Charming Your Way to the Top!

Charm bracelets are beautiful and very trendy this season. I just made one for mom for Mothers Day! Here are a few design tips on bracelet making.

1. If you are making a charm bracelet, unless you are also making the chain, pick a chain with large links. This is usually the style charm bracelets are anyway, and your life just got a lot easier when you start adding your charms and other components through those links! But remember to find the right size first!

Are you going to be using toggle clasps or? Toggle clasps are big this year, but I decided not to use them for my mother. They do have a tendency to come undone, and my mother already lost two of the bracelets I made for her! I used lobster clasps in mine. But it is really an individual choice.

2.Decide first what color scheme you will be using. This also will determine what types of stones, glass beads, or charms you will be adding. Then make all the components in advance. I used 22 gauge sterling wire in this design. I used headpins and Bali Silver findings for the main beads, and just the wire for the smaller components.

3 Use an uncluttered table, and lay out all of your components. Start with your main focals, and space them uniformly. It is easiest to add your larger items first. It is easier to tell placement, and you can add the smaller items to fill in areas. I would say that it is important to actually count the links where you will place each focal bead. Start counting from the clasps on each side. Then you can space them evenly on each side of the clasps.

Placement is not as important for your smaller components, and I did estimate on the others. For a charm bracelet you are adding so many components, the eye doesn't actually notice your smaller items as easily. So placement of those is not as much of a concern. If you are making a bracelet that has less items, do count the links on all of your items.

4. When working with wire, make sure that you wrapped each wire well, and that the ends are not sticking out at all. If you need to file them, do it. The wearer will thank you! Also wrap the wires so that the ends don't show in the front of your item. That shows in the quality of your piece.

5. Here is a small list of some good suppliers I have found:

A. http://www.firemountaingems.com- does have good sales and are great to work with.
B. http://www.ringsandthings.com- good prices on some things, minimum is $50.00
C. http://www.thunderbirdsupply.com-. Has the best prices, but the minimum is $100.00.
I have found that lentil beads are great for making bracelets, and I love them in charm bracelets! They are flatter, and feel better against the wrist than round beads.
Hope this gets you started ok!

Cianna is a glass artist and the owner of GlassAffinity.com, her website where she sells handmade lampwork beads and aromatherapy vessels. She is a stay at home mom, and homeschools her 9 year old son, and loves to write when she can:) To see this article and others

http://www.glassaffinity.com/jewelry_making_articles.htm

Fire Mountian Gems
Bead Supplier