Make Your Own Half Moon Bracelet
Are you looking for a super quick and easy jewelry-making project?
Well, then this one’s for you.
The Half Moon Bracelet, as I like to call it, has a textural intricacy on one side and an excellent bold design on the other side- and it all just blends very well. Not to mention, it is fairly simple to make with a hollow mesh and a knotting wire technique that you can use directly onto the beading wire- yes, the beading wire.
Exciting, right? Then let’s get to it!
Now, before we get started, here’s a list of the materials we’ll be needing for this project:
12-inch Champagne-coloured Medium Beading Wire from Soft Flex
25 • 3mm Round Beads • The Bead Shop
9 • 8mm Round Beads • The Bead Shop
2ft • 0.5mm Leather Cord • The Bead Shop
e6000 Industrial Glue
We’ll only be needing about a foot of the beading wire. And I personally feel that the Champagne color goes really well with all the others colors in this bracelet. Also, I prefer SoftFlex’s crimps because they are double-walled and without a seam which always ensures a perfectly secure hold. You obviously want to invest in the right kind of crimps because if you can’t manage to get a secure hold on everything, your bracelet might fall apart.
Recommended Tools
For this project, I would recommend getting the following tools:
A pair of flush cutters
A pair of crimpers
Standard chain nose pliers, just in case
I get my pliers from Wubbers Tools, and I would definitely recommend them if you need to purchase pliers.
How to Start Constructing the Bracelet?
So, to start, just take one of the crimps and string it on the beading wire. The idea is to kind of crimp it in the middle. You’ll need an anchor to stay in the middle of the wire, so the crimp is for that. Also, it’s going to hold the Hollow Mesh later. Once you’ve strung on the crimp, you need to string beads on either side of it. On the right side, string 20 or so of the 3mm gemstones. I've had these with me for the longest time, and this just seemed like a really great project to use them because the blue is going to look stunning alongside the antique white hollow mesh, which will catch right on the crimp.
Now, for the other side, you need to string on the Tierra Cast end cap, which has a hole on the top so it can easily catch the crimp. Take the 8mm gemstone beads and string them on this side as well. Plus, we’ll also be making a knot on this side.
Working with Hollow Mesh
If you're new to working with Hollow Mesh, I'll have you know that it is an absolutely fantastic material- super easy and super fun to work with. It’s basically a hollow knit sleeve about 5mm inner diameter, but you can make it bigger using a skewer or chopstick or even a knitting needle. And then, you can even reduce the size and draw it down with the help of a draw plate. But I’ll just be using my regular 5mm wide hollow mesh for this bracelet because I want the beads to be able to move around a bit inside the mesh freely. I think it would give a really cool layered effect.
Now to add the hollow mesh, you need to unhook one of the sides of the beading wire. I used the one with the smaller 3mm beads. And then you want to string on the hollow mesh. But before doing that, I recommend making a tiny little loop on one end of the beading wire so that you have a blunt end. Once you have a blunt end, it’s a whole lot easier to just pass the hollow mesh over the beads without everything getting caught up in the knit holes.
You now need to pinch down one side of the mesh and wrap it ever so slightly on the crimp. Basically, make like a nice little pocket on one side. For the other side, just uplift the knitted sleeve to make sure that it is nice and comfortable around the beads. And then just pinch in the end so that it has a secure hold on the beads. Also, go in with your flush cutters and trim off just a little bit of the Hollow Mesh but make sure you don’t cut the beading wire along with it. Now you can remove the loop there as well because we won't be needing it anymore. Once that is done, and out of the way, you'll need to just pinch down on the wire, a little tighter this time, to fully secure it. And then you can just slide on your end cap.
How to Crimp the First Side of the Bracelet?
Add a little accent bead on this side before crimping it to make it even better. Then crimp it through and finish off by stringing on one of the 2mm crimps. Then string on half of the clasp- I used a jump ring. Go back through the crimp. Although, you can even go back through one of the beads if you want to. I feel like my bead hole is too small for that, so I’ll just go with the crimp. Just go ahead and do a standard crimp with your crimpers as well. Put it in the very last notch, so you get a nice little crescent shape. Turn it on its side, use a notch in the middle to compress it, and then just trim off the extra wire. With that, this side is officially complete, and we can start working on the other one.
How to Knot on Beading Wire?
We’re going to do pretty much the same thing here. But before getting to the crimping part, let’s make the knots. For that, you'll need to move the bead stopper down and then bring in the 1mm leather cord. Go ahead and tie a couple of knots here. Two knots work just fine, but multiple knots will give you an overall bigger knot which is great so maybe go for 3 knots. Plus, I think multiple knots give it a really fun rustic appeal.
Form a loop and then go right through it with the leather cord to basically just get a standard overhead knot. Remember that a leather cord is a pretty delicate material, and you'll need to be careful when using it to avoid breakage. Press the leather cord against the bead, then work that knot into the bead stringing material. Move the bead stopper out of the way. The best part is that it's really straightforward and efficient to do this directly on the beading wire. Compress it as you go and just continue on till it’s done. And then tie it off a few times as we did at the start as well. I'll go with three because better safe than sorry, right? Also, I really like how the knots start off thicker and just get smaller as they go on. I think it gives the piece a nice artistic touch if you will. Finally, trim off the excess but don’t make it too tight because you want to go in again with a dab of glue or nail polish to secure it completely.
How to Crimp the Second Side of the Bracelet?
Go ahead and string a crimp at the end, just after the bead. Then string it through the clasp and right back through the crimp. At this point, you should probably lay down and examine the bracelet. Measure it. Just make sure that it is ready. Then go in with your crimpers in the last notch. Turn the crescent shape on its side, use the middle knot to compress the crescent, and turn the wire down. And that is pretty much it.
How to Adjust Bracelet Size?
For the size of the bracelet, you can add or subtract a few beads to fit your own wrist. What you can do is to string everything on and just take a second to measure it. If it's the right size, then you can go in with all the extra techniques and filler materials. Make it as big or small as you need- it’s that simple.
Get Started!
This enchanting Half Moon bracelet is definitely one of the easiest pieces to make. It's great for beginners, and if you're looking for a project that you can get done within a few hours, then this is the project for you. Get your tools and materials ready and watch my video tutorial where I demonstrate the making of this very bracelet. So, you can make it along with me without missing out on any crucial steps. Once you’re done, make sure to get a picture and post it in the SilverSilk Silkies Facebook group here.
You can also find inspiration for more jewelry pieces like this one on my Instagram or Pinterest. Also, I am always open to queries, so feel free to email me at orders@silversilkonline.com if you have any questions. And of course, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel here because I release new video tutorials every Tuesday.
And if you liked this tutorial, I would recommend checking these out as well:
Latest Uploads - Available here
SilverSilk for Beginners - Available here
SilverSilk Hollow Mesh Projects - Available here
SilverSilk Flat Mesh Projects - Available here
SilverSilk Capture Chain Projects - Available here
HUGS to you all!
