Crocheted Wire Seashell Bracelet

Even a beginner can make this boho wire bracelet. The crocheted wire gives it an organic look and also make the bracelet a little stretchy so you don't need a clasp. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to turn wire and beads into a cool bracelet, though I'm going to assume a basic knowledge of how to crochet. If you've never picked up a crochet needle before, don't worry, just look up a basic stitch. We're not doing anything complicated.

Jewelry Wire - 24 gauge or thinner. I'm using a 24g soft coated copper wire.

Shell Beads - Any kind, but make sure the holes fit on your wire. I'm using natural, and dyed mother-of-pearl in different shapes and sizes.

Seed Beads - Any kind, but make sure the holes fit on your wire.

Medium Crochet Needle - I'm using a 5.5mm

Wire cutter or heavy scissor (don't use scissors on steel, copper is okay)

Grab one end of your wire. You'll need about 3 meters of wire, but this can vary a lot, so leave your wire on the spool. If your wire isn't on a spool, make a loop on the far end so your beads don't slip off.

Then thread about 40 - 60 beads onto the wire. Better to thread too many than too few, because you can't add more once you start crocheting. You can add them in a pattern or make it random. Ultimately, the shells will look random regardless of how you add them.

Get a rough idea of how big to make your bracelet by measuring around your hand at the base of your thumb. Hold your hand like you're going to slide on a bangle and then measure the widest part. This doesn't need to be 100% accurate because we'll measure again while crocheting. But it's good to have an idea.

Make a loop in the wire at the unattached end and twist the wire to secure it. The loop needs to be large enough for the crochet needle to pass through easily. Mine is about 1cm.

The first row will be plain. This will be the base of the rest of the bracelet, and determine the size of the bracelet.

Crochet a simple chain of wire about 1" shorter than what you measured around your hand. Without stretching the chain try it around your hand. Then add stitches until it fits. This will insure you can get your bracelet on and off.

When crocheting the wire you'll notice the wire doesn't slide easily like yarn does. You will need to pull and shape the wire with your crochet needle as you work.

Try to keep the stitches open and even.

When the size of the chain is right, add 2 extra inches. Then stitch back to the first loop to create a circle. Make sure the circle slides easily onto your wrist.

Now that you have a bracelet base, the fun begins!

Using the loops of the base (first row), crochet a couple of stitches. On the third stitch slide a bead up the wire next to your needle so it gets "trapped" when you complete the stitch. Remember to pull the wire through enough to keep the size of the circle consistent. Keep crocheting the wire and adding beads around to whole circle. If you mess up, just keep going, this will be a very organic finished look. You can add a bead with each stitch or skip some for a sparser look.

Keep the stitches open.

Keep going around the circle stitching and adding beads. Look at the density of the beads you have and decide if you want to add a bead or not, to each stitch. You can add one more row or keep going around for a wider bracelet. When you've done your last beaded row, crochet one last row without beads.

When you get to your last stitch, pull out the wire to make an extra large loop.

Cut the wire, leaving a long tail. Then use this large loop and tail to make a slip knot by hand. Pull the knot tight and cut the extra off. Make sure the end is bent or tucked away is it's not scratchy.

Do the same thing with the tail from the first loop.

The final step is to hand shape your bracelet. You can stretch, widen, and even out the wire. Also, you can adjust the position of beads by hand.