Make a Three Strand Bracelet from Copper Washers

Before: Box of Copper Washers

We made a bib necklace from copper washers last month. It is a great necklace with a lot of bling that I wear a lot since it goes just as well with turtlenecks and jeans as it does with my LBD. I wanted a copper bracelet to coordinate with my bib necklace. So my daughter and I went back to the drawing board to come up with a design using copper washers for a bracelet.

Today, we made a bracelet from sterling silver wire and copper washers. The bracelet sways as I wear it. I love the result. Bling without the ca-ching.

Materials
27 1/4-inch copper washers 
18-gauge sterling silver half-hard round wire
Sterling silver tube clasp

After: Sterling & Copper Bracelet by GeltDesigns.com

Tools
Doming block and dapping punches
Hammer
Round nose pliers  or 3-Step wire looping pliers
Chain nose or bent nose pliers
Wire rounder or needle file
Wire side cutters or flush cutters
Tumbler

Step 1
Gather your tools and materials. Arrange the copper washers in the order you want. Measure the washers to determine the amount you will need for the size bracelet you want to create.

Form the copper washers

Step 2
Form the washers. Use your doming block and a hammer to form the washers.

Step 3
Make the links for join the washers. We used 18-gauge round sterling silver wire to create "S" links to join the washers.

Attach washers to the clasp

Step 4
Assemble the bracelet. We began by linking three washers to one end of the sterling silver tube clasp.

Add first chain

We then built the washer chains one by one. We built the first chain of washers from one of the outside washers already attached to the clasp.

Add second chain

The second chain of washers we built from the middle attached washer. We secured the two rows of washers by linking them with "S" links every third washer.

Add third chain

We then attached the final row of washers and secured this final row to create a nice grid pattern of sterling and copper.

Add the clasp to the other end of the bracelet and secure the three chains together.

Step 5
Check all links to be sure there are no sharp edges and all the links are secure. Sand and file as needed to remove sharp edges. Use your pliers to close any gaps in links. If we had made the bracelet from gold or all sterling we would have soldered the links closed, but we skipped soldering for this bracelet.

Step 6
Sign your jewelry (optional). We use a stamp to sign all our jewelry, but there are many techniques you can use to sign your jewelry, if you so desire.

After: Sterling & Copper Washer Bracelet by GeltDesigns.com

Step 7
Tumble the bracelet. Tumbling will harden the both washers and sterling silver wire to make the bracelet more durable. Tumbling will also burnish the copper and silver and make the bracelet shiny.

Related Tutorials
Make a Bib Necklace from Washers
Make Your Own Washers
How to Create a Blue Patina on Copper
How to Dome Metal
Make Your Own "S" Chain
Make a Bracelet from Steel Wire

Boxed Sterling & Copper Washer Bracelet by GeltDesigns.com

Further Reading
"Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts)"; Tim Mccreight; 1997.
"Complete Metalsmith: Professional Edition" Tim Mccreight; 2004.
"Making Designer Jewelry from Hardware, Gems, and Beads"; Nicole Noelle Sherman; 2008.
"Hardwear: Jewelry from a Toolbox";  Hannah Rogge; 2006.
"Contemporary Copper Jewelry w/DVD: Step-by-Step Techniques and Projects"; Sharilyn Miller; 2010.

Day 44.  Month 3.  Jewelry from Found Objects.
Found materials: copper washers
New Jewelry a Day.

Turn a Glass Jar into a Pendant

Before: Blue Jar

When I first saw this jar, I loved the color. The weight of the jar convinced me it would be great for jewelry making.

Mark the jar

At first, I thought I would use my ring saw to cut the bottom of the jar into the shape of a heart. That plan proved problematic when I tried to cut the jar. The ring saw did not have enough space to cut the jar... and the jar was a tad thick and acting quite uncooperative to cut the top off using only a glass cutter. I was frustrated, so I did what I sometimes do when I am frustrated with a glass project: I made the glass jar into frit.

After: Necklace by GeltDesigns

After making the jar into frit, I fused the glass into three glass beads and strung the beads on a leather-like stringing material.

Materials
Glass
Leather, imitation leather or other stringing material
Seed beads

Tools
Glass fusing kiln
Fiber paper
Fiber rope


Step 1
Make the jar into frit. Turing a jar into frit is a fancy way of saying I broke the jar into tiny pieces that I could use to fuse into another shape. The technique requires a hammer and something to catch the small pieces. I use a box  constructed of wood. After cleaning the glass, I put the glass into a plastic bag to keep the glass clean. I place the glass into the wood box and then hit the glass with an old, heavy sledge hammer until the glass is the size I want.

Great therapy... in addition to being a great way to recover glass for use in kiln forming. :)

Step 2
Fuse the frit into a flat piece of glass. I placed the glass frit into the kiln in a pot and then let the glass melt down through the pot onto the bottom of the kiln (prepared with kiln wash, of course) until the glass was flat.

Step 3
Make the beads. Cut the glass into six strips the size you want for your beads. Place three of the strips on a piece of fiber paper on the shelf of your glass fusing kiln. 

Put two strands removed from fiberfrax rope on each piece of glass to create channels for the bead holes. Note that the fiberfrax rope will be thicker than you want to create channels to serve as a bead hole. You will need to unravel the rope and take a strand or two to use to create the holes for the beads. You can purchase fiberfrax or ceramic fiber rope at most stained and fused glass suppliers or online from companies like Slumpy's or Delphi Glass. Wear a dust mask when working with fiber rope to protect your lungs.

Place another piece of glass on top of each glass strip. You can use a drop of glass fusing glue to hold the beads in place while you place the glass into the kiln (and while firing), but be sure to allow the glue to dry before firing. Fire the beads in your glass fusing kiln until fully fused.

Step 4

Stringing material

Remove the beads from you glass fusing kiln once the kiln reaches room temperature. Clean the beads and remove the fiber rope from the holes in the beads.

String the Beads

Step 5
String the beads on your stringing material. My daughter and I used imitation leather from a large spool, but almost any stringing material can be used. Cut a long piece of stringing material. Feed on one fused glass bead to join both ends of the string. Feed on a seed bead on each string. Feed on the next fused glass bead. Repeat until all three beads are strung and separated by seed beads.

Step 6

Tie the ends

Test the necklace to be sure the length works.

Step 7
Tie a square knot below the fused glass bead on both sides of the string. Allow about a 1-inch tail for each end of the string.

Step 8
Measure about 1-1/2 inches above the fused glass bead and make a square knot. Measure another 1-1/2 inches above the first knot and create a second square knot.

Related Tutorials
Make Your Own Fused Glass Bead
How to Make a Fused Glass Bead
How to Acid Etch Glass Beads  

Further Reading
"Warm Glass: A Complete Guide to Kiln-Forming Techniques: Fusing, Slumping, Casting";  Philippa Beveridge, Ignasi Domenech, Eva Pacual; 2005.
"Contemporary Warm Glass: A Guide to Fusing, Slumping & Kiln-Forming Techniques": Brad Walker; 2000.
"Fused Glass Handbook"; Gil Reynolds; 1987.
"Fuse It - 18 Fused Glass Projects": Petra Kaiser; 2007.
"Innovative Adornments - Introduction to Fused Glass & Wire Jewelry";  Jayne Persico; 2002.
"Richard La Londe: Fused Glass Art and Technique"; 2006.

New & Noteworthy
"Contemporary Fused Glass";  Brad Walker; 2010.
"Microwave Kiln Techniques: For Fused Glass Jewelry, Stained Glass Projects and Silver Clay"; Geneva Perkins.

Day 43.  Month 3.  Jewelry from Found Objects.  
Found materials: Glass jar
New Jewelry a Day.

Make a Leather & Button Bracelet

Before: Button Box

I do not know where these buttons came from; they were in my button box. You may have a button box. My button box is the place I threw the extra buttons that used to come with most clothes. Its also the place I store "reclaimed" buttons from clothes that no longer fit, are terrible out of fashion or are otherwise relegated to the giveaway pile.

Great buttons often find themselves starring in my

After: Bracelet by GeltDesigns.com

favorite clothes for years. Buttons can update or transform clothes and create a new look with little work.... but buttons can also make fun jewelry. Today's project was made with only two brightly colored buttons and the imitation leather from the spool we've used in a few projects.

Materials
Two buttons
Leather, imitation leather or other stringing material
16-gauge brass wire or the clasp of your choice
Barges glue

Step 1
Select the buttons you want to use and feed the stringing material through the buttons. Tighten the stringing material so the buttons sit the way you like-- in our case we wanted the buttons so sit one on top of the other.

Knot the Leather

Step 2
Measure about 1-inch and create a square knot on either side of the buttons. Repeat to create a chain of knots.

Step 3
Create the "S" clasp from 16-gauge round brass wire or select a commercially made clasp. Attach the clasp by doubling over the stringing material. Feed the clasp onto the loop and then tie a knot to secure the clasp. You can add a drop of Barges glue to the knot for added security.

Brass "S" Clasp & Leather Chain

Step 4
Create the eye for the clasp by doubling over the stringing material and then making a knot at the bottom of the loop. Again, add a drop of Barges glue to the knot for added security.

Step 5
Trim the excess stringing material.


Related Tutorials
How to Make a Simple "S" Clasp (with or without Beads)
Make Your Own "S" Clasp 
Make Your Own Beaded "S" Clasp

Related Projects
Make a Glass & Knotted Leather Necklace
Make a Ring from Gimp
Make a Button Bracelet
Make Button Earrings

Further Reading
"Leather Jewelry: 30 Contemporary Projects (Lark Jewelry Books)"; Nathalie Mornu; 2010.
Knots & Knotting
"Mod Knots: Creating Jewelry and Accessories with Macrame"; Cathi Milligan; 2009.
"Decorative Knot Craft: Over 20 Innovative Knotting And Macrame Accessories"; Kim Sang Lang; 2008.
"Elegant Knotted Jewelry: Techniques and Projects Using Maedeup"; Becky Meverden; 2009.
Buttons
"Beautiful Button Jewelry: 60 Easy Heirloom Treasures"; Susan Davis; 2010.
"Button Jewelry & Accessories: 20 Unique Projects"; Tair Parnes; 2006.
"Beautiful Button Jewelry"; Susan Davis; 2006.
"Button Jewelry: Over 25 Original Designs for Necklaces, Earrings, Bracelets and More";  Sara Withers; 2006.
 

After: Back Side of Button Bracelet

Day 42. Month 3.  Jewelry from Found Objects.
Found materials: Buttons
New Jewelry a Day.

Happy New Year!



How to Make Other Clasps

• Hook & Eye Clasps
  
• Make Your Own Hook & Eye Clasp
• Make Your Own Clover Shaped Hook & Eye Clasp 
  Toggle Clasps
  
• Make Your Own Hand Shaped Toggle Clasp
• Make Your Own Heart Shaped Toggle Clasp
• Make Your Own Clover Shaped Toggle Clasp
  Metal Clay Clasps
  
• How to Make a Metal Clay Toggle Clasp
• How to Make a Metal Clay Hook & Eye Clasp