TUTORIAL MEMORY WRAP CUFF

Memory wire, beads, and colored wire, three of may favorite jewelry components, are combined in this cuff style bracelet. You'll need the following:
1 loop of bracelet size memory wire
wire (I used 26 gauge magenta Colour Craft® wire.)
15 6mm beads (I used hematite.)
round-nosed pliers
flat-nosed pliers
wire cutters
nylon nosed pliers

1. Start my using round-nosed pliers to make a small loop on one end of your memory wire.

2. Then take the colored wire (keeping it on the spool), and wrap a few times around the memory wire. I actually placed a small amount of the colored wire flat up against the memory wire and then wrapped the colored wire around itself to help secure it against the memory wire.

3. Slip on a bead, and then wrap the colored wire over the bead. 

4. Wrap some of the colored wire again around the memory wire. I wrapped about 5 times.



5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you've made your way all around the memory wire. You may have to use nylon pliers to straighten out your colored wire because since you need to keep it on the spool, it can get pretty bent up. 6. When you get to about ½ inch away from the end of the memory wire, make a few wraps and then use round-nosed pliers to make another curl. 


7. To help secure the wire, insert the end of the colored wire down through the last wrap you did around the last bead.

8. Continue to bring the colored wire back down around the last bead and make more wraps around the memory wire so that you are wrapping back around the colored wire. 


9. Use nylon pliers to press the colored wire in spots around the end of the memory wire to help flatten it and tighten it around the memory wire. You can use flat-nosed pliers to do this also, but be careful because they can scratch the colored wire. I chose to make this into a cuff style bracelet, but obviously, you could make it longer so that it wraps around your wrist or even do this with necklace size memory wire. While the 26-gauge wire worked well and was easy to handle with my fingers, I think a thicker wire could work well and perhaps show up better, such as a 22 gauge. Also, if I make any more of these, I will probably use beads whose color contrasts more to the wire, so this is something to consider when you try this project.