How to Make a Leather and Memory Wire Bracelet – Video Tutorial
Learn how make our popular leather and memory wire bracelets in our video tutorial and watch as we teach you how to finish your memory wire bracelet with the nifty Memory Wire Finishing Pliers.
Leather and Memory Wire Components
Here are items you need in order to make your leather and memory wire bracelet.
Round Leather
Round Leather is the star of your bracelet. We carry 5mm and 6mm round leather cord, which will need to have a hollow core or hole inside the leather. The hollow core helps the memory wire go through the leather. Make sure when selecting your leather cord to read the descriptions, as not all round leather cords have a hollow core or hole. All leather cord is sold in inches, so order according to the amount of inches you will need for your project.
Another type of cord you can use are Regaliz® Licorice Leather with Hole as seen in our Leather & Swarovski Trend. They are thicker in size with flatten sides.
You can also use Hollow Rubber Cord. These are 3mm in diameter and sold in foot increments. Make sure they say “hollow” in the description for memory wire.
Memory Wire
Memory Wire is the skeleton of your bracelet. Make sure the wire you are selecting is round as we also carry flat memory wire and that “Memory Wire” in the description and/or name.
End Caps
End caps will be used to cap the ends of your leather cord. They make your leather ends look cleaner and finished. When looking for end caps, you can find them in Findings: Clasps & End Caps, TierraCast Findings, or search “End Caps.” PLUS, read the descriptions to determine their inside diameter/opening. This will help to accommodate the round leather size you choose to order.
Beads
Lastly, add these beads to your bracelet: glass beads, Swarovski crystals, gemstones, wood and any type of beads that will slide easily through the memory wire. Don’t forget some accent beads like bead caps, metal beads and seed beads.
Some beads we would not recommend are large-hole beads like interchangeable large-holes or large-hole gemstones because their holes are large and may wiggle around on the memory wire. Some tubes will not work because their shape will not curve along with the memory wire. Pearl beads can be tricky because some will have holes to small for the memory wire.
Tools
The best tool to cut your memory wire is the Memory Wire Cutter (TL00206). This cutter is meant to cut through heavy-duty wire like memory wire or thicker gauge wires.
One of your best friends in making your bracelet is the Memory Wire Finishing Pliers (TLZ0207). It’s a sturdy round plier used to loop your wires. It has two mandrel sides to create a consistent 2mm or 4mm loop. This tool will make it easier for your hands to making a loop compared to your round-nose pliers.
Video Tutorial
Watch our facebook live spin-off video below to learn how to add leather cord and end caps to memory wire and how to loop with the Memory Wire Finishing Pliers.
Items used: WR00121, CH00924 (3″), TC01854, SW00171, SW00180, SW00182, A022201, A022205
Memory Wire Bracelet Examples
You don’t have to only use leather cords. Here are some fun examples we used with leather and/or beads.
(Leather & Swarovski Wrap Bracelets, Cork Cord and Wood Beads, Round Leather and Wire Bracelets)
(Flamingo and Palm Tree Blog, Summer Wrap Bracelets, Memory Wire Leather Wrap Blog)
(Fall Gemstone Trend, Turquoise Czech Glass Beads)
(February Birthstone, March Birthstone, Naturally Coastal)
