So a lot of you really seemed to like last week’s video tutorial where I shared how to make wire wrapped beaded bangles. Well, the style allows for so much versatility that today I added an embossed copper blank to the mix, and made up an earthy copper design. You don’t have to know how to stamp metal to get the look, you just need a manual embossing machine (like my beloved Sizzix Big Shot) to add embossed designs to metal blanks. Add a few beads to the design, and you’ve got a beautiful, stackable bangle that’s anything but ordinary.
This project also doesn’t take much in the way of supplies, if you already have the basic tools. (And if you don’t? This is totally a great excuse to add them to your craft stash… just sayin’…) I’ll leave you links below to check out the supplies I used, and if you decide to buy anything I’ve listed here through these links, it helps support my blog at no extra cost to you (and thank you, by the way!)
- Sizzix Big Shot, extended platform, cutting pads
- Mod Trees Vintaj embossing folder
- Vintaj 36mm oval copper blank
- Vintaj reliefing block
- 24 inches of 16 gauge copper wire
- 24 inches of 20 gauge copper wire
- Wire cutters
- Nylon pliers
- Bracelet bending pliers
- 2 coordinating lentil-shaped flat beads
Embossing metal is very much like embossing paper, but the Vintaj dies are specially designed. They have several designs of the same theme where you can position your blank to choose what you like best. Just position it and close it, then sandwich the metal die between your cutting pads and roll it through your Big Shot on the #1 tab on the extended platform.
Next, sand your blank lightly to remove some of the patina. I used my reliefing block, but a fine grit sandpaper (like a 200 grit) would also work well for this. Then, bend the blank slightly so that it will curve around the bangle. I used my bracelet bending pliers to bend it perfectly in seconds, but if you don’t have the pliers or don’t think you’d use them enough to make the investment, bending it carefully by hand or with the aid or nylon pliers would also work. You just don’t want to leave it flat, it should hug the bangle, instead of the sides sticking out.
Now, if these photos seem confusing, or if you are just more of a video-learner, then be sure to check out my 7-minute video last week that shows you how to make wire wrapped beaded bangles. But, because I know some of you do prefer a step-by-step photo tutorial (so that you can print it for reference, or you’d just rather read it quietly) then today’s tutorial will show you with photos.
To form the bangle, cut off about 24 inches of 16-gauge heavy wire. Wrap it around something round, like a can or glass, to give it its basic shape. To begin, it doesn’t need to be sized exactly; you can make adjustments to the size once you get started. What you want to avoid, though, is where the wire is bent or bumpy. Cut off 24 inches of 20-gauge wire, and begin at any point along the wire bangle by wrapping 3-4 times, about 8-9 inches into the thinner gauge wire. Bend the wire so that you can run it along the thicker gauge wires, and work it into your bracelet.
Add the bead onto the short end of your 20-gauge wire, and bend it to that it hugs the bangle tightly. Wrap 3-4 more times on the other side of the bead.
Now, make adjustments to the size of the bangle, now that you have one set of wraps completed to help hold the coils together. Mine is about 7.5 inches circumference, but you can measure against another bangle or over your wrist to get the exact right size. Slide the beaded coils to a position close to where your wire coils overlap, so that you can position the metal blank on top of the overlap to both secure the ends and cover it up. Wrap 3-4 times, thread the blank on through the holes at each side, and move along the bangle to add the other side bead.
At this point, you also want to take the shorter end of your wrapping wire, and coil it along the bangle base, incorporating it into the bangle itself. Be sure to include it when you wrap your final bead wrap.
As you work, if you find that your wires are getting too bent, you can use your nylon pliers to help re-shape and re-form them without marring the wire. You may find that you don’t need to, but it’s nice to have them handy, just in case.
Once you’ve wrapped the final bead onto your bracelet, then trim all the loose wires sticking out. You may wish to file these sharp edges so that they don’t scratch you when worn, but chances are, the other wires will group around them to help protect skin.
You can stop here, or you can keep going, and make up a few coordinating bangles to stack together! Once you have the wire and tools, additional bangles are practically free – you just have the cost of beads (or blanks).
Happy wrapping!
Great.
Hi Adrianne,
I received my “Big Shot’ machine and I truly love it. I actually made the embossed tree wire wrapped bangle. It really came out nice. The bracelet barely fits over my hand but my wrist is so small and it feels big on my wrist. The bracelet also feels top heavy. Any suggestions?
Hmm, I don’t notice that because I wear a few bangles together, typically, but did you see this post on wire-wrapped bangles? http://happyhourprojects.com/wire-bead-bangle/
It’s got beads all the way around, making it more balanced. You could design yours with more beads going around.
Bangles WILL feel larger on your wrist, that’s just what kind of style it is. If it couldn’t fit over your hand, then you wouldn’t be able to put it on at all. But if you find it distracting, you can always try another style bracelet. I made a similar style last year, only I used chains and a clasp rather than making a bangle. That way, you could make it whatever size best fits your wrist.
I’m glad you love your Big Shot! I use mine every week!
Hello again,
I would like to know what the Vintaj Deco Etch patterns are used for… to make cards?
The Deco Etch dies are also for metal – I haven’t tried using them on paper but I don’t think they would work. Instead of actually giving the metal a raised texture, the DecoEtch dies imprint a a design on that looks more like engraving.
Adrianne, I so very thankful for all of the help you’ve given me and still offering. I recently started my own jewelry business, so I am excited about getting the machine. Can’t wait to get started. I make everything that I sell and love every minute of it.
Thank you so very much for helping me!!!
Sharon
Oh you’re welcome! I started blogging because I love talking crafts, and especially jewelry. :) As long as my kids give me time to respond, I’m happy to help!
I would like to purchase a Sizzix Big Shot, but there are so many choices. How do I know which one is best for me.?
Sharon, I have the Big Shot and I think it’s the most versatile and no-frills. It’s really rare that I need to cut something more than 6″ wide. The majority of the dies work with the 6″ wide Big Shot. The Big Shot Plus and Pro are wider, and will accommodate those wider dies, but don’t forget you can cut and emboss up to about 25″ with the extended platform on the regular Big Shot. The Big Shot express is similar but instead of a hand crank, it plugs in for push-button operation a(and I’m pretty sure the Vagabond is the same way). But I actually find the manual crank to be an advantage, so I can use it anywhere in my craft space without plugging it in.
So… long story short, you could go big, but if you want to do basic cuts and embossing, then the regular Big Shot has served me well. If you don’t want to cut at all, just emboss, you can go even smaller and get the texture boutique, but I really recommend the basic Big Shot as a great starter machine.
Here’s the link to the starter kit: http://shrsl.com/?~7r0n (and I even have a 15% off coupon code my readers can use! Enter SZB2015 when you checkout!)
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I’ve been thinking about doing this for awhile and, once I saw the tree of life bracelet, I was totally convinced.. Can you also emboss cards on this machine?
I did see that you can various projects. Where do I find the tree pattern?
If you’re already shopping the Sizzix site, here’s a link to the tree embossing folder:
http://shrsl.com/?~81rp
If you prefer to shop Amazon (it’s a little more expensive there, but hey, at least there’s the option) here’s a link for Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HB9WV6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009HB9WV6&linkCode=as2&tag=haphoupro-20&linkId=UHCEAKEHKUHVWGJ2
I was wondering what tools I would need to buy that aren’t in the starter kit? Also, is there a good place to order several blanks in bulk?
The started kit that I’ve linked to in this post is the machine, the platform, and the two cutting pads.
You don’t need the platform when you’re using the Bigz dies, you will only need the cutting pads. You *will* need the platform for this project, though, so I would get the starter kit instead of just the machine by itself, because you’ll be using it right away. (And if you want to try some of the other projects that I share, I’ll always let you know if you need the platform or not, and which tab to set it to, so until you get the hang of it on your own, I’ll always tell you!)
So as far as Sizzix supplies, you can emboss metal with just the starter kit and whatever folders you want to use. I also use the Vintaj reliefing block because it’s easy to hold, but regular fine-grit sandpaper will also get the job done. If you’re thinking you’ll want to do a lot more with paper, then the two other supplies I typically use are the crease pad (for scoring and embossing bigger and more detailed projects) and I also use the magnetic platform sometimes with the metal Thinlits dies when I die-cut paper. If you don’t think you’ll be doing a lot of detailed paper projects, then you can skip those two supplies when you’re getting started.
I do not know of a bulk supplier for these particular blanks, but the link I left in the supply list within the post links to Goody Beads, and they do offer quantity discounts at 6 pieces and a second break if you buy 11 or more, so if you’re planning to get several then that does help! You can also search for other oval stamping blanks, and anything with a hole in each side and a patina to the metal would work well.
I hope this helps! Just leave another note if you have any more questions!