Memory Wire Bracelets

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! :hot_face:

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Your bracelets are really cute, and what a great variety! I think I like the blue boho one best, nice work!

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These are beautiful. I love all the different colorways.

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What pretty bracelets! You have so many lovely beads. I like how you finish off both ends with little bits of whimsy!

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:snowflake: Congratulations! Your project is SNOW wonderful, it’s featured this week! :snowflake:

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Great bracelets! I like your selection of themes and colors.
Thanks for sharing info about your process too.
Beading is one of my main crafts, but I haven’t tried memory wire yet. I’ll have to dig up my larger than seed beads stash, get some wire and give it a go.

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Thank you! With 4 strands or so, if you want an exacting design that shows a certain way on all sides, you have to watch the order in which you add the beads. It’s easy to get caught up on the design of one side of one of the strands. Then when you turn the bracelet, the beads fall wrong in relation to the upper and lower row. All one size can end up on the same side of the bracelet or colors/tones/designs that you did not want can end up together or on the same side. Simple matter though to pull them off of the last row and redo. For example, I didn’t want all of the noodle beads to end up on one side, at least not for this design. I can see a design though where that would be attractive.

Thanks! I play with my bead stash more than I make things because of the color groups. :smile:

Thanks so much! I don’t have as large of a stash as it looks like. I only buy occasionally and in small/tiny lots. I do have more than I ever thought I would though and so grateful for them. Choosing what embellishments to finish off with is definitely exciting.

Thank you SNOW much! I can’t get enough of :snowflake::snowflake::snowflake:!

You’re welcome and thank you. I don’t think I even bothered to try seed beads. Went straight to E-beads for my small elements. It’s very satisfying to feed the beads onto the wire and watch and feel them slide smoothly and quickly down the spiral ~vs~ feeding them onto a needle and pulling them down the thread. I look forward to seeing some of your designs. Getting inspiration on Pinterest, like for any creativity, will make you drool at the gorgeous designs, some simple, some elaborate. Have fun! :confetti_ball:

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These are so pretty!

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These are especially lovely for people who have difficulty in doing a clasp on a bracelet. I love that you can just coil them on your arm and they seem to fit most people comfortably.

The blue one is also my favorite. I have special cutters for memory wire that really helped me when I made them.

Lovely selection and nice of you to share tips!

You are going to get that badge soon enough–YAY!

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I really like the pictures you took. They’re so bright and really make the bracelets shine!

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Thank you! I really enjoy sharing my experience and encouraging others to try. Yes, I’m thinking about my last Chameleon Badge post. Going to be bitter sweet because I’ve enjoyed it.

Thanks, I’m so glad to know that it makes a difference. I shared in another post that I made a cardboard and copy paper photo box and bought a pair of inexpensive LCD, tabletop spotlights to help in photographing products.

LED Photo Lightsb

LED Photo Lightsa

I don’t have a photo of my photo box. I threw the flimsy, fragile box away when I moved. Since I stopped selling handmades online, I haven’t needed another one. To make it, I chose a cardboard box that would sit on a table.

Since the main thing with good product photos is using diffused light to cut glare, I cut out large, square holes in each side and the top of the box. I covered the holes with taped-on sheets of white, copy paper. On the inside of the back of the box I taped a white paper backdrop.

Depending on what I was photographing and how I positioned it in the box, I would set up each light to shine through one of the paper-covered openings. If I wanted light from the top, I’d lay or prop one of the lights on top so that it would shine down through the paper.

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Thank you so much for this illuminating response! I’ve never thought about diffusing the light, but it’s obvious from your photos that it makes quite the difference.

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I really like Michigan Ave.

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