Its Sunday and between creating the wedding invitations with the help of Photoshop (that oh so unfamiliar program on my laptop) and preparing for another round of overnight floor moves, I’ve been somewhat preoccupied. But that doesn’t mean I have nothing to share. Today I have an older DIY post that is actually quite fitting as many of us prepare for Spring. What better way to adorn those limbs of yours that have been covered these past months than with some fancy new wire bangles? Check out the tutorial below and get to it…the possibilities are really endless with this one.
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- Jewelry Wire – preferebly the smaller, memory wire coils for bracelets but any jewelry specific wire will do that. You just want to make sure that the wire itself if rigid and not that maleable
- Wire cutters
- Assorted jewelry charms
- Assorted beads and seed beads
- Round needle nose pliers
- A round cylinder to shape the wire to – just incase or if you didn’t pick up the bracelet memory wire
- Small jump rings
- With all your supplies handy, find one of the ends to the wire coil and snip off about a coil and half.
- Slightly pinching the meeting point of the coils, slip it over your hand making sure that
- Got the right size after one cut? Great. If not, no biggie. Just cut again.
- With the right size you can now begin making the loops that allow the bracelet to grow and shrink.
- Using your round needle nose pliers, take one of the overlapping ends and bend the wire crossing it back over the main coil
- Create a small but loose loop over the main coil. Make it’s not to tight or it will not stretch or shrink easily
- Next take the other loose coil end and repeat.
- Add your charms and wear out
But don’t just stop with these.
- Cut off a larger piece of wire…at least 2 coils.
- String along some cool beads whether creating a color blocked pattern or mix it all up.
- Leave at least a 1/2 inch of plain wire on either side.
- Create the loops over the part of the wire like before and wear them all out together with your other favorite arm party essentials.
- attach it to one of the adjusting loops
- attach it to the wire in between the two adjusting loops
- add a very small amount of super glue to the area where you would like the charm to live and position the connecting jump on it. Allow it to dry and your charm should stay in place
- After cutting your desired amount of wire and using your round nose pliers create a small loop within the coil using the excess wire to wrap around the pliers. Once the loop is made you will notice that the wire will still have its curve but the newly formed loop lives facing towards the inside of the bracelet. You want it to face the outside so the charm still hangs unobstructed. Holding the coil steady, use your needle nose pliers to reposition the loop to the outside. Some reshaping of the bangle’s curve may be needed.
Thank you so much for posting this! I love Alex and Ani as well, but can’t deal with the prices. Your blog looks interesting and I look forward to exploring it. Thanks again 😉
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I agree- their prices are crazy and they tarnish very quickly… THANKS!!!!
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what gauge wire did you use?
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16 or 18 gauge wire works the best but if you use memory wire (which will help avoid the loss of shape during use) for bracelets you could get away with a higher gauge because that wire will be extremely rigid.
Thanks for checking out my DIY!!!
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Hi Thanks for this! Where do you recommend getting thick memory wire?
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I would try Michaels or Joan Fabrics. They have selection of various wire gauges so you can see which one you would prefer. Also give Etsy a try. Many sellers there actually make their own and you would be supporting a new artist.
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What is the gauge of wire do you have pictured in the tutorial above? First 8 pics.
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16 or 18 gauge wire works the best but if you use memory wire (which will help avoid the loss of shape during use) for bracelets you could get away with a higher gauge because that wire will be extremely rigid
Thanks for checking out my DIY!!!
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what exact guage are you showing in your first photos? 16 or 18??
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That’s 16 gauge bracelet memory wire. It comes already shaped for the bracelet, keeps its shape and is very rigid.
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where can i get this gauge of wire, i can not find it online anywhere?
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Try these sites
Etsy.com
Amazon.com
Artbeads.com
Firemountaingems.com
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thank you for your response. I cannot find memory wire @ 16/18 gauge. I used aluminum wire but it does not hold shape. Suggestions?
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Although a few of these Etsy sellers did not list the wire by gauge, any one of the options below would work perfectly and give you the rigidity you need to make the bracelet. I, too, originally tried this with aluminum wire and had the same problem. Let me know if you need anymore help.
-https://www.etsy.com/listing/126621333/memory-wire-for-bracelet-3-loops-silver?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=+memory+wire&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=supplies&ga_facet=suppliesmemory+wire
-https://www.etsy.com/listing/114886775/20-loops-memory-wire-65-70mm-silver-tone?ref=sr_gallery_32&ga_search_query=+memory+wire&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=supplies&ga_facet=suppliesmemory+wire
-https://www.etsy.com/listing/78694323/large-bracelet-silver-plate-memory-wire?ref=sr_gallery_31&ga_search_query=+memory+wire&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=supplies&ga_facet=suppliesmemory+wire
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Omg i can’t wait to do this project. Do you have a video on how you did this? If so could you please post it.. I really want to watch you do just one.. Thanks Therese
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I’m glad you liked the project and do send pictures of your bracelets when your done. I’d love to see them!!! Unfortunately I do not have a video for this DIY but I will keep the thought in mind for my next one.
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how many inches do you think you used for making one bracelet?
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Around 7-9 inches depending on how big your wrists and hands are. It also depends on how loose you want the bracelets to be once on.
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I’ve made my own: comparing wire gauge side by side to Alex and Ani – I actually think it’s 14 gauge. I needed 10.5 inches to get as close to an actual Alex and Ani. This is before seeing your DIY. Your technique made it look so much easier to do. I’m going to try it your way next time. Thanks for sharing.
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I bought the memory wire 16 gauge at Michaels but isn’t strong, what kind of wire could I buy to get a close look like the Alex and anni bracelets, their wire it’s really strong which I like… I like your technique but I can get a good wire, pls help me, and thanks for share with us…
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The memory wire should be rigid and should come packaged depending on its use (rings/necklaces/bracelets).
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What type of wire do you use for these bracelets? Copper, Aluminum, Sterling Silver, etc???
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I used silver plated memory wire
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I’m so happy to find this. Your instructions are fabulous. I have a bracelet mandrel (just so I can buy more wire @ once)….I’m definitely going to try the memory wire….I will be in touch XO ***BTW, We spend part of our summers in Newport, too 😉
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Do you know if the wire used was soft/ half hard/ hard? Thanks!
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Hi Heather, I used hard wire
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thank you!
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can these be made with sterling silver?
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Yes they can
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love your tutorial. Are you familiar with the Alex and Ani bracelets? This is like theirs! My question is, what gauge wire do you recommend? Your’s looks thicker than memory wire. Memory wire is very hard to bend and cut. Is there a different type of wire that works?
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It was either 20 or 24 gauge memory wire and yes it is difficult to bend but when making these bangles you really want something that will continually hold its shape. Most of the other wire is aluminum and way to soft for constant stretching. Etsy and a few other websites online offer various gauge memory wire if your local craft store doesn’t. For better handling of the memory wire try using regular flat nose pliers and wire cutters found in the hardware section and with the pliers just wrap them with a thin soft cloth to avoid damaging the wire.
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Thank you for your tutorial!! I am serious!! THANK YOU!! I’m a huge Alex & Ani fan but this holiday season I am trying to be a creator and not a consumer. I bought Silver Plate 16 gauge silver (1.3 mm) from Amazon yesterday using my Prime account and received it today. The brand is “Artistic Wire” it was 10ft and it cost me $9.52 which I thought was a good deal. I think I may also try the 18 gauge version of this wire sometime. Your photos look like 18 but photos can be deceiving. Your bracelets are quite beautiful. I am going to grab a few cans of food in my cupboard to create a nice smoothe roundness. I love everyone’s comments. Hearing from other people and their experiences and ideas is always very helpful when learning a new hobby.
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So glad the tutorial was helpful and good luck making the bracelets. Be careful, this DIY is addicting but I’m sure everyone will love them if not more than the Alex & Ani ones. Hand made gifts are always the way to go!!
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Do you have any problems with the cut ends being sharp or catching on things such as clothing?
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I did but when I noticed that I re looked at the loops and tried to get them as close to flush as possible. You could also try filing down the ends with a bit if fine grain sandpaper. Open the loop a bit to really sand down the cut end and then re close the loop.
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Thank you for your awesome and quick response! I’m thinking of doing a bunch of these for fundraising “grab bags”. I think they would be a fun find. Thank you, thank you!
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I’ve actually used a premade one before but making one’s own is great! Thanks!
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This is what I have been looking for! Great DIY! I have been trying to find the right wire not only sturdy enough but also Non tarnishing! Do you have any suggestions?
What brand and kind did you use?
Thank you!!
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