How to Make Jump Rings

Metal jump rings are the little o-shaped connectors that can be used in jewelry and other homemade crafts. Some jewelry is designed entirely from these rings; other times beads, crystals, or other elements are bound together with these handy little connectors. You can customize your own jump rings to suit your project without too much hassle.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Metal wire of your choice (silver, copper, 24 gauge, 22 gauge...)
• a wooden dowel in the size of your choice (1/4 inch, 3/16 inch... and really it doesn't have to be a wooden dowel--if you have a screwdriver handle that's the perfect size, that will work too)
• jewelry saw
• pliers
• flush cutters

1. Wrap your wire around the dowel. All of the rings should lie directly next to one another like a compressed Slinky. The number of full wraps you have will determine the number of jump rings you'll end up with, so wrap more if you want a lot of jump rings, less if you only need a few.

2. With the flush cutters, trim your coiled wire on the dowel from the rest of the wire that you're wrapping with.

3. 
    

   Slide the coil off the dowel. It should look similar to the picture at left.

4. Hold the coil carefully between your fingers or secure it in a clamp. Saw through one side of the coil using the jewelry saw. The rings should now be separate and ready to connect your creations!

[chocolate00]

on 3/27/2009 Thanks, very informative:) 5*

[jenng]

on 3/13/2009 Sounds so easy thanks 5*

[NightowlMama]

on 2/19/2009 creative thanks 5*

[AbbyNormal]

on 2/16/2009 Omg! How easy! Thanks!

[AbbyNormal]

on 2/16/2009 Omg! How easy! Thanks!