How to Use Wire Lace

Wire Lace™ is fun and versatile to use and makes any jewelry piece stand out from all the rest!



1. Spread it or stretch it out flat.

Gently pull the edges of the lace ribbon away from the center. If you have heavy beads on your lace with no support, you will find the weight of the beads pulls the lace back straight again. Always support your heavier designs.

 

2. Put beads inside it.

Wire Lace™ is a tubular ribbon. That means you can put things inside of it. Small beads inside the lace offer an element of depth and textural variety that can be fun to explore.

 

3. Knot it.

Wire Lace™ is a metal, but it is also similar to fabric ribbon and can be knotted when desired.

 

4. Include it in a multi-strand design.

When you are designing a piece with several strands, make one of the strands a ribbon of Wire Lace™. It is especially effective to use the mesh ribbon in twisted or braided pieces where the ribbon is intermingled and entwined with your other beads.

 

5. Thread a ribbon through it.

Use a similar color or a contrasting color fabric ribbon to slide inside the tubular mesh. This will help enhance the inherent texture of the Wire Lace™ because it has a solid color inside of it. You can even sew beads onto the ribbon through the Wire Lace™ to make the beads appear to be floating or set directly on top of the mesh. Try doing a bead weaving stitch with small seed beads this way, using the Wire Lace as a backdrop.

 

6. Twist it into a small cord.

Gently roll the lace into a slim cord so you can thread beads onto it or to simply have a cord-look for part of your design. Putting a dab of Hypo-Tube Cement on the tip will keep the mesh from fraying. Also, avoid using beads that have rough interiors as they may snag the lace. You could also file or ream out the rough holes using a bead reamer.

 

7. Support it with Soft Flex wire or other
     stringing materials.

Thread a stronger stringing material through your Wire Lace in order to support the weight of the beads you are using. Use C-LON® Thread , Nymo.

 

8. Finishing a Wire Lace™ piece.

Tying off. First of all, it's best not to tie your lace right onto your clasp. The amount of friction it would withstand may compromise the integrity of the wire mesh. If you are going to add a clasp with a knot, tie onto a closed jump ring that would then be attached to the clasp.
 
Twisting & Crimping. If you twist the lace into a thin cord, you should be able to fit two widths of it through a large crimp bead. In this case, you can crimp just like you would Soft Flex. Add your crimp bead to the twisted lace, thread the lace through a closed jump ring, and back through the crimp, forming a loop. Squish the crimp bead closed using needle nose pliers.
Using supportive string materials.