how to use french wire to finish off your jewelry

*cut your beadalon wire 6" longer than you desired project*

apply scotch tape to the end of your wire to keep the beads from falling off & string your desired pattern onto the wire.

we are using french wire to connect a strung wire segment to a chain, but this technique can also be used as a method of attachment for a jump ring & clasp.

cut two lengths of french wire, approximately the same length.

keeping the beads secured to the beadalon with tape on one end, string a crimp onto the open end of beadalon.

next, string one of the french wire segments onto the beadalon.

string your chain, jump ring, or clasp onto the beadalon. in this case, we are using chain.

wrap scotch tape around one end of the beading wire

string your desired design on your wire

string one crimp bead on the open end of the wire, keep it approximately 2" from the end.

string on your closure

loop your wire back through the crimp bead

slide the loop closer to the clasp so that the loop is not noticeable, but the clasp still moves freely

use the tip of your crimping plier to flatten your crimp into a square. you can also use a flat nose plier to do this

thread your wire tail back through about one inch of beads, after an inch, you can cut the extra wire with your wire cutter.

then slide all of the beads down toward the finished end

remove the scotch tape

string another crimp bead on the wire, and pull it down against the beads

string a closed jumping, or the other part of your closure

loop your wire back through the crimp bead

string the wire tail back through an inch of beads. use this tension to help you get the wire loop close to the closed ring, or the other part of your closure

once the loop is to your liking, use your crimping plier to flatten the crimp bead into a square. you can also use a flat nose plier to do this

cut the extra wire with your wire cutter