Memory Wire Tips Plus a Free Project!

The stacked-bracelet trend is still going strong! It's easy to get that stacked-bracelet look by using Memory Wire and several strands of your favorite beads. For added interest, insert a fun button in the center.

If you've never heard of Memory Wire before, this is a rigid coil of wire that retains its shape and conforms to your wrist. Memory Wire comes in necklace, bracelet, and ring size and is available at most craft stores and bead shops.

To begin, you'll want to determine the number of loops you want for your bracelet and then cut the wire. Tip: Use hardware-store cutters, or cutters made specifically for Memory Wire. Memory Wire is very hard and will ruin your regular wire cutters. (I used 5 loops for my bracelet.)

I find it helpful to measure my wrist and determine the approximate number of beads I'll need for each row. Then I lay out the rows in order to see if I like the design.

Use round-nose pliers to form a small loop on one end of the wire. Tip: You can use jewelry cement to glue on a small bead or a Memory Wire end cap for a more finished look.

String your beads onto the wire. Tip: After stringing several beads, hold onto both ends of the wire and stretch it all the way out (from top to bottom), allowing the beads to follow the coils and fall to the bottom of the wire.

You'll see that I added smaller beads on either side of the button shank so that the button won't slide around and cover the pink beads in the same row.

Snug the beads along the wire and form a loop on the end. If desired, add a bead dangle to one or both ends by forming a wrapped loop.

Ready to wear!

(Special thanks to John Bead for providing all of the beads used in this project, and to Natural Touch for the uber-cool button!)

Do you have any tips for working with Memory Wire? Please leave them in the comments section below.

Happy Beading,

Debbie Blair, Senior Editor

Jewelry Stringing | 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings