26 ga wire & looping around the copper wire & be sure to loop X 2 in between each spike b/c that is where you'll be attaching it to the bracelet. End both sections w/ 3-4 loops to secure the weave. Keep pushing the wire together as you weave so it's flush & then carefully flatten each spike w/ the flat nosed pliers or the nylon pliers as you complete a spike. The copper wire is only removed after the spike weave is all finished. Start removing the copper wire very carefully @ the very top of the weave & going down the line of weaves. The other weave is a bit trickier & you'll also be using the 26 ga wire for it. See illustration. You will weave using the five 16 ga silver wires & attach the two strips of spike weave onto the bracelet weave as you go. *Attach them between every other spike as shown in the illustration.*

To shape your bracelet you can use a glass jar or anything that will be appropriate to give the bracelet it's shape. Carefully bend the bracelet around the jar a little bit @ a time to keep it nice & round.

You have a couple options to finish the ends of your bracelet. You can either curl the separate wire ends as per the illustration...to make a bangle bracelet...or you can make a clasp/ring closure.

Clasp/ring:

Cut a 3-1/4" piece of 16 ga silver wire for the hook clasp & to make the ring, use the largest mandrel on the looping pliers. (*Tip: Use a Sharpie as a mandrel, if you don't have looping pliers.) See illustration for making the clasp. Bend back 1/2" on the edges of the bracelet when it is finished & leave just enough room to attach the clasp on one side of it & ring on the other side & then bend the ends farther inward to secure the clasp/ring. You can attach the clasp either w/ hook inside or outside. (I prefer to attach my clasp with the hook on the outside of the bracelet as it is easier to hook/unhook the bracelet.) Now it's time to form the shape of your bracelet by using a bottle or jar close to the same size as your wrist & carefully bend the bracelet around it until the ends almost meet.

Voila! Your gorgeous wire bracelet is finished!

(*If you have any questions...please feel free to inquire.)