DIY Wire Cuffs

Whether you can’t find the right accessories at the mall or want to create a weekend project, make wire cuffs to wear for your next night on the town. Wire cuffs hang around your wrist to give it an elegant look. They are made by working with wire that you do not need Superman’s strength to bend. With a little pressure and pliers, you can craft a custom wire cuff from thin-gauge wire.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• 20-gauge copper wire
• Wire cutters
• Metal file
• 8-inch diameter wooden dowel
• Brads, 2-inch-length
• Hammer
• Pliers
• Needle-nose pliers

Instructions

1. Measure your wrist, using a tape measure. Measure the thickest part of your wrist. Most wrists are about 7 inches around.

2. Cut a 20-gauge copper wire to a 6-foot-length, using wire cutters. File the cut end of the wire, using a metal file. Cut wire is extremely sharp and can penetrate skin.

3. Stand a wooden dowel with an 8-inch-circumference up on its end. Add 1 inch to the circumference of your wrist to calculate that of the wooden dowel. The wire cuff should be loose and a little larger than your actual wrist size. The dowel is used as the mold to bend and shape the wire into cuffs.

4. Nail a straight line of 2-inch brads vertically on the side of the wooden dowel. Space the brads 1/4 inch apart from each other. Nail 1 inch of the brads into the dowel leaving 1 inch of the brads exposed.

5. Hold one end of the copper wire, using pliers. Bend the wire around the circumference of the wooden dowel to make a circular shape. Start on one side of the brads until you reach the other side of the brads. Instead of making a complete circle, bend the wire around the first brad, using needle-nosed pliers. Bend the wire in the opposite direction around the circumference of the wooden dowel.

6. Stop when you reach the second brad. Bend the wire around the second brad. Bend the wire in the opposite direction around the diameter of the wooden dowel. Continue bending the wire around the wooden dowel and brads until the wire cuff is the desired length. The wire makes a rounded-zigzag pattern around your wrist.

7. Cut the excess wire, using wire cutters. File the cut end of the wire, using a metal file.