Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings, Contemporary Wire Jewelry. Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire. This tutorial for embellishing beads with a herringbone weave is a beautiful way to showcase your beads.

Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings

by Deborah Kelly
  • Category: Contemporary
  • Technique(s): Weaving
  • Skill Level: Beginner
This tutorial for embellishing beads with a herringbone weave is a beautiful way to showcase your beads. This element can be used in many ways in your jewelry design. Here we'll build a bracelet and matching pair of earrings.

Materials

22 Gauge Round Half Hard 14/20 Rose Gold Filled Wire
H6-22H
  • Lesson Quantity: 15.00 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $26.15
  • Gold Club Price: $19.61
Add to Bag
Goldstone 6mm Round Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-640
  • Lesson Quantity: 7.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $6.30
  • Gold Club Price: $4.73
Out of Stock
Jade 6mm Round Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-643
  • Lesson Quantity: 17.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $12.07
  • Gold Club Price: $9.05
Out of Stock
Malachite 6mm Round Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-695
  • Lesson Quantity: 7.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $17.85
  • Gold Club Price: $13.39
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Blue Crazy Lace Agate 8mm Round Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-611
  • Lesson Quantity: 8.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $8.40
  • Gold Club Price: $6.30
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Carnelian 8mm Round Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-752
  • Lesson Quantity: 8.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $8.40
  • Gold Club Price: $6.30
Add to Bag
16 Gauge Round Half Hard 14/20 Rose Gold Filled Wire
H6-16H
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.50 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
  • Price: $23.49
  • Gold Club Price: $17.62
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Sterling Silver Earwires Textured 19mm - Pack of 2
K19-66
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $8.52
  • Gold Club Price: $6.39
Add to Bag
Add All Items to Cart

Tools

Round Nose Wire Pliers
G2-507
  • G2-507
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
Add to Bag
Chain Nose Wire Pliers
G2-508
  • G2-508
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
Add to Bag
C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches
PLR-487.00
  • PLR-487.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $16.97
  • Gold Club Price: $12.73
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6 1/2 Inch Bail Making Pliers
G2-18
  • G2-18
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $12.78
  • Gold Club Price: $9.58
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Add All Items to Cart
Instructions
Step 1
Take one of the pieces of wire and using round-nose pliers, make a loop on it about two inches away from one end.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, make a loop
Step 2
Wrap the short end around the long wire eight times. Cut off short end and use pliers to smooth the end the around long wire.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 3
Slide one 6mm bead onto the wire, all the way up the coiled wire.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, add a bead
Step 4
Use pliers to measure how long the eight coils on the starting side is. Right next to the bead bend the wire up same distance away from the bead as the coils take up.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 5
With the round nose pliers, make a loop in the wire at the bend, while making the loop, wrap wire up and away from the bead so as to not shorten the measured amount of wire. Wrap the tail end around the measured out space, wrapping it 8 times, as you did on the other side.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 6
Position the bead so the tail wire is on what will become the top of the herringbone when done. Wrap the wire around the side of the bead and over the top of the coiled wire on the other side. Wrap around the coil once so wire is coming up over the top.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 7
Bring the wire around the other side of the bead and across the top of the opposite coil. Go around the coil coming out over the top and wrap the wire around the bead right under the wire from the first time around.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 8
Continue doing this till you have four wires on each side of the bead. Keep the front of the herringbone up at all times. That helps in not confusing the back from the front. Take the wrapping wire to the back side of the herringbone bead and cut off, use pliers to crimp end down so it is not scratchy. Save the pieces you cut off to use later.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 9
Make six more herringbone beads.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 10
Take a piece of left over wire and make a loop about ½ an inch from the end. Put one herringbone bead onto the loop
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 11
Wrap the small tail around the bottom of the loop twice. Cut and smooth with pliers. It may be easier to wrap the wire around the base of the loop while holding the loop with pliers.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 12
Slip one of the other beads onto the wire.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 13
To make the loop above the bead which was just added. Put round nose pliers next to bead and bend wire to the side. Move pliers to sit right in the bend that was just made. Pliers will be at a forty five degree angle from where they where.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 14
Bend the end of the wire up around the round nose pliers forming the loop.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 15
Put another herringbone bead onto the loop that was just made. Grab the loop with chain nose pliers and twist the end wire around the base of the loop, cut off excess wire and smooth with pliers. Repeat till five herringbone beads are chained together with beads between them.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 16
When you add the final bead, make a wrapped loop against the bead.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 17
To make a figure 8 clasp, take the 16 gauge wire and wrap it around the third step on a 6 step bail making pliers or the largest part of round nose pliers.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 18
Put the pliers right next to where the first loop made, wrap the wire around the same step on the bail making pliers to form a figure eight. Cut wire off where the end of the wire crosses over the eight figure.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 19
Put clasp on by opening one side of the figure 8 and passing one end loop into the clasp. Close the end of the clasp
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 20
For the earrings, make a loop on one of the left over pieces of wire and put an herringbone bead onto it like when connecting the loops of the bracelet. Put on bead instead of making a loop bend wire up around the bead.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 21
Wrap wire around the base of the loop attaching the bead to the herringbone bead.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Step 22
Cut off the extra wire and tuck the end of the wire next to the wire wrapping around the bead. Repeat with the last herringbone bead. Put an ear wire onto the top of each of the earrings.
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave
Deborah Kelly's Herringbone Bracelet and Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, herringbone weave