How to Make a Wiggle Cuff Bracelet

Needle-nose pliers are the key to creating the shapes on a wiggle bracelet.

Although there is a broad range of brands offering fashion accessories, you may choose to make your own, such as wiggle cuff bracelets. Making jewelry and other accessories can be personally rewarding and save you money. Additionally, if you master the process of creating wiggle cuff bracelets, you can give them as gifts or sell them for extra income.

Things You'll Need

• Flexible, cloth tape measure
• 16-gauge jewelry-making wire -- 1-foot strand
• 24-gauge jewelry-making wire -- 2 1-foot strands
• Wire cutters
• Needle-nose pliers
• 2 pairs of sterling silver lobster clasps
• Any size plastic beads -- 60 to as many as desired, including at least 30 stopper beads
• Any size stone chips -- optional, as many as desired
• Any size crystals -- optional, as many as desired

Instructions

1. Measure the wrist of the person for whom you are making the bracelet. Wrap measuring tape around the person's forearm, slightly above the wristbone, and note the measurement of the wrist circumference. Add about 1/2 inch to the measurement to determine the appropriate size for the bracelet. Add more length for a looser bracelet and less length for a tighter one.

2. Determine an appropriate length for your 24-gauge wire. Because a wiggle cuff bracelet has a wavy design, you will need a longer piece of wire than you would for a straight bracelet. Add an inch or two to your original measurement to take into account the shortening due to the wiggles.

3. Cut the wire to the determined length. Create the wiggles on the 24-gauge wire, using your pliers to create bends or curves. You can choose to have the wiggles smooth and curved, or jagged and pointy, depending on the style you desire. Measure the wire length regularly, and when you have enough wiggles to meet the original wrist measurement, stop and cut the wire to that length.

4. Repeat Step 3 on a second piece of 24-gauge wire. A wiggle cuff bracelet has a top and bottom ring connected by strands of beads, so you need two pieces of 24-gauge wire with wiggles, and they should be the same length. Once your second piece of 24-gauge wire matches the length of the first shaped wire, stop and cut the wire.

5. Decide how wide you want your wiggle cuff bracelet to be. The width will determine the length of your sections of 16-gauge wire; these strands will bridge the two rings of thicker gauge wire. Add 1/2 inch to the desired width to account for the wire twisting you'll have to do to secure the ends of the thin wire to the thick wires.

6. Cut as many strands of 16-gauge wire as you desire at the length you determined in the previous step. While too few -- four or fewer -- strands can make the bracelet look sparse, too many may make it look too busy and will require the use of more beads. An average-sized women's bracelet is 7 1/2 inches long, and two bridges of 16-gauge wire per inch can provide a good balance between a sparse-looking bracelet and an overcrowded one. So 15 strands of 16-gauge wire may be a good starting point for your first wiggle bracelet.

7. String beads onto the pieces of 16-gauge wire. You can use different colors, shapes and types of beads -- crystals, metallic and plastic, for example -- to add variety to your design. The first and last beads on each wire should be a stopper bead, which keeps the rest of the beads in place before they are attached to the 24-gauge wire. Leave 1/2 inch of wire at each end of the 16-gauge wire strands for securing them to the 24-gauge wires.

8. Attach one end of each of the beaded 16-gauge wire strands to each of the 24-gauge wiggle wires. You can do this by placing the 24-gauge wires on a flat surface and laying the 16-gauge wires on top of them in a perpendicular fashion. Twist the ends of the 16-gauge wires with the pliers to wrap it around the 24-gauge wire several times, to make sure it is secure. Trim any excess 16-gauge wire with your wire cutters.

9. Attach the sterling silver lobster clasps to the ends of the thick gauge wires, by inserting the wires' ends through the holes and twisting with pliers. Attach one pair of lobster clasps to each 24-gauge wire; place a "claw" clasp on one end of each wire and an attachment ring on each of the other ends. Once you have attached the clasps, gently curl the completed bracelet into a circle so it is ready to wear.

References

• Chris Lynn Creations; Jewelry 201: Wiggle Cuff Bracelet Supply List
• CrystalsAndJewelry.com: How to Measure Your Wrist for Bracelet Size
• Oak City Gallery: It's All About Size