Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet

by Kylie Jones

Category: Chain Maille
Technique(s): Chain Making
Skill Level: Intermediate

This modern bracelet is great for women and men. It uses stainless steel chain maille pieces that are wire wrapped to the leather to create a Viking style look. The material list for this bracelet makes an 8" bracelet.

Materials

26 Gauge Round Stainless Steel Craft Wire - 90 ft

H18-F26-90FT

Lesson Quantity: 36.00 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $6.80
Gold Club Price: $5.10

Add to Bag

Sterling Silver Oval Lobster 7x15mm - Pack of 1

K3-135

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Price: $6.20
Gold Club Price: $4.65

Add to Bag

4mm round black leather

Lesson Quantity: 6.75 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

18g AWG 1mm ID 5/32" 4.1mm jump rings Stainless Steel

Lesson Quantity: 19.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

18g AWG 1mm)ID 1/4" 6.4mm jump rings Stainless Steel

Lesson Quantity: 4.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

18g AWG 1mm ID 3/16" 5mm jump ring Stainless Steel

Lesson Quantity: 57.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Add All Items to Cart

Tools

Flat Nose Wire Pliers

G2-506

G2-506
Lesson Quantity: 2.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

Add to Bag

5 inch Plato Slim Flush Cutters for Wire Working or Beading - Pack of 1

G35-3

G35-3
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $11.95
Gold Club Price: $8.96

Add to Bag

5 Piece Steel Mandrel Set

G7-5

G7-5
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.95
Gold Club Price: $9.71

Add to Bag

Add All Items to Cart

Instructions

Step 1

Place 2 closed 5/32" rings on an open 3/16" ring and close the ring.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , place 2 closed 4.1mm jump rings on an open 5mm jump ring

Step 2

With an open 3/16" ring go through 1 of the 2 rings from step 1.

Add a closed 5/32" ring and close the ring.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add a 5mm ring through one of the 2 rings in step 1

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add a 4.1mm closed jump ring

Step 3

Join this chain into a ring by taking an open 3/16" ring and going through both end rings, close the ring.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , join the two end jump rings with a 5mm jump ring.

Step 4

Place the bamboo skewer in the center of the chain, making sure to not go through any of the rings. Position the rings as in the photo with the 3 larger rings towards the point of the mandrel. This chain is now 2 rows of round maille, with the first row being the smaller rings and the 2nd row the larger rings.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , place the mandrel through the center of the chain

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , position the rings into 2 rows of round maille

Step 5

To begin adding the 3rd row take an open 3/16" ring and go through 2 rings from the 2nd row that are next to each other, right at the point where they meet. Close the ring. You can lightly wire wrap the piece to the mandrel if this makes it easier.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add a 5mm jump ring through two jump rings on the bottom row

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , close the jump ring

Step 6

Take another open 3/16" ring and go through the next 2 rings at the point where they meet. Close the ring.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add another 5mm jump ring to the next two bottom jump rings

Step 7

Take another open 3/16" ring and go through the last place on the previous row where 2 rings meet. Close the ring. The round maille piece is now 3 rows long.

Step 8

Add another row to this piece by taking an open 3/16" ring and going through 2 rings that are next to each other at the point where they meet and close the ring. Add 2 more rings in the same way to complete the row.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add a 5mm jump ring to the bottom row

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add another 5mm jump ring to the next two bottom rings

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add a third 5mm jump ring

Step 9

Continue to add rows with the 3/16" rings until you have a total of 16 rows, this includes the first row with the smaller rings. Add a final 17th row with the smaller 5/32" rings. This round maille piece now has a row at each end with the smaller rings.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add 16 more rows of 5mm jump rings

Step 10

To make the end caps for the bracelet repeat steps 1-7 then add the 4th row with the smaller 5/32" rings. This gives you a piece 4 rows long with a row of smaller rings at each end. Make 2 end caps.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , repeat rows 1-7

Step 11

Thread the leather through the center of the large chain maille piece in the same place where the mandrel was. Position the chain maille with equal distance to the ends of the leather.

To begin wrapping one end of the chain maille, take the wire and leaving a 1" (2.5cm) tail make a wrap around the leather at the point where the chain maille ends. The tail end should be on the side of the chain maille and the long end towards the end of the bracelet.

Make this as tight as you can and keep wrapping the tail so there are 2-3 wraps. Trim the tail and squash the end flat.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , thread the leather through the chain maille piece

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , wrap the wire around the leather

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , make 2-3 wraps of wire

Step 12

Now with the long end go down through one of the rings from the end row of chain maille.

Keeping the wire as neat as possible do the same with the 2 other end rings. If you find it hard to keep the wire straight when pulling through the rings you can use the bamboo skewer to guide the wire. Go through each of the rings again.

Continue the wire wrapping on the leather, keeping the coils as close as possible. Make about 8 wraps. Trim the wire and squash the end flat with your pliers. You can add a tiny drop of glue onto the end to stop it from catching on clothes.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , bring the long end of the wire through a jump ring

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , continue pulling the wire through each end jump ring

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Wrap the wire snugly around the leatehr about 8 times

Step 13

Attach the other end of the chain maille in exactly the same way.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , attach the other end of the chain maille with wire

Step 14

Thread one of the small end caps onto the end of the leather so that the last row is only just on the leather. The end that is wrapped is the end closest to the center of the bracelet. The tail of the wire is closest to the end of the leather and the wraps go towards the center of the bracelet. This is done in the same way as before. For the end caps I make the tail a bit longer and do about 4 wraps instead of 2 as this area can be put under stress. Attach the other end cap.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , thread the small chain maille unit onto the end of the leather

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , attach the chain with wire

Step 15

To finish the ends take an open 1/4" jump ring and start to add a new row of round maille by going through 2 rings from the last row that are next to each other. Do this once more so there are 2 rings in the new row and leave the third space empty. For the second end attach the clasp to both of these large rings with one of the 5/32" rings.

Kylie Jones's Leather and Chain Maille Bracelet - , Chain Maille Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , add the clasp

Reviews

Kylie Jones

I am a jewelry designer living on the Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia. I love the challenge of designing jewelry, the mix of creative energy and problem solving. I love chain maille because it is low tech, it makes gorgeous ornamental patterns and textures, and it has a strong link to the past. You can see more of my work at: www.ringsandstones.com.au