How to Use a Toggle Clasp in Jewelry Making

How often have you struggled to open and close a tiny little clasp on a bracelet? How often have you seen the lobster or ring clasp on a bracelet or necklace and been disappointed by the way it broke up the art of the handmade piece? Toggle clasps can fix these problems. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. You can select them to match any jewelry piece you are making, and the actual use is deceptively easy. Read on to learn how to use a toggle clasp in jewelry making.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Bead tips
• Glue
• Flat head pliers

Getting Started

1. Verify that your unfinished jewelry piece is the proper length by measuring around the neck, wrist or ankle with it, making sure to account for the space used by the toggle clasp. Unless you are using something extremely bulky and large, the toggle clasp will add approximately 1/2-inch to your jewelry.
2. Select the best toggle clasp for the unfinished jewelry piece you have.
3. Decide whether you want to use a bead tip or not. If so, follow Section 2. If not, follow Section 3. Bead tips are small metal findings designed to cover a closing knot at the end of a piece. See the Resources section for links to buy bead tips.

Attaching Toggle Clasps With Bead Tips

4. Place the bead tip, open, over the wire or string at the end of your piece. Carefully knot the string or add a crimp bead just inside the bead tip. If knotting string, secure the knot with a drop or two of glue.
5. Verify that the end knot or crimp is secure by tugging gently. Trim the excess wire or string, and then use the flat head pliers to close the bead tip around your knot or crimp, being careful not to crush the rounded structure of the bead tip.
6. Attach the open end of the toggle clasp to the ring on the bead tip using a split ring and split ring pliers.
7. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 of section 2 on the other end of the bracelet or necklace, using the toggle end of the clasp, which can then fit through the open end to hold the jewelry on the wearer.

Attaching Toggle Clasps Without Bead Tips

8. Slide a crimp bead onto the wire at one end of your jewelry piece.
9. Slide the open end of the toggle onto the wire (through the attachment ring), and loop the wire over the attachment ring and back through the crimp bead.
10. Pull the wire through the crimp bead and one or two more beads on the piece, making sure the toggle fits snuggly against the end, but leaving enough room for movement. You should have a small loop of wire that the attachment ring of the toggle can move in, but that won't leave a large gap between beads and toggle clasp.
11. Close crimp bead securely and trim wire end flush with a bead to hide the clipped end.
12. Repeat Steps 1 to 4 of section 3 with the other end of the piece. Attach the toggle portion of the clasp, which can then fit through the open portion. Hold the piece on the wearer.

Tips & Warnings

• If your jewelry is strung on cord, string, thread or filament, then using bead tips is strong suggested. It can provide a strong and more aesthetically pleasing result.
• Be careful not to trim wire or cord too close to the knot or crimp bead. Knots are notorious for coming undone when trimmed too closely.