How to Make a Memory Wire Bracelet

Dateline: 07/13/98

Memory wire is a unique material that looks a lot like a spring. It’s often made of stainless steel so that it does not rust. This heavy gauge wire comes in necklace, bracelet, and even ring size.

Once you learn a few tricks, you’ll love working with it because you don’t need any other findings and you can make a piece very quickly. Another advantage to jewelry made with memory wire is that you don’t have to worry about what size to make. One size fits all and once you wear the item a number of times, like a bracelet or ring, it will conform to your body. So it "remembers" what size it needs to be in order to fit the wearer comfortably and securely. People with arthritis especially like memory wire jewelry because it’s so easy to put on and take off.

Now, this wire is very tough so you’ll need some good wire cutters, a pair of round nose pliers, and some elbow grease. Other than that, just get together a selection of beads. The memory wire bracelets pictured below are made with fluorite chips (on the left) and leopardskin jasper chips and fossil beads (on the right).

Follow these simples steps to make your memory wire bracelet:

1. Using wire cutters, cut off about three full loops of your memory wire.

2. Next, using your round nose pliers and elbow grease, make a loop at one end of the coil you just cut off.

3. String your beads in any pattern you’d like. You may want to use a bead board to determine your design before you start stringing.

4. Repeat step 2 on the other end of the coil.

That’s it!

Now, of course, there are a few tricks you can use to make your memory wire bracelets look a little more finished or different looking. You can:

• Use a head pin and bead and add this to the loop on each end of the bracelet.
• Use a head pin and bead and add extra dangles throughout the bracelet as well as on the ends.
• Don’t loop the ends and instead glue a half-drilled bead onto both ends of the bracelet.
• Add a charm to the loop on one or both ends of the bracelet.

I hope you get a chance to experiment with memory wire. If you do, or have used it before, email me with your thoughts about it. Please also feel free to send me pictures of your memory wire master pieces.

All graphics created by Tammy Powley.

Previous Features