Scrunchy wire bracelet

By Spotlight

Scrunchy wire beads are all the rage and here’s how to make your own in the colours of your choice.

Final Result

Materials

• 26 gauge shiny metallic wire - magenta & navy blue
• 20 gauge wire - navy blue
• small toggle clasp
• enamel paint - dark blue (optional)
• packing peanuts - starch type
• wire cutters
• round nose pliers
• chain nose pliers

Step 1

Cut six 15cm lengths of 20 gauge wire. Skewer one or two packing peanuts on each piece of wire and scrunch up the peanuts to make a small ball.

Step 2

Cut a 90cm length of 24 or 26 gauge wire and wrap around the wire and over the peanut to form a loose circle shape. If your shape tends towards an oval push the ends in to make it more spherical. Repeat to make all 6 beads.

Step 3

Using the round nose pliers make a wrapped loop in each end of the wires that you have formed the beads on. The loops should be close to the bead to help the beads keep their circular shape.

Step 4

Hold the finished beads under running water until the starch peanuts wash away. Using enamel paints, paint the metal findings and if the paint requires heat setting, when dry bake in the oven.

Step 5

Using 7cm lengths of 20 gauge wire roll two wire loops onto the end of the circular pliers. Use this one large double jump ring to join two beads together - the added loop gives it more strength. Continue to join all the beads together using double loop jump rings. Make two additional jump rings for the ends of the chain and use to attach the clasps.

Handy Hint

Before making your beads, check that the packing peanuts you are using are made from starch - starch peanuts wash away when they are wet - Styrofoam ones don’t! Starch peanuts give you a support around which you can wrap your wire and then they disappear when you’re done with them.

Handy Hint

Using bakeable enamel paint allows you to paint and heat-set your findings so you can colour co-ordinate findings with your project.