Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace | Contemporary Wire Jewelry

Link-it Necklace

by Karen Meador, Ph.D.

Category: Contemporary
Technique(s): Chain Making
Skill Level: Beginner

This tutorial describes how to make a chain that is approximately 32" long. The length can obviously be varied by adding more sections of a link pattern or putting more individual links into the sections. Four sections of each link pattern are shown herein.

Materials

Mirrored Lines Copper Pattern Wire - 3 Feet

H25-11A

Lesson Quantity: 3.00 feet
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.29
Gold Club Price: $9.22

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18 Gauge Round Dead Soft Copper Wire

H11-18D

Lesson Quantity: 3.00 feet
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
Price: $2.81
Gold Club Price: $2.11

Out of Stock

16 gauge copper 8mm jump rings

Lesson Quantity: 16.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Size 8 seed beads

Lesson Quantity: 48.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

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Tools

Round Nose Wire Plier

G2-507

G2-507
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

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C.H.P Milano Small Sprue Cutter, 6-1/4 Inches, Flush Cut

PLR-488.00

PLR-488.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $22.97
Gold Club Price: $17.23

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Chasing Hammer with Wooden Handle, 1 1/8 Inch Face

G3-27

G3-27
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $13.97
Gold Club Price: $10.48

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Premium Steel Bench Block 2 1/2 X 2 1/2

G17-9

G17-9
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $15.97
Gold Club Price: $11.98

Out of Stock

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Instructions

Step 1

You can cut various lengths for the mirrored lines wire links or make them all the same link. I cut 16 pieces and varied the lengths. The largest link was 2 ¼” flat and the smallest was 1 ¾” flat.

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , cut wire

Step 2

Use the largest diameter of your round nose pliers to curve the end of the flat link until it touches itself. You want the diameter of the space in this curve to provide ample room for movement in the chain.

Curve the other end of the link in the opposite direction.

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , create a loop

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , make a loop

Step 3

Repeat step 2 until all these links have been created. Then use large jump rings to connect three of the links. You will need four sets of these.

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , connect with jump rings

Step 4

Cut a 2 1/4” piece of 18g wire. Be sure this wire will fit through the seed beads you have selected. If not, use 20g wire.

Use a permanent marker to denote the half way point on your graduated round nose pliers. This will indicate the wire placement for bends and loops and help you make the size consistent.

Bend the wire in half at the marked diameter on your pliers and hammer it. The tops of the wire should be even.

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , mark your pliers

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , bend the wire in half

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , hammer the wire

Step 5

String three seed beads on one side of the wire and create an inward loop in the top of it. The seed beads may slide past the bottom curve, but that’s OK.

Gently hammer the loop being careful not to smash your beads.

Repeat for the other side of the link, adding three beads and making a loop. Push the two loops inward so they mirror each other.

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , string on 3 beads

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , hammer the loop

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , push the loops together

Step 6

Create a bead-less link by cutting another 2 1/4” piece of 18g wire, bending it in half and hammering it.

Feed this link through the top loops of the beaded link. Create and hammer inward loops on the ends of this piece and push them together.

Pro Tip: Position the wire loops on the bench block such that the beads hang off of it. This helps you keep from hammering the beads.

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , create another link

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , thread through a beaded link

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , make loops on each end

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , hammer tip

Step 7

Cut, bend, and hammer another piece of wire, feeding it through the loops of the bead-less link. Then string on beads on each side and finish the link as before.

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , make another link

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , make loops

Step 8

Now you should have a section of three links to be added to the mirrored wire links previously created. Make three more of these 3-link sections. To finish the necklace, alternate attaching the beaded links to the mirrored links with jump rings.

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , 3-link chain

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add jumps to each end

Karen Meador, Ph.D.'s Link-it Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , attach to other links

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Karen Meador, Ph.D.

Karen Meador, PhD, is a retired professor, educational consultant and musician whose research endeavors focused on creative thinking and gifted education. Her numerous books and articles for teachers addressed these topics. Dr. Meador currently pursues art through wire work, enameling and metalsmithing.