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Making Chains/Chain Maille

Use wire to make all kinds of chain patterns, some don't even need to be soldered. Chain Maille is another term used for this ancient craft. You'll find projects, suppliers, and tutorials for you to get started making your own chains from silver, gold, or whatever type of wire you enjoy working with.
Making a Bead & Wire Chain
Learn to transform a little wire and a few beads into an awesome chain using this simple jewelry fabrication technique.
Free Wire Chain Patterns
Use wire and links to create a variety of chain patterns to use in your jewelry designs. Many of these require no soldering.
Celtic Wire Chain
This Celtic inspired chain pattern incorporates beads as well. Make it with a pair of round nosed pliers or use a jig to help make each jewelry component consistantly sized.
Jump Ring Joy
Though there are as many ways to make jump rings as there is to cook chicken, here's yet another technique to try.
Wire Coil Chain
No soldering is required, but this wire chain is pretty hefty. It can be made into a necklace or bracelet.
Figure 8 Jump Ring Chain
Practice your soldering technique and make a chain using wire.
Spanish Style Chain
Here's another cool chain project to add to your repertoire. This chain uses soldering and some bending techniques.
Weaves: The Patterns of Maille
This site has an amazing number of wire chain maille tutorials, and it's all free. You don't even have to sign up or anything. It is all run on a volunteer basis and fellow chain maille artisans "donate" tutorials to the site. Most seem to have either photographs or at least illustrations as well.
Two Tone Wrap Chain
Use both soldering and wire wrapping techniques to make this cool chain.
Double Wire Hook
Make a double wire hook to finish off some of those chains you've been making.
Bead and Wire Chain
Incorporate beads with wire to make a chain that looks good on it's own as either a bracelet, anklet, or necklace.
Chain Maille Fashion
Along with lots of wonderful finished chain maille pieces to browse through, this site offers information on chain patterns, tools, and much more.
Spider Chain Jewelry
Along with finished chain maille jewelry and even chain maille belts, you can purchase an instructional DVD on this site.
Silver Weaver
Known by the name Spider, this talented chain maille artist shows off her beautiful designs as well as provide historical and technical information about the craft.
Fire Drake Chain Maille
From chain maille jewelry to armour, this site also offers a few pictorial tutorials.
Golden Maille
With the okay from the folks at Urban Maille, this husband and wife team modeled their business after them and offer similar products but all in gold-filled wire.
Urban Maille
Aislyn and Gary have made their love of chain maille into a business where they sell silver chain maille rings for other maille enthusiasts. They also offer tools, kits, and on line how-to information.
Culture Jewelry
Matthew Woodbury has compiled all his jewelry knowledge into an e-book about making chain maille jewelry. He also offers a free spiral pattern you can download afer signing up on his web site.
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