Say It Like It Is!
by: Anne Marie Desaulniers
If you have a name, or a simple saying on the tip of your tongue, then this is the bracelet for you! Quick, easy, adaptable, and depending on the components you choose, fairly inexpensive. Perfect for those last minute gifts, to advertise your business, name your children, express your love, mark an occasion, thank your hostess, or even air your frustrations. They'd even be fabulous as party favours! Don't wait! Start your collection now!
Of course, your choice of letters would be your own (search for Tierracast Letter Charms), but I'll list the ones I used (B E A D F X), in the 'Components' section.
Instructions:
1. Add a dab of E6000 Glue to the middle of one Metal Charm - Stepped Bezel (Note: I squeeze a small amount of the glue onto a piece of scrap paper, and apply to charm with a toothpick).
2. Add one SS34 Swarovski Rhinestone to the centre of one Metal Charm - Stepped Bezel.
3. Repeat the above two steps, for the second charm.
4. Wait for glue to dry.
5. Open bracelet, and feed charms onto bracelet, in the sequence of your choice. I chose to add one rhinestone charm, then the letter charms, and finally another rhinestone charm. Of course, your sequence will be personalized, according to the words &/or name(s) you have chosen.
6. You could leave your bracelet at this stage, but when you fasten it, your letters will jumble together. So instead of leaving it at that, I chose to do the following:
7. Take a comfortable length (I chose an arm's length) of the 28-gauge wire (or 26-gauge, if you choose), and start winding it tightly around the bracelet, starting at the loop end. Continue winding until you get about 3/4 of an inch away from your first charm.
8. String on one Swarovski Round, and wind wire around the bracelet (work carefully, as this fine wire does tend to kink. If it does, just straighten out the kink, and continue).
9. Wind wire around bracelet one more time (this leaves a space).
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9, two more times, ending with one wind of the wire, before the first charm.
11. Wind wire around again, but this time, going around the first charm, before finishing the wind.
12. Wind wire around bracelet again.
13. String one Swarovski Round, between each charm (this will help to space them, and keep them apart), with an empty wind of wire at the beginning and the end. Continue until you have reached the end of your letters.
14. Wind wire around the second Metal Charm - Stepped Bezel.
15. Add the remaining three Swarovski Rhinestones, the same way you added the first ones.
16. Adjust the spacing on your wire wraps.
17. Continue wrapping tightly, until you have reached the hook end of your bracelet.
18. When you're satisfied with your wraps, add a small dab of the E6000 Glue, on the bottom of the bracelet, at either end. This will keep the wire from unraveling, and also from slipping off the hook end.
19. Don't worry too much about perfection in your wraps. Just make sure to wrap them as tightly as possible.
Enjoy designing your charming, one-of-a-kind bracelet!
Components
Go to our components list for this project and to buy what you need!Need some help with some of the techniques? Check our tips page.
