kumihimo crystal bracelet

Wire woven braids from a disk.

SKILL LEVEL

TOOLS & SUPPLIES

16"20" pieces of 24- to 26-gauge Artistic Wire, 8 4mm round crystals, approximately 120 Hamanaka Kumihimo Disk Round nose pliers Chain nose pliers 2 end cones 18-gauge wire, 6"7" Jewelry cement

BY VANESSA BLEVINS
I found the Kumihimo portable disk one afternoon at a bead show, and became determined to learn how to use it. Soon I was creating beautiful necklaces out of all kinds of fiber. After a while, I wanted to return to my love, metal. I decided to create something using Artistic Wire, because it was anti-tarnish and could easily be bent a few times without breaking. I added crystals for sparkle and durability.

Resources: Artistic Wire, artisticwire.com; Kumihimo Disk from ontherocks.biz.

Photo of finished piece by Jim Lawson; all other photos courtesy of the author.

Kumihimo Crystal Bracelet Page 1 More great projects available at shop.interweave.com/beading Originally published in Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Summer 2008. Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved

kumihimo crystal bracelet

Measure your wrist, and add 1"112" for comfort. This is the woven length of your bracelet. The cones and clasp will add more length, so measure them and add to your total. Measure eight 16"20" pieces of wire.

Bring all the wire ends together and twist them with your fingers a few times, like you are twisting a bag tie.

Insert the twisted wire ends through the center hole on the top side of the disk. Use your left hand to hold the twist underneath the disk. It is important to maintain consistent tension throughout the project, so that the weave is uniform in shape and size.

Separate the strands of wire, one on each side of #8, #16, #24, and #32 on the disk.

Hold the disk so #32 is at the top. While holding the twist with your left hand on the under side of the disk, begin by taking the wire on the left side of #16 (bottom left) and bringing it up and to the left of the two wires on the top (#31top left). You now have three wires on the top.

Take the wire on the right side of #32 (top right), and bring it down to the right side of the bottom (#15bottom right). Turn the wheel to the left, or counter clockwise, so that #8 is on top, and repeat the pattern: bottom left-top left, top right, bottom right. Continue weaving one time around the circle until all the wires have been moved.

At this point, you have woven about 1", or made one complete rotation. Start adding the crystals. You will only add the beads on the upstroke move. Add the crystal to the wire, and push it down through the hole so that it sits snugly against the weaving. Use your left hand to hold it down while you make the other cross over. Make sure that the crystal is held under the wire that is crossing over to the inside left of the circle. Continue the same pattern until you have reached the desired length. Weave about 1", or one more complete rotation without crystals at the end.

Remove the wires from the disk, and snip the ends.

Kumihimo Crystal Bracelet Page 2 More great projects available at shop.interweave.com/beading Originally published in Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Summer 2008. Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved

Take the 18g wire, and cut it in half. You should have two 3"312" pieces. Wrap them around the fattest part of the chain nose pliers two to three times, forming a coil.

the the cones over 10 Insert the wire ends ofchainbraid 11 Placeof the 18g wire. the long into the coil, and use ends Add jewnose pliers to them squeeze the coils closed. Snip the ends of the braid close to the end of the coil. elry cement to the inside of the cone to hold it in place.

one into a end, the 12 Makeusing end middlewrapped 13 On the other " " graspthe loop the or the wire about from
14 12

the top 14 Hammer strength.curve of the hook for

base of the round nose pliers. The loop needs to be big enough for the hook to pass through.

cone with the fattest part of the round nose pliers, and bend it over the pliers with your fingers to form the hook. Roll up the end of the wire with the tip of the pliers, forming a tiny loop.

Vanessa Blevins
has been crafty all her life. A friend introduced her to jewelry making, starting with stringing, and then moving to metalwork. After teaching herself many techniques by reading or trial and error, she began selling her creations. She is currently a teacher at On the Rocks, a local bead shop. Contact Vanessa at vlblevins@bellsouth.net.

Keeping track of the next number to move to is not important. The numbers are merely there for reference. What is important is to keep up the same pattern, and to keep your wires across from each other. You can use the numbers to check yourself every time you come around one full rotation. All eight wires should be on one of the numbers with dots.

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Kumihimo Crystal Bracelet Page 3 More great projects available at shop.interweave.com/beading Originally published in Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Summer 2008. Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved