Make Your Own Interchangeable Snap Bracelet

We have these cool bracelet clasps in our DIY Snap Supply section of our online store that have a snap for interchanging.

I suddenly realized I never did a tutorial on how to make your own bracelet with these and even though it is quite simple I thought I would give you a mini tutorial here with a special bonus offer!

These clasps come as a two piece set.  The main part with a snap base for interchanging your art snaps and a slider that keeps the bracelet closed while wearing.

To create your own bracelet, you will need some cord that is 6 mm thick and 14"-16" long, depending on your wrist size.  15" (36 mm) is good for an average size wrist.  I have a small wrist and so my cord length is 14" (34 mm) and you can cut it 16" (38 mm) or longer for a larger size wrist.

Fold your cord in half and slide on the slider piece.  Slide it up towards the folded loop making sure that the ends are even.

If your cord has a seam, make sure the seam is to the back or bottom of your bracelet so it is hidden.

All that is left now is to glue the ends of your cord into the snap base.  I like to use a gel type super glue.  The Loctite brand is exceptional as it is quick drying and holds really well!  So add some glue directly to the inside of the snap base end as shown (rather than on the cord as it is less messy this way).  Insert your cord ends and hold for a few seconds until it is secure.  Note:  Because this glue is fast drying it is good to make sure your cord ends are already straight and lined up ready to insert before adding the glue.

Once the glue is dry, your bracelet is now ready to wear!

A - open the loop by pulling back the slider
B - place the loop over the snap base and fit it in the groove
C - Push the slider up to hold it in place
D - Snap in your art design and wear!

We also have Necklace magnetic front closure clasps with a snap that take the same size cord and you can create a matching set.  My tutorial to create the necklace is here.

And for a limited time, we have a special bonus offer.  Purchase some of the snap base clasps and receive some cord at no extra charge to make your own bracelets or necklace.  This cord is a super soft Ultra-suede in black with a copper brown heart pattern.  You will see the bonus packs in our DIY Snap supply section in our online store.

More Jewelry Picks Available

We just received another shipment of more "snap" supplies so our online store is stocked up again including jewelry picks.  The picks we received this time have a smaller hole at the top but still work well and easily fit a large 16 gauge jump ring.  

Unfinished "pick"

These picks are quite handy for removing the "snap" art beads from the snap base findings -- especially the ones that don't have much of a frame around them like rings or earrings made from the double or single loop base.  We also discovered how they assist with releasing the clasp on the Pandora bracelets.

In the first part of my tutorial I show how to customize these picks with clay.  You can also add your signature stamp or cane slice for identification.  We like to include a clay covered pick as a bonus gift with a minimum purchase of our snap jewelry pieces. 

We managed to find these at a lower cost so have passed the savings on and therefore offer them in a 5 or 10 pack bulk pricing listed in our online shop.

How to Make an Adjustable Slider Bead for a Necklace Cord - Tutorial

Our sockeye salmon pieces are packed and ready to be delivered to the artisan market at the Salmon Festival tomorrow which starts this Friday.  One of the salmon themed items we have created to sell there is a pendant strung on the softglass cord.  We wanted the necklace to be suitable for both men and women as well as adjustable so we created a slider type bead that also has our signature logo stamp on it.

This is how to make an adjustable clay slider bead for softglass or buna cord:

Step 1:

To find the correct hole size, we matched the cord up with a pair of knitting needles that were the same thickness.  For example, the photo below shows the olive green softglass cord as the same  thickness as size 12 knitting needles where the copper buna cord is thinner so the same thickness as size 14.

Step 2:

Make a clay bead by rolling a medium thick sheet of clay and then doubling it.  Cut a 1/2" circle from the clay sheet and then roll into an oblong "ball".

Step 3:

Holding the pair of knitting needles together, poke a "double" hole into your clay bead by going straight down into your clay ball.

Step 4:

Carefully remove the knitting needles and flip your clay ball over.  You should see two indent marks that were made from the knitting needles.

Step 5:

Holding the knitting needles together and lining them up with the marks, insert them straight down into the clay piece the same way as in step 3.  You can go all the way through the clay bead to make a double hole by twisting one knitting needle at a time being careful to not distort or stretch the hole any larger. 

Step 6:

Leave the clay bead on the knitting needles as shown below for the next step.

Step 7:

You can stamp a pattern onto your bead at this point.  We like to texture one side and add our signature logo stamp on the other.  This is done by placing the clay bead onto a texture plate or stamp and pressing down slightly.  Another texture or logo stamp (shown here) can be pressed down on top.

Step 8:

Carefully remove the knitting needles from the clay bead one at a time by gently twisting them.  Bake the bead for at least 40 minutes.  After baking the cord should slide in through the holes but not be too lose.  If you find that your holes are too large, then you may need to go with a size smaller pair of knitting needles.

Step 9:

To prevent the bead from coming off the cord, a crimping bead can be added to the ends.  Here we used some fold over cord crimps and cut the loop off the end.  You could always leave the loops on and add a decorative bead dangle to each end if you prefer.

Step 10:

Cut your cord so that it is long enough to fit over your head with the slider bead extended to the end.  The cord on the necklace shown here is 26 inches long.  Slide the cord through the pendant and then through the slider bead.  Attach the fold over cord crimps to each cord end the same way as in our other softglass tutorial here.

One last tip:

If you do not want your cord ends to be a shiny metal, that can easily be changed by adding a bit of Gilders Paste.  Here we added some black to the silver ends which gave them more of a gunmetal look and blended in with the black cord so they weren't so noticeable.  I like Wendy Orlowski's tip she shared (click here) on marking the outside of her tins with the color so they are quick and easy to identify without having to open the lid each time.

Tutorial - Stringing a Tile Bracelet with 2 Holes

I showed earlier how to string a stretch tile bracelet.  This time I will give a tutorial on stringing a tile bracelet using flex wire and a clasp.  Most of the tile beads I create are double sided so they can be reversible like the ones shown below:

 

To determine the finished length of your bracelet, wrap a cloth or flexible measuring tape loosely around your wrist.  If you do not have this type of measuring tape, you can always print one out .  This is your wrist measurement but you do not want the bracelet to fit too tight so add a little extra to a fit that you prefer.

I like to lay my tile beads out with the spacer beads between so I can see how they look and how many I will need to make my bracelet.

You need to decide what type of clasp you would like to use - there are many options.  I like a toggle clasp myself which is what I will be using here.

Cut your flex wire (I'm using a 49 strand softflex in clear) double the length of your bracelet adding a 3-4  inches for finishing.  Thread a crimp bead onto one end of your flex wire, thread the wire through the T section of your toggle clasp and back again through the crimp bead.  Crimp the bead using your crimping pliers.

I like to add a crimp cover but this is optional.

Thread several small seed beads and one spacer bead onto the wire.  You need just enough seed beads so the toggle clasp will fasten easily when the T part is inserted.

Add the remaining tile and spacer beads all the way down one side.

When you get to the end, finish with a spacer bead, insert the other half of the toggle and another spacer bead going back into the 2nd hole of the end tile.

  

Another option is to use a beaded loop instead along with a button or the T part of a toggle like I'm doing here:

Thread the flex wire back through the other side of the tiles to the other end.  You will want to check the size and fit at this point before you finish it off completely.

Finish off with a spacer bead and small seed beads using the same amount as the beginning.  Add a crimp bead, thread the flex wire through the clasp and back through the crimp bead again.

Finish off by threading the wire tail through the beads and trim.  Add a crimp cover over the crimp bead (optional).

Your bracelet in now finished!  Wear, enjoy and admire!