How to Use Tubular Wire Ribbon
Tubular wire ribbon is known by many names: brass mesh ribbon, tubular mesh beading ribbon, metallic mesh ribbon, and others. Originating in Italy, the popularity of tubular wire ribbon spread through Europe and has now made its way to the United States. Tubular wire ribbon is woven from copper, brass, and aluminum, and then coated with enamel in an array of colors. Tubular wire ribbon can be knotted, stretched, and fluffed. Jewelry makers love all the design possibilities. Here are a few ways to work with this fine tubular wire mesh.
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Things You'll Need
- 6 mm tubular wire ribbon
- 20 mm tubular wire ribbon
- Scissors
- Lightweight beads
- Awl
- Silk cord
- Crochet hook, size 2
- Clear tape
- Leather crimps
- Jump rings
- Clasps
- Pliers
Instructions
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1
Tie a knot in the wire ribbon about 2 inches from the end. Slide a lightweight bead onto the ribbon all the way to the first knot. Use the awl knot method to tie a knot tight against the bead to hold it in place. To make an awl knot, tie a lose open knot. Lay the open knot against a flat work surface and stick the tip of the awl through the loop. While pulling on the loose end of the ribbon, move the tip of the awl toward the end of the bead. At the bead, pull the ribbon tight around the tip of the awl then pull the awl from the center of the new knot. Leave a 2-inch expanse, then tie another knot and add the next bead, repeating the previous steps until the necklace is finished. Spread out the 2-inch expanses of ribbon between each bead. Trim both ends of the tubular wire ribbon. Slip a leather crimp--a tubular metal cap used to finish off the ends of ribbon, cord, and leather--over the ends of the ribbon. Pinch the leather crimps onto the ribbon ends with pliers. Add jump rings and a clasp.
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2
Take a 2-foot-long silk cord and push it through the center of a 2 1/2-foot length of 20 mm tubular wire mesh. Once it's all the way through, put a weight on one end of the silk cord to keep it from being pulled back out of the mesh ribbon. Starting at the anchored end, move down 2 inches and pinch the ribbon between the thumb and index finger and push up, sliding the ribbon along the silk cord. Repeat this fluffing method every 2 inches, the full length of the tubular wire ribbon, to create a ruffled mesh necklace. Finish ends and add clasp as in Step 1.
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3
Tie a length of cord to the hooked end of a size 2 crochet hook. Insert the opposite end of the hook into the end of a length of 6 mm tubular mesh ribbon and thread the crochet hook all the way through the center of it. Pull the hook out the opposite end, and squeeze the tubular mesh ribbon around the cord. This creates a colored, semi-rigid choker from which you can hang a pendant. Finish ends as in Step 1.
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Tips & Warnings
After trimming the ends of the ribbon for a necklace or choker, pinch them with your fingers and roll them back and forth. Next wrap a piece of clear tape around the ends and trim. This will make if easier to slip the leather crimps over the ends.
When threading a crochet hook through the center of the ribbon, be careful not to snag the mesh or accidentally tear through it.
