Button Rings

How much fun it is to be able to use round craft wire and a few "found" items to make a fashionable item! Instead of using buttons, you can substitute large flat beads, add your own flair with a few accent beads, use colored craft wire, and you're making a new ring in just a few minutes.  
This is a great crafts project for young girls at a party or on a rainy afternoon, too!

Materials:
20ga round read soft wire - 2ft
2.5mm round metal beads - 8 (your button may require more beads, depending on its size)
4-hole button 

Tools:
Chain nose pliers
Wire cutters
Ring mandrel
Ruler

Instructions

Cut the necessary wire. Place the center of the wire on the ring mandrel, at ¼ size larger than the desired finished size. Wrap both ends of the wire very tightly around the mandrel until you have 3 or 4 full wraps around it.

 

Button Earrings

I always find a few left-overs that can be used for a new project. Today’s very simple tip would work perfect for those miscellaneous buttons, ear wires and beads that you have just sitting around.

Use small 2-hole buttons as connector/ findings to hook ear wires and beads together.

 I prefer to use oval jump-rings to connect the button and beads. CLICK HERE to see how to make your own jump rings. Very easy to do with a mandrel and wire.

Crimp Pliers – Not just for crimping beads

Make your own headpins using…crimp pliers! It is so fast and easy.
1. Paddle pin.

• Use the back flat surface of the pliers to “squeeze” the end of wire.
• If the paddle is not even, file it with an Emory board.

Bracelet Sizer

I made these three bracelets that are the same length (8”) but they fit differently because the size of the beads.

You can make your own bracelet sizer from Styrofoam cup.

First, I made templates with pieces of thread, one for each size.

Fold the thread in half; place a knot half size away from the fold. For example, for 7” size, place a knot 3 ½” away.

Turn the Styrofoam cup upside down and slide the thread templates on it. Mark the cup with sharpie marker tracing on the threads and write the size too.

 Slide your bracelets to determine the size (my blue large bead bracelet does not fit for this cup).

Helpful guidelines for bracelet sizes:
I work on the following rule for making my bracelets:
wrist measurement + 1 inch = bracelet size

Women's Sizes: 
Small: 6.5"
Average: 7"

Large: 7.5 – 8"
X-Large" 8.5+"
Men's Sizes:
Most Common: 8"
Average: 8-9" 
Ankle Bracelet (Anklets)
Most common: 9"
Average: 9-10"

Oval jump rings

Oval jump rings are a great alternative to round jump rings. These rings are ideal for connecting clasps, charms or beads to chains.

Need a mandrel to make your own oval jump rings? Use a set of two the same size knitting needles, wrap your wire around them.

  Carefully remove coil and cut evenly with sharp flush cutters (double- flush cutters work the best).

 

Measuring Template

If you’re making a piece of jewelry that requires multiples of one component, make all those matching components as close as possible to being the same size.

* Mark your round nose pliers with Sharpie marker to make the same size loops every time.

* Use a popsicle (craft) sticks as a template for measuring the wire for making ear-wires, S-clasp, head/eye pins, etc. Write down the wire measurements, wire gauge (I use a pencil to write, Sharpie marker can smear). Also, you can tape a sample or trace it. 

 

Chain Card

To keep the chain neat and kink-free, wrap it around a business card. Cut two notches at opposite edges of the card and secure the ends in the notches. You may want to label the card with information about source, size, the price, item number.

Variation: Instead of thin business card, I use an old plastic card such as a gift card, a credit card, a membership card. Also, I peel the label from the vendor’s plastic package and place it on the card. So, I have all info about this chain.

Organize your wire

I keep all my coils of wire (I order mine from wire-shulpture) in an accordion folder.

I have separate folders for different wires: copper, sterling silver, sterling silver filled, etc… Each pocket is labeled with the gauge and type (dead soft- DS, half hard- HH). Keeping the wire inside plastic bags will also cut down on tarnish (I keep my wire in the original bags.)

It's easy to see what I have and what needs to be reordered.

Marking your pliers with crystals

Yesterday I was teaching a jewelry class.  Some of my students had the same tools that looked alike (e.g. all crimp pliers look alike). While teaching classes  (or taking a class), you may accidentally grab somebody's pliers. To know which tool is yours,  simply mark it :) 

I have all my pliers marked with Swarovski hotfix crystal rhinestones, 5mm.

Clean the surface of your pliers from grease and dirt. 

These crystals are "not recommended for leather, water resistant material or non-porous surfaces", so I put a tiny drop of 'Jewelry&Metal Glue'.

Also, you can use adhesive backed crystals (you find them in scrap-booking department). There is just one snag - those crystals may "wear out" and have not pretty look.
Also, you can use paint to mark your pliers. Just do not paint handles.