STEPHIE'S BEADS AND BAUBLES

I promised I would share my projects as I did them and today I needed to restring a bracelet I offered to  resize for a friend and figured it was a perfect opportunity to show how I did it. I took pictures as best I could as I needed both hands  !! But I got pictures to show you !!!

first I measured it to see how much bigger it was then it needed to be. I needed to get it down to around eight inches, so just under an inch of beads had to come off.

One side ended with two beads between the last two big beads and the other ended with the same pattern as the rest of the bracelet which means I had to remove several beads to match it to the other side and that would take out just enough beads to get it down to the size it needed to be !!

I had to cut the findings off of the ends and unstring the necklace to redo it. After that it was time to start restringing the piece

I strung a crimp bead  on the wire, then strung on the finding, which in this case is a jump ring,  and then looped it back through the crimp bead. Loosely at first.

I leave a tail as I pull it tight and then once I have a tight fit on the jump ring, I use the crimper tool to crimp the bead tightly on the wire, but you have to be careful to not smash it, it is really easy to do !!

I leave enough of a tail to fit through the first bead and then measure out the eight inches I need for the bracelet and than about another half an inch for the other side to have plenty to hold on to while I crimp it.

Here is the crimping tool with the crimp beads. You can see the tiny curves in the nose to fit around the bead so you can crimp it. The beads are very thin and hollow, they work great !!

I start restringing the beads on in the same order they were in, except at the end I shorten it to look like the other side in reverse.

Once done, it is time to  put on the other side of the finding, in this case a lobster claw clasp.

I pull the tail through the last bead to hold it tight and then crimp the crimp bead to hold it in place. Carefully cut the extra wire and make sure it is all tucked in and will not come out and then It is done !!

I am sorry about the pictures, it is was dark out today, cloudy and over cast so I had to use a light and it made the pictures very yellow and dark.

Here are the tools I used for this project

jewelry pliers to hold it steady

a second pair to pull the wire through and hold it tight

some other wire cutters I used, but the old fashioned worked the best. I do need a new pair, my set is very old.

another old pair of wire cutters.

The wire I used is

finished piece !!!

Really easy to do , but do not be upset if you mess it up. I have a confession, I had to do it over because I crushed the crimp bead the first go around and it looks awful, I am a perfectionist so  I did it again being very careful to NOT crush it the second time !!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope this was some help to someone, I just wish my pictures were better !!

Stephie

this is my  next project, wine glass charms, never done them before, have a million ideas and cannot wait to try them out !! I will post as I go with this project too !! It is a special order and I am excited about it !! She gave me creative license to do what I want, so I will make a few sets up and let her choose and then list the others !!