Bangle bracelets are a popular design. Most people either have one already or wish they had one. This wire bangle design is a basic form that can be modified to create a variety of different looks. Beads can be added. More wire in the middle can make it thicker. Stones can be attached to it as well.

Here are the supplies/equipment you’ll need:

First, it is necessary to determine the size of the bangle bracelet. If you want to make a 7 in. bangle, which is a small to average size, you’ll need to cut two 15 in. pieces of square wire. If you to make a 7 ½ in. bangle, you’ll need two 15 ½" pieces and one 8" piece of square wire. Do you notice a trend here? Basically, to determine the size of the two long pieces, double the size of the bracelet and add 1 in. For the shorter wire, you add ½ in. Once you’ve determined the size of your bangle and cut the appropriate size wire, the assembly can begin.

1) Use a polishing cloth, wash cloth, or any small, soft cloth to straighten the square wire. Gently, hold the wire in one hand and with the cloth in the other, pull the cloth down the wire. Do this until the wire is no longer curved.

2) After the wires are straight, determine the middle of the longer wires. Hold the middle of the wire with the larger end of the round nosed pliers and bend the wire in half. This will be your "outside" piece.

3) Repeat step 2 for the second piece of long wire, but use the small end of the round nosed pliers. This will be your "inside" piece.

4) The "outside" piece now has a larger curve in the middle of the wire than the "inside" piece. To add a look of diamond cutting to your bracelet, you can twist this "outside" piece. Put the curved part of the wire into a vice and tighten it down. Then use the hand drill to twist both sides of the bent wire. I recommend 3 to 4 twists. You don’t have to twist the wire, but it adds a lot to the look of the bangle if you do.

5) Now comes the tricky part. My best advice is to take your time and be patient. Assemble the three pieces of wire as illustrated below:

6) Once you have the wires assembled together as illustrated, fit the wires together so they are tightly up against each other. Use your clamps to hold them in place. Put one clamp approx. 1" from the end that has the bend of the outside wire and then put another clamp at about the middle of the wire. You are going to work from this end toward the other end of the clamped wires.

7) Now you are going to use your half-round wire. Use the round nosed pliers and make a small (about ¼") hook on one end of the wire so the flat part of the wire will be the back and the round part will be the front. This way the flat part will be placed against clamped wires. Place the hook around the clamped wires approx. ½" from the end. Using your flat nosed pliers, squeeze the hook part so it tightens around the wires and then wrap the half-round around the clamped wires at least two times.

8) Once you’ve wrapped it at least two times, bring it to the back of the bracelet and cut the half-round off. (Before you continue, it’s very helpful the make another hook on the half-round for your next wrap. Otherwise, it’s a pain to figure out which side is flat and which is round later on.) Use the flat nosed pliers to tighten and flatten the wire around the clamped wires.

9) Now you’ve done a "wrap." Continue by doing more "wraps" down the bracelet. You can do as many as you want. I recommend doing at least two in the middle and one more about ½" from the other end. I did one in the middle then one on either side of the middle wrap about one inch away. And the last wrap I did ½" from the other end. So, I have a total of five wraps on my bracelet.

10) Now, it’s time to make the clasp. Bend the large loop up and use the round nosed pliers to bend the three pieces of wire flat against the inside of the bracelet. If the wires seem too long, you can trim them a little with some wire cutters. If you cut them too short and/or they seem to cut on your wrist some, just use a file to make them smooth. Bend the loop back down.

11) Repeat step 10. After bending the loop back down, use the flat nosed pliers to squeeze the loop together a little. Then use the round nosed pliers to bend the loop into a hook. Now you should have a hook on one end and loop on the other.

12) We’re almost done. Now you’ve got your bangle assembled, but you need to shape it. Of course, if you’ve got a bracelet mandrel, you can use that. However, you can also use anything round like a tin can. I notice a 7" bracelet fits perfectly around a 6 oz. can of tomato paste. I’ve also seen people use the handle of their raw hide hammer to shape the bracelet by rolling the wire against the handle. Once you’ve shaped the bracelet into a circle, you’re done. Ta da!

All graphics created by Tammy Powley.

Previous Features