I've seen some pretty bad crimping jobs since I started
making beaded jewelry. My own first crimps were pretty darn bad, too. I
used the
wrong kind of crimp, and I never used a crimping pliers. (I didn't even
know
what a pair of crimping pliers WAS!) My strung jewelry would fall apart
after
just a few wears, and I didn't know what to do about it. Enter the
crimping
pliers, one of my favorite jewelry making tools, and probably the most
important jewelry making tool for making professional-looking beaded
jewelry. Especially if you want to sell your beaded jewelry, learning
how to properly
use your crimping pliers is important for making beaded jewelry that
will last.
First, let's review the basics of proper crimping:
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First, we need to get to know your crimping pliers a little better.
If you look inside, you'll see that there are two wells: one with a
little notch in it, and other one that is perfectly smooth. For
successful crimping, you'll use both of these wells to fasten and secure
your crimp bead. |
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The first thing you want to do when you insert your beading wire into
the crimp bead is to make sure that the strands of the beading wire do
not cross. They should be lined up next to each other.
Place the crimp into the notched well of your
crimping pliers and press down firmly. You should now have a little indent in
the middle of your crimp bead.
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Turn the crimp bead sideways and place it into
the smooth well of your crimping pliers. Gently squeeze the sides of the
crimp
bead together, like closing the pages of a book. Sometimes I'll place
the closed crimp in the very tips of my crimping pliers and give it one
more gentle squeeze to make sure that it's securely closed. |
Like any important skill for making beaded jewelry, learning how to
close your crimp beads properly takes time and practice. Once you have
the basics mastered, there are other ways that you can make your
finished crimp beads look more professional:
- Use crimp covers. These tiny little round
findings are designed to slip over your crimps and can be closed gently using a
pair of flat nose pliers.
- Don't scrimp on your crimps. The price of
sterling silver and other precious metals is going up, but you should
still
insist on buying precious metal crimps for your beaded jewelry.
High-quality crimp beads will not only give your beaded jewelry a
professional looking finish, but they will also make it less likely that
your beaded jewelry will fall apart.
- Match your crimps and your beading wire. If you
don't use french bullion to cover the ends of your beading wire, make sure that
your crimps match your beading wire. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way,
but it makes me nuts to see a gold-filled crimp on a piece of silver beading
wire.
- Make your loop large enough. Before you smash
your crimp, insert a beading awl or another similar beading tool in the loop
between the clasp and the crimp. You don't want to have your loop so tight that
you can't move the clasp in order to open and close it.
- Reduce the stress on your beading wire. One way to
prevent excess wear on your finished piece of beaded jewelry is to string an
accent bead after your crimp and before your clasp. Adding a bead between the
clasp and the crimp will keep the beading wire from rubbing up against the
crimp bead.
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Do you have a favorite style or brand of crimp bead? What are you
favorite tips for making perfect crimps? Share them here on the
Beading Daily blog!
If you can't get enough glass beads and want to try some new creative jewelry projects, then you have to
take a look at Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads by Stephanie Sersich.
You'll find twenty gorgeous and inventive glass bead jewelry projects
designed by a master glass bead maker. You'll find stringing projects as
well as beading projects that use fibers, glass and metal beads!
Bead Happy,
I tell beaders whom are just starting that nothing is as important as the basics. Start with quality basics: good wire (I only use Soft-Flex), good crimps (2x2 sterling silver crimps or gold filled are the best, I also use copper and gunmetal as warranted), and take your time to make the crimps not only look good, but that they are secure. No point in making jewelry if it doesn't hold together! You also don't want to spend money on making a fabulous beaded piece only to have a ratty, smashed crimp at the clasp. Sherry Serafini taught us that the back of a piece is just as important as the front in bead embroidery and I teach that with beading even the basics. You don't want a piece you are proud of but embarrassed to show the clasp! Another thing I teach beginners is "don't be afraid to start over". Don't be wasteful, but know when to say when and cut off the offending piece and redo it! What tips do you share with other beaders that are beginning?