makingjewellery.com 57PROJECT
HOW TO MAKE
1- Blanks made into bracelets can be strung in
a variety of ways. The easiest way is on leather
thong and for this style (like Fearless and Dream
Big opposite), you will need to punch holes at
either end of the blank that are between 5mm
and 8mm across. Always stamp the words fi rst
then punch the hanging holes before moving on
to stringing the bracelet or pendant. - Hammering blanks adds a nice textured
fi nish. This is achieved with the rounded end of
a ball pein hammer and a steel block. Hold the
blank steady on the steel block and hit it with
the hammer. Aluminium is very soft so only
needs a gentle tap, copper will need a stronger
hit. You can either hammer over the whole
blank or around the edge (Fearless bracelet
opposite and Harmony pendant p59). Stamp
the words fi rst before texturing. - If you use a blank longer than 30mm, you
need to curve the blank (after stamping the
words) so it sits nicely around the wrist before
you string it onto a bracelet. To do this you will
need a bangle mandrel or sturdy large round
shape. You can start the curve by pressing both
ends with your thumbs against the mandrel
if working with aluminium. If using a copper
blank, move straight to the next step and use a
hammer and mandrel to bend the shape.
2 34 5 6- To make sure the curve is uniform in shape
you will need to fi nish it with a nylon or rawhide
hammer. Hold one end while gently hitting the
other end until you have a nice uniform curve to
the blank. The Dream Big blank is fi nished with
a 5mm fl at square edge leather strap. Cut the
leather to the right length allowing for the clasp.
Add 5mm wide ribbon necklace ends. These
have a small loop at the ends for jumprings and
hinge over the ends of the cord or ribbon to hold
it in place. Add your chosen clasp to fi nish. - Another way to fi nish this style of blank is
with 2mm leather cord doubled up and a coil
necklace end with lobster clasp. Measure the
wrist size and double the length, cut the cord
and fold it in half. Use 0.4mm wire to bind the
loop made by the cord being folded over. Then
feed the blank on so the cord runs behind the
blank. Check the length is right and add a coil
end and glue it in place. Add a lobster clasp with
a jumpring to fi nish. - There are many clasp designs available. I
found one that works with the 5mm fl at leather
strap and makes a really clean fi nished look
(perfect if making for a man). It is like a buckle
clip and has two prongs inside a hinged piece.
The hinged front folds down over the prongs
to hold the leather in. A 2mm hole needs to be
punched out of both ends of the leather. One
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, SIAN HAMILTONWleather end is pushed in from the hinged side
of the clasp and hooked over the prong. This
one stays in place and the other end fi ts over the
prong by the open end.- For a casual style (Believe in your dreams
bracelet opposite) use 3mm faux suede. Cut two
lengths of suede and double them. Push the
folded ends through the holes in the blank from
the front and bring the cord back through the
loops, pull tight. Place the whole piece on the
wrist and cut the ends leaving a 20mm gap for
the magnetic clasp. Add ribbon necklace ends to
hold the two ends of suede in place, add a little
glue if desired before closing the ends. Add a
magnetic clasp using jumprings. - The ‘Peace, love & rock n roll’ pendant has a
macramé strap. Cut two 150mm pieces of 2mm
cord and attach to the blank the same way as
Step 7. Cut two 300mm pieces of 1mm cord,
using a colour of your choice. Use the standard
square macramé knot with the 2mm cords as
your base cords. Instructions for macramé can
be found online. As you knot, keep checking the
length; you need equal lengths of macramé each
side of the blank. When it’s the right length, cut
off the ends of the 1mm cords and add a little
glue. Cut the 2mm cords about 5mm longer and
place a ribbon cord end over them. Add a clasp
to the ribbon cord end with jumprings.
MJ96_P56-59_Stamped SHSF.indd 57 23/06/2016 11:13