Chain Maille Magic – Jewellery Making Project from ‘Beads Direct’
Learn to make this beautiful chain maille bracelet…
Mix SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS with Chain Maille techniques for stunning design possibilities.
Technique: chain maille, European 4-in-1 weave
Introduction:
Welcome to the London Jewellery Schools first guest blog post written by the lovely Claire Humpherson from one of the UK’s most widely used bead and jewellery suppliers, Beads Direct.
When we got the new range of Beadalon Artistic Wire Chain Maille Rings and Chain Maille Accessories at Beads Direct I couldn’t wait to have a go. I’ve only done a bit of chain maille before but the basics book made it really easy. I decided to adapt the basic European 4-in-1 weave by alternating colours and adding a bead, and I thought adding a Swarovski Elements Filigree would make a stunning bracelet.
Materials:
SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS
Beads
Rings & Findings
Tools
Here’s How…
Step 1:
Prepare by opening some black rings and closing silver rings. Connect a closed silver ring to a paperclip, add an open silver ring, and close it. Add an open black ring, leaving it open for now. Add two closed silver rings and close the black ring.
Step 2:
Spread the two silver rings just added apart, so they sit side by side. Take an open black ring through the two rings by going down through the right ring and up through the left ring. Before you close this black ring, add another 2 closed silver rings.
Step 3:
Repeat step 2 until you have reached the length you’d like half your bracelet to be, allowing for the size of the clasp and the filigree.
Step 4:
Use black rings to create your outer row. Prepare first by opening some black rings and adding a seed bead to each ring. Now take a ring with an added bead and go through the first two rings on the edge of your bracelet. Repeat this, going two by two. Each ring should sit on top of the previous ring, and you should position the beads neatly as you go.
Step 5:
Turn your bracelet over and repeat step 4, but this time each new ring will sit behind the last ring added. Now repeat steps 1-5 to create the other half of your bracelet. For more help and detailed instructions on European 4-in1 weave visit our YouTube Channel Beads Direct TV for a video tutorial or try the Beadalon basics chain maille book for detailed step by step instructions.
Step 6:
To finish, add an open ring to each of the last two silver rings you added and attach to the filigree. Do this on both sides. Finally open the ring attached to the paperclip on each side. Remove the paperclip and add the clasp to either side.
If you like the technique of chain maille and would like to learn to make whole pieces and collections out of chain maille from scratch then take a look at the London Jewellery Schools ‘Chain Maille Day Class’ which covers everything from making your own jumprings through to designing and creating your own unique pieces to a professional quality.
Stay in touch with beads direct…
All supplies are available online at www.beadsdirect.co.uk or over the telephone on 01509 218028.
Follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/beadsdirect
Follow them on Twitter twitter.com/BeadsDirect
Watch them on YouTube www.youtube.com/user/BeadsDirectTV
A big thank you to Clare for putting together this lovely blog post for our students and subscribers at LJS 