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Jewellery Making

Memory Wire Necklace or Bracelet

Suitable for:

Upper-Primary and Secondary Levels

Materials:

Pre-cut Memory Wire, Beads, Round nose pliers & Flat Nose Teeth pliers

‘Memory’ wire is flexible and springs back into its curved form when you try to straighten it, hence the name. These pieces of jewellery are very easy to make at any age as they require no findings (i.e. clasp, crimp, split-ring etc used put jewellery together).

Note: To avoid beads rolling off the table, provide each student with a piece of corrugated cardboard (or an old tea towel or face wash).

Give each student a shallow recycled tub in which to put his or her chosen beads.

Jewellery pliers are especially made with a central spring on the handle to provide more grip and allow manipulation. The ones required for jewellery making are:

• Wire Cutters (the thicker the wire, the bigger the cutters need to be).

• Round Nose Pliers for manipulating the wire.

• Flat nose Teeth Pliers (serrated) for pressing wire together and closing ends.

If you need to find the centre of the wire so that a particular symmetrical pattern is achieved, wire has to be measured and then marked with a piece of masking tape or permanent marker.

The smaller ‘seed’ beads are not suitable for small hands.

How to Make a Necklace or Bracelet:

1. Cut the desired length of memory wire.

2. To start: use a round nose pair of pliers and turn one end 1cm toward length of wire to form a loop. Close loop with a pair of teeth pliers by pressing on the rounded end of wire.

3. Design a pattern of beads in a row on the table and when satisfied thread beads.

4. To finish: leave 2cm at end of beading and close the necklace or bracelet in the same way as step 2 instructions (i.e. turn wire in 1cm).

© Copyright Zart Art 2009. Activity and teacher notes written and designed by Zart Education.

Key words: Art, craft, activity, activities, children, kids, school art activities, jewellery, charms, trinkets, gift ideas, art activities, beading, art ideas