Tutorial: strung jewelry

Hello all you crafty-types! Today, I thought I would follow up my earring tutorial with a basic stringing one.

Over the years, I have had many customers ask for help on properly securing a clasp to a necklace or bracelet. There are a few simple techniques that will help your jewelry look professional and stay secure.

You will need:
crimp plier
beading wire (I use Softflex medium but you can also use Beadalon which is available at most craft stores)
clasp of your choice
crimp beads- 2mm tubes work best with crimp pliers.
beads!!!

First, string on one crimp bead and then half of your clasp. 

Next, take the end of the wire and pull it back through the crimp, forming a loop. 

Push the crimp up towards the clasp. You don't want the crimp touching the clasp. You want to be able to move your clasp around and wiggle it back and forth.

 

Now, take a look at your crimp pliers. You will notice there are two holes.

One hole is round and the other is heart shaped or "kissy face."

Grab your crimp with the "kissy" part of your plier and squeeze. 

This will put a crease into your crimp bead. 

After your crimp is good and creased, you are going to place it into the round portion of the plier with the crease pointed up towards the plier tip.

 Basically, what the rounded portion does is fold the two crimp halves at the crease.

 

Now that you have used the rounded portion of the plier, your crimp should be folded. 

The crimp should appear with the sides together and roughly half its original size.

For extra security, use the flat tip of the plier to make sure the fold is really tight. 

When adding beads, make sure the beads closest to the crimp fit both the wire and the wire's tail.

Have fun stringing your beads! When sizing, keep in mind the length of your clasp.
For example, if you want a bracelet that is 7 inches around and your clasp adds 1/2 an inch then you will need 6 and 1/2 inches of beads...

When you have decided on your pieces length, you are going to add a crimp and the other half of your clasp. Repeat crimp process as shown above, making sure that the wire tail goes through the last few beads.

When finishing your jewelry it REALLY HELPS if you pull on the wire's tail. 

As you pull on the tail, the space between your beads and the clasp will get smaller.

 Don't forget to give your clasp a little bit of wiggle room.

TA DA!!!!

The possibilities are endless!
 If you have questions about technique or supplies let me know... I have so much beading knowledge it's kind of gross. Happy Crafting! Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate