Fleur de Lis Cuff Bracelet & Earrings

Bracelet Instructions

Creating bracelet bangles.

Step 1: Cut thirteen 6 3/4 " lengths of 16 ga. Black wire. Cut ten 6 3/4" lengths of 16 ga. Tinned Copper wire.

Step 2: Using round nose pliers, turn the end of one of the cut lengths to form a closed loop. Make sure the loop is the right size by sliding two of the cut lengths through it. Once the loop is the right size, mark your round nose pliers with a black marker where you wrapped the loop and use this mark to make sure all the loops are the same size. Turn loops on each end of all the cut lengths you made in step 1.

Step 3: Bend one of the looped lengths in a curve(with the loops curving inward) and make sure the gap between the loops is large enough to slip it on and off your wrist comfortably. Adjust if needed. Using this as a guide, bend the rest of the looped lengths and set aside.

Creating the Fleur de Lis end posts.

Step 1: Cut two 6" lengths and one 4" length of 16 ga. Tinned Copper wire. Bend the 4" length in the middle at a sharp right angle.

Step 3: There should now be three wire ends sticking out from the binding wrap. With each of the outside wires, use the round nose and chain pliers to form two outward-rolling coils (see image 3). Kink the center wire slightly to one side using the chain nose pliers (image 4). Form the center wire into a coil and flatten all coils with the nylon jaw pliers. Now you have one finished end (image 5).

Step 4: Repeat steps 1 through 3 above to create the other end post. Set one of the posts aside. Slide 3 Black bangles onto one of the posts having both of the wires slide through the end loops. Then slide 5 Tinned Copper, 7 Black, 5 Tinned Copper and then the last 3 Black bangles onto the same post.

Step 5: To complete the first Fleur de Lis end post, make sure all the bangle loops are lined up on the post nicely, and trim the two wires so they extend out about 1 1/4" past the last bangle loop. Cut a 4" length of 16 ga. Tinned Copper wire and bend it in a sharp right angle. Then repeat steps 2 and 3 above to complete the other end of the post. Slide the other half-completed post that you set aside through the loops on the other side of the bangles, making sure they are in the same order as the other side. Finish the end of this post as you just did for the first one.

Earring Instructions

Step 1: Cut three 4" lengths of 16 ga. Black wire. Bend one length in the middle at a sharp right angle.

Step 2: Bind the wires together by holding the right-angle wire in between the two other lengths so the end of the bent wire is about a 1/2" away from the ends of the other lengths. Grasp the wires with the chain nose pliers, positioning the pliers slightly to the left of the right-angle bend (image 1). Wrap the free end of the bent wire around the other wires three times (image 2). Trim excess wire off the binding wrap if needed. Trim the two end wires so the extend about 3/8" out from the binding wrap. Bend these end wires out slightly and form small open loops (image 6). Repeat step 1 & 2 to complete the pair.
Tip: If during the process of creating the shapes you scratch off some of the black color off the wire use a black permanent marker to color those areas.

Step 3: Cut two 5" lengths of 16 ga Black wire. Create the top shape for the earrings with each cut length by forming a coil on each end then curving the wire so the coils almost touch (image 7).

Step 4: Place the open loops from the decorative coil pieces created in step 2 onto the bottom part of top shape created in step 3 and close the loops (Image 8). To complete the earrings attach the earring posts to the top of the wire forms.

Note: Fleur de Lis decorative shape inspired from the Fleur-de-link project featured in the book Complete Guide to Making Wire Jewelry published by Kalmback Books. Available at www.BeadAndCraftBooks.com.