Chain Maille Bracelet
A beginning chain maille project, this takes a little over an hour to complete and looks terrific. Feel free to dress up with charms or dangles when the chain is complete, or wear unadorned. Finished bracelet is approximately 7 1/2" long.
Level: Medium
Materials
16g half-round sterling or Argentium silver, cut into 126 jump rings (approx 4mm) OR
Pre-cut sterling jump rings (126)
Flat lobster clasp with soldered ring (1)
Soldered jump ring (1)
Twist tie (with paper removed from approx 1/2" of one end) or scrap wire (approx 3" long)
You will need two pliers — preferably one flat-nosed and one bent-nosed. Using a bent-nosed pliers will reduce the stress on your wrists. You will need to hold a pliers in each hand, so ambidexterity is a plus!
For safety reasons, take frequent breaks while making chain to keep from developing wrist strain! A jump-ring opener is also a handy tool to have when making chain, they are available at Fire Mountain Gems or you can make your own using a dowel with a large screw in one end (flat nosed screw head, not Phillips).
Open jump rings by twisting ends away from each other using the two pliers. NEVER open jump rings by spreading the ends apart, you will distort the shape and ruin the ring. I open half of the rings at a time, this lets me do some chain-making instead of just boring ring opening for a while!
Begin your chain by attaching two jump rings side by side to the soldered ring on the lobster clasp. (Opening and then closing the jump rings will strengthen them.) When you close rings, twist the ends back and forth slightly until you hear a small click — this indicates that the ends are touching and flush to each other. The overall strength of your piece will depend on your ability to close your rings neatly!
Run the twist tie bare wire or scrap wire through the two closed rings you just attached to the lobster clasp and secure it. You will be able to easily hold the twist tie or scrap wire in one hand while you attach more rings to your chain. Add two open rings (one at a time) to the bottom of the closed rings and close the new rings. You will now have a pattern of four rings, with the bottom rings at a 90 degree angle from the top rings. Continue adding two rings to the bottom of the chain until you have used all rings.
Before closing the last two rings, attach them to the soldered jump ring for your closure. Remove the scrap wire or twist tie. I recommend tumbling the chain for 45 minutes to one hour to remove any burrs, harden the wire and create a brilliant finish.
