Overall Ranking: Beginner
Physical Difficulty: 1
Complexity: 1-2
Fickelness: 1
Pattern Visualization: 1
Weave Knowledge: 1(ish)
Expected Time: 2 hours Materials Needed:
(182+) 18 gauge (.048") 3/16" ID Rings
(12+) 6mm round beads (with 20 gauge (.032") or slightly larger hole)
(13+) 2" pieces of 20 gauge (.032") wire, same material as the 3/16" ID rings. Tools Needed:
(2) Pairs of box or chain nose pliers
(1) Pair of Round nose wire bending pliers
(1) Diagonal cutters or end nippers, capable of cutting the 20 gauge wire. Weave Knowledge Needed:
• Byzantine (It is partially explained in the pictures) Related Instructions:
Making a Clasp
Adding a Bead
Note: The minimum materials numbers given should make an 18" chain.
The pictures for this project use stainless steel rings/wire and
hematite beads. I recomend this combination for beginning mailers who want a nice
piece of jewelry that does not cost very much to make. However, any metal and stone
type can be used as long as they are the right size.
Step One:
Take 10 of the 3/16" ID rings and weave them into a 5 unit long European
2-2 chain, as shown.
Step Two:
Now, according to the byzantine weave pattern, flip over the last two
rings on either end of the chain and add two more 3/16" rings. Pretty simple eh? :-)
Step Three:
Next, put you chain down for a moment and grab one of the 2" pieces of wire,
the round nosed pliers, and the cutters. Use the round nose pliers to create a loop in
one end of the piece of wire as shown. This loop should be 0.1" in diameter or slightly
larger (large enough to fit comfortably around the two 3/16" rings you just wove).
Step Four:
String one of the 6mm beads onto the bent piece of wire.
Step Five:
Now, this is slightly more tricky. Take your round nose pliers again,
and make another loop of the same size in the other end of the wire. Note, you will
need to start this loop a bit away from the bead to leave room for the wire to come back
around. You will also want to make sure this loop goes in the opposite direction of the
first (think elongated figure 8).
Step Six:
Now you are going to want to cut off the excess wire. To do this, you
may want to twist the loop out slightly with your pliers so that you can get to the wire
with your cutters. Once the wire is cut, take your pliers (not the round ones, the other ones)
and twist the loops closed. Make sure the loops are in line with each other and the
wire is not twisted at a funny angle.
Step Seven:
Okay, we now have a bead on a piece of wire. Back to the maile! Flip the two rings
at the end of the OTHER side of that 2-2 chain you had into the byzantine pattern. Now,
take two more 3/16" rings and weave them through one of the loops on the bead, then into your
chain. If that didn't make much sense, the picture should help.
Step Eight:
Now, repeat steps 1 and 2, but when you add the rings in step 2 also weave
them through the other loop on the bead. This should give you two sections of byzantine
with a bead in between them as shown.
Step Nine:
Repeat, repeat, repeat! From this point you are going to keep repeating steps
1-8, lengthening the chain each time until your chain is of the desired length. When you
stop the two ends of your chain should be different and look like the ones circled in the picture.
Step Ten:
Last step! Take the last piece of 20 gauge wire and use it to make a clasp
according to the instructions in Appendix A. Flip back the last two rings on the
end circled in black above and use two more 3/16" rings to attach your clasp. Now, pick up the
piece and stare at it in amazement because you just made a necklace!
