Whew! Finally made it back for this next-to-the-last Chameleon Badge post!
When I first heard of memory wire jewelry, I was intrigued but it frightened me. The name seemed to suggest that it would spring back, fight me and not do what I intended. Once I researched it, I learned that it holds its spiral shape, which is a positive.
I found that it was easy and fun to feed the media onto the wire. The challenge is in shaping both ends of the wire (closing) when the project is finished. With the proper beading tools and patience, it becomes easy. Here are a few designs I created. I’ll share some supplies and tips also.
With this single-strand, dragonfly pair, you can see that I finished one with some cone bead caps before closing the ends and adding the dangles. I put the dragonfly charm on the piece of chain before adding it.
The beads used are mostly E-beads, which is a larger seed bead. I named this set the Blue Lagoon Dragonfly Bracelets.
This single-strand was made with crystal cube beads interspersed with silver-lined, lime Delicas.
I included silver noodle beads (tubes) and added dangles. The main dangle is a salvaged necklace pendant that I added to 3 jump rings. I never leave my ends with just a bend or curl. I always add a dangle, even if it is only a jump ring. It gives a polished finish. I added 4 rings on a jump ring for the 2nd end finish. I named this the Newbury St Luncheon Bracelet.
For this silver and red, single-strand, trio set, I enjoyed using a spike charm to finish off one end. You can also see some noodle beads in its design. I coordinated all 3 with finishes of Asian-inspired, basket-weave charms. I named this set the Ring Of Fire Trio.
With the pink and the blue single-strands, I used larger beads and also bead spacers. On the blue one you can see gold, embossed bead cones at the finished ends.
I hand made the yarn tassels finishes. I also chose keys charms for the second finished ends. The pink one I named the Michigan Ave Shopping Bracelet. The blue one the Newbury Street Shopping Bracelet.
This is a colorful, three-strand in which I used a variety mix, a bead soup, of my beads.
I finished one end with a sun charm. For the other end, I put a pewter-colored, E-bead on a jump ring. I named this the Happy Life Bracelet.
The last one I’m sharing is a four-strand, made with a blue bead soup. It includes 3 noodle beads. Noodle beads come in various lengths and circumferences (widths).
I finished one end with a silver, crescent moon charm. I added an E-bead to a jump ring for the other end. I tried to add the smaller E-beads mostly on the first and last strand, so that they could create a kind of frame for the larger beads on the second and third strands.
Bead soup designs are easy ways to use up leftover beads. I named this bracelet Blue Boho Elegance.
As with any technique, the possibilities are endless. Adding creative, decorative finishes to the ends of the bracelets gives them versatility. They can be worn with the backs (the finished ends) or fronts (the opposite side) facing forward on the hands. The special way to put them on is in a slightly stretched out, winding motion. To remove them from the wrists, you would grasp one end and begin to unwind.
Memory wire comes in a continuous length, as much as 200 loops or more, in various grams (thicknesses) and finishes. You can cut the length that you need using beading wire cutters. Coils are also available in choker and ring mm diameters.
Memory wire can be used for other projects, like hanging, spiraled, beaded suncatchers for the window and garden. The larger and heavier the beads, the longer the wire spiral will hang and more easily dance in the wind in the garden.
Thanks for looking!
This is 17th in my 18-posts Chameleon Badge pursuit!