Make A Faux Chain Maille Ring in Minutes Using Epoxy Clay

It’s no secret that I call myself “chain maille challenged” because I’m so impatient, I can’t make myself finish a project, but I think the results are beautiful and fascinating. That’s probably why I was drawn to this project by Debora Mauser.

I love making rings, and when I can make a fun, bold ring in just a few minutes, even better! This project uses anodized aluminum jump rings for a pretty splash of color; you could also use mixed metal tones for a tri-color ring, use all of one metal, or mix yellow and white metals by using silver jump rings in a golden-colored ring bezel or vice versa. Either way, the epoxy clay is such a breeze to work with, you’ll be hooked if you’ve never used it before–so be sure to have lots of ring bezels on hand to play with!

Colorful Chain Maille Ring
Designed by Debora Mauser

“While working on chain maille earrings one afternoon, I realized that the colors just made me smile,” Debora said. ” I wanted to do something to incorporate that beautiful color into a ring. This ring was born from that idea.” Here’s how she made it.

Materials:

Nunn Design bezel ring blank
Crystal Clay epoxy clay kit (your color choice)
jump rings of your choice (these are anodized aluminum)
plastic or rubber gloves
2 pairs flat-nose pliers

Steps:

		1.       Unlike most chain maille projects, for this project you’ll want to begin by closing all the jump rings with your pliers.
		2.       Following the epoxy clay package directions, make two equal pea-sized balls, one of each component. You can use any color of Crystal Clay that you like–make it match your ring bezel, or the jump rings, or contrast with all of the metals–up to you. 3.       Wearing gloves, blend the two small bits of Crystal Clay epoxy clay thoroughly until the colors are completely combined.
		4.       Place the well-blended epoxy clay in the bezel of the ring blank in a slightly domed shape. Make sure the clay has enough depth (thicker on the sides than the ring blank’s bezel sides are) so it will get a good hold on the jump rings.
		5.       Starting in the center, insert jump rings into the epoxy clay in your choice of pattern and color. Make sure the jump ring openings are placed down into the Crystal Clay.
		6.       Continue until the ring blank is filled to your liking. Clean away any excess crystal clay before it dries.

Isn’t that a fun project? You could do the same thing with pendants, some of Nunn’s smaller bezels for earrings, or even on a big bezel or bracelet blank to make a bold cuff. I’m imaging colorful jump rings arranged in patterns like stained glass, and even I have the patience to do it!

Learn to make more rings in under an hour (7 to be exact) in Helen Driggs’ video tutorial, One-Hour Rings, which is on sale now through June 23 in our Summer Sidewalk Sale. You know you can never have too many rings!

About the designer: Debora is a Southern gal that has been creating all her life, with a focus on jewelry for the last 13 years. She has no formal education in the jewelry field but has been lucky enough to take classes with excellent artists that have shared their techniques and skills. Giving back to the jewelry community through teaching is a priority for her. You can find her teaching at national venues like Bead Fest and Bead & Button, as well as William Holland Lapidary School. She also teaches at bead shops upon request. Debora is known for texture and movement in her wire jewelry creations. While wire is always a central theme in her jewelry, lately Debora has been adding more color through enamel and using fabrication techniques to incorporate wire, metal and color.