Free Travel Friendly Jewelry Project

No crimping pliers, no wire cutters…no problem! I ran into a dilemma last week as I was preparing for a weekend trip: I wanted to bring a jewelry project with me to help pass the time during my flight, but knew I wouldn't be able to get any pliers or wire cutters past security at the airport. I'm sure this is a hurdle that many of you dedicated beaders have also faced at some point during your creative careers. Instead of risking the confiscation of my tools (which probably would have resulted in a serious hissy fit), I decided to leave them at home and came up with these TSA-friendly bracelet projects. (Find the step-by-step instructions for the woven rings bracelet–gold rings with yellow/orange/blue cord–below!)

The only materials I needed to complete all four of these bracelets were an assortment of ribbons, gold chain maille jump rings in various sizes, and the washers and nuts from my local hardware store that I mentioned in last week's blog.

Instructions for the woven ring bracelet:

		Step 1: Arrange your jump rings in two overlapping rows.
		Step 2: Thread your first silk cord up through the first ring. I found it was easiest to thread the cords through the jump rings one by one, instead of all at once.
		Step 3: Bring your cord over the second ring and down through the hole where the first and second ring overlap.
		Step 4: Bring your cord up through the third ring (where the second and third rings overlap) and over the other side of the second ring.
		Step 5: Pass over the second and fourth rings, and back down through the hole where the third and fourth rings overlap.
		Step 6: Repeat this pattern until your woven ring segment is as long as you want it to be. And voila! A ready-to-wear bracelet (or necklace!) I didn't need to glue or knot the cords once I was finished–they were woven tightly enough through the jump rings to keep them in place.

Until next time,

Chloe

Assistant Editor