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In this ikologee.com video I show you how to make an artisan necklace from a washer and a bangle.
For this project you will need 1 1/2 metal bangles, two small beads, 26 gauge wire, and a metal washer.
Take the uncut bangle, cut in half.
Use your needlepoint pliers to make a loop...
at both ends...
of both halfs.
Cut one of the halves in half again.
For safety always cut your metal bangles inside a plastic bag - and/or wear protective goggles.
A note about loop making: - when making the loops - push the bangle around the pliers with your thumb - instead of trying to turn the heavy metal of the bangle with the pliers.
Take one of the short looped pieces to work with...
and feed a small bead onto some wire (the bead should be able to fit inside the loop) then...
thread the wire through the loop and back through the bead.
Push the bead down the now doubled wire.
Use pliers to pull the wire taut as you push the bead down the wire...
and position it in the center of the loop. Snip off the excess wire so that you have a single wire for wrapping as opposed to the doubled wire you had before.
Wrap the wire around the loop a couple of times pulling the wire taut with pliers as you go.
Snip of the excess wire at the crease of the looped piece...
and use a butter knife or something flat to tuck any excess wire into the crease and you will do this for both looped pieces.
You should feel no rough/sharp ends when running your finger over the pieces.
So, this is the design we are making - clean lines with a contemporary grecian feel.
Take the long looped piece...
and one of the short looped pieces and thread some wire between the loop and the bead.
and attach one of the looped halves to it by wrapping with wire a few times...
Use pliers to pull wire taut as you wrap.
Be sure to snip off and tuck any wire ends neatly in the gap between the bead and the loop.
Once again, you should feel no sharp or rough ends when running your finger over and around it.
Then do the same for the other short piece.
You should have something that resembles this.
Wrap the ends to secure pieces as shown here.
Now we need to attach the the washer.
Take a piece of bangle aprrox 3"
Loop one end with needlepoint pliers...
then measure your washer as shown here...
starting under the loop mark a space for that washer measurement.
Make a loop on the remaining end and bend at the point you placed a mark for the washer.
Before inserting the washer on this hook, you will need to cut a piece off the last loop you made...
so that the washer wiill hang straight when you assemble it.
Then add whatever type of chain be it bead, cord or metal that you wish and you have a really pretty, easily made necklace. Its not over elaborate and has a real artisan look to it.