How Do I Attach the Wire for the Necklace to the Clasp?

Beaded Necklace

Jewelry making has gained popularity in the past decade. As the availability of supplies increases so do the styles and techniques. It's now possible for beginners and skilled jewelry makers alike to design and create one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable art. Before you advance to making jewelry for your wardrobe, creating beautiful gifts or making jewelry to sell, learning some basic techniques like attaching clasps to necklaces will help you succeed in your jewelry crafting.

Things You'll Need

• Jewelry clasp
• Crimp beads
• Jump rings
• Flat-nose pliers
• Crimping pliers
• Wire cutters
• Unfinished wire-strung necklace

Instructions

1. Slide a crimping bead and a jump ring onto one end of the necklace's wire.

2. Push the wire back through the crimping bead, creating a loop at the end of the necklace with the jump ring on the loop.

3. Hold the end of the wire with the flat-nose pliers and gently pull the wire through the crimp beads until the jump ring and crimp bead are close to the beads of the necklace. The loop should be snug around the jump ring.

4. Close the crimp bead around the wires in it using the crimping pliers. The crimp bead should hold the wires in place, preventing them from slipping free.

5. Cut the wire ends ½ inch from the crimp bead, then slide the ends into the beads at the end of the necklace.

6. Repeat Steps 1 to 5 with the other end of the necklace. Gently open the jump rings slightly. Slide a clasp piece on each jump ring, then close the jump rings to attach the clasp to the necklace.

Tips & Warnings

• If your necklace design does not have beads filling the wire to the end, slide a small bead onto the wire and tie it off. Cut the wire close the knot and close a bead tip over the end concealing the tie-off and wire end. The jump ring can then be attached onto the loop of the bead tip.

Resources

• Craftideas.info: Jewelry and Beading Crafts