Brown and Coral Lucite Bauble Bracelet
Designed by Kristin Burgess

Say it with the CHARM of Vintage beads this Season!  Our vast selection of Lucite is quite literally mouth-watering and loads of fun to work with.  Lucite is light-weight and tough as rocks with shades that you just don't see in glass or other bead mediums.  The addition of the vintage brass rose charm from our metals section completes this fun and funky Fall accessory.   All this attached to our newest addition of vintage chain to make a new accessory, or the perfect gift, that is truly authentic.





This project requires both open linking and closed or coiled linking.   To learn how to form a simple open loop or coiled loop please refer to the book ALL WIRED UP by Mark Lareau offered in our book and magazine section.  The Beadin' Path also offers a Wireworks I class if you are able to make it to the store to take a class.  Preregistration is necessary and can be done online or over the phone.  Our classes are always posted online if you are looking for a fun vacation destination!  Come see our newly expanded storefront!


Step 1:

This bracelet measures 7 and 1/2 inches long.  The size can easily be adjusted shorter by simply clipping the lobster claw to a different link in the chain.  Cut the initial 7 inches of chain leaving a "big" loop on one side's end.  We will add a lobster claw to the other end first.  Precut 4 inches of the 22 gauge plated German wire.  Form a generous sized coil link (use the deep/fat part of the round nose tool) to connect the end of the chain to the lobster claw.  You may add a bead on this link if you choose although the design does not include one.  *Adding a bead would alter the length*


Step 2: 
Making a charm bracelet can be challenging in that there are many movable beads/parts going on.   I find it easier to add all of one bead (lets start with the teal lucite) to the bracelet then add the next bead throughout and so on.  The metal headpins work great to make the lucite beads 'charm ready' and are necessary to get the lucite beads properly attached to the chain.  Add one teal lucite bead to the headpin and form a medium size (half way down round nose tool) open loop.  To attach the bead with loop to the chain use the chain or flat nose pliers and carefully swing the loop to the side slightly (don't pry open as you will lose the round shape).  Thread the loop onto the chain link that also contains the lobster claw link then swing the loop back into place.   Be sure your loop, that has the teal lucite on it, has no gaps and is completely shut.   Adding a pinch to the seam area with the flat or chain pliers will help.  Make 7 teal links total then attach.   The next teal one will be added four links from the first added and so on until the 7th (about one inch from the end of the bracelet) is attached.

Step 3: 
This same process is repeated for all the lucite beads.  The next set of links to make are the orange coral lucite links.  There are 7 of these as well and they are each added to the link directly after the chain links that have the teal lucite attached.  Then the brown barrel shaped lucite links should be made.  There are seven of these as well and they are attached to the chain link directly after the chainlink that has the punch coral lucite attached.  Then the large marbeled brown lucite rounds.  There are 7 of these links to be made.  The large brown lucite links are added to the largest link on the chain.  With all of the lucite attached there are just the brass rose charms to add.


Step 4:
The brass rose charms are added to the charm bracelet different then it's lucite neighbors.  The charms already contain a closed loop so instead of headpins, open jump rings are used.  When opened and closed properly, open rings are an effective way to add a charm to a piece.  Using the flat or chain pliers open the ring slightly by swinging the ring to the side.  This way after the ring/charm is threaded onto the bracelet the ring can easily be swung back down into place securing the charm to the bracelet with no gap involved.  Attach the rose charms in this manner to the bracelet.  These rose charms are attached on the opposite side of the link that contains the punch orange lucite.  There are also seven of these charms in the bracelet.

Step 5:
Your bracelet is now complete!  The final application would be to just double check your work.  Going back through the piece and rechecking that every loop is closed (no gaps) and every ring used to attach the charms also is closed completely.  I like to add an extra pinch with the thinline/flat pliers where the "seam" of the handmade links and jump rings is.  This extra pinch adds heat and friction to the metal which hardens it a little making the possibility of anything opening up on the piece unlikely.
Note:  This same recipe can be used and or reapplyed using a lucite color palatte of your choice!  Similar sized beads will produce a similar effect.  Larger beads will make the piece seem fuller.