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Beading Lesson
All About Chain

By: Katie Hacker

Sponsor: Beadalon®

For tools and supplies
visit Beadalon.com


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Chain is hot! In today’s beading lesson, we’re going to show you lots of different ways to incorporate unsoldered silver-plated chain into your next jewelry project.

There are many different styles of chain. To choose the one that's best for your design, think about the overall look you're going for. You can use figaro chain for a classic look, curb chain for a funky look, elongated chain for a contemporary look or very thin cable chain for an understated look. Larger curb chain is often used to make charm bracelets.




Figaro

Curb

Elongated

Thin Cable

There are several ways to attach chain links to each other or to other items. The easiest way is to use a jump ring. Use chain nose pliers to open one side of the jump ring, then connect it to the last chain link. You can also use jump rings to attach large-hole beads to a piece of chain. Just open the ring, string the bead and close the ring to attach it to a chain link.

To attach a dangle to a piece of chain, you can use a basic or wrapped loop. To use a basic loop, use round nose pliers to make the loop. Use chain nose pliers to open the loop and attach it to a piece of chain, just like a jump ring. To use a wrapped loop, make the loop but don’t wrap it. Slide the loop onto a chain link and then wrap the extra wire around the base of the loop.

You can make an easy chain tassel by attaching a bunch of short chains to a bead link. Use heavy-duty wire cutters to cut at least 10 pieces of chain. Make a wrapped loop on one end of a piece of wire and string a bead. Make a loop on the other end but string the chains onto it before you wrap it. Attach a bail to the upper loop for a more professional look. This would make a cool earring or pendant!

To make an easy pair of chandelier earrings, use metal disks and spacers with chain. Attach a jump ring to each of the components to connect them to the chain.

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