Make a Cluster Ring
This article shows how to make a pearl cluster ring, but you can use silver, gold, semi-precious stones, resin, metal clay, polymer clay and other materials at home to create wonderful, fun rings to wear or sell.
Steps
- Use wire tools to bend the thicker wire into a half ring shape. Understand the Characteristics of Wire It will tend to become hard and brittle if you bend it too much - use smooth, minimal movements. This half ring should comfortably fit around the finger. Twist one end into a small loop. Try the half ring on and mark where the other loop should be. Both loops should not be above the top of the finger.
- Twist and turn the second loop to match the first loop in size. If necessary, file the ends of the wire to remove any rough edges. Pinch the loops closed. Twist the loops so they are facing the sides of the ring.
- Take a long strand of the thin wire and tie the middle of the strand around one loop. Lay the pearls out in the dish or towel so you can see them and decide which one will be in the center. The largest one looks best in the middle with smaller ones on the outside.
- Begin stringing different pearls and pull the wire through the other loop to create the base string. Try the ring on for size. It should fit comfortably over the knuckle. Adjust if necessary. Make all future strings of pearls no tighter than the base string.
- String the other wire and position the large pearl in the middle. Again be careful not to make this wire too tight. Keep the strands together by pulling a wire around the strands here and there. You should have at least three strands (an uneven number) going across so that the large pearl stays in the middle.
- String as many pearls as you want and occasionally tie the strands together. You may like the look of the silver wires criss-crossing around the pearls; they will hold the pearls in place. Tie the two wire ends on the inside of the ring with a couple of knots to secure them. Tuck the wire ends into the cluster out of sight and trim with scissors or wire cutters if necessary. another option would be stringing in the pearls together and rolling it out to form a cluster. Place it in position and weave another wire mesh around the cluster and the the loose end of the mesh wire to the loops of the wire around your finger.
- If the beads are not bearing any sort of holes, you can still cluster it up by gluing in the pieces together with a hot glue gun. (Make sure that it does not react with the stones or assortment you are using.) Now weave a wire mesh around the glued and dried cluster. Make sure the ends of the wire mesh are long enough to be looped around the thicker finger wire.
- Finished.
Tips
- Never make the beads too loose.
Warnings
- Be careful not to poke your fingers with the wire and keep the wire away from your face and eyes.
Things You'll Need
- Pearls (or anything you want, really) for beading. Find an assortment - how about that old bracelet hiding in your jewelry box? Strings of small pearls are sold at your local beading store. They come in a wonderful variety of colors, shapes and sizes.
- Small dishes or hand towels to hold the pearls.
- Silver wire thin enough to string pearls, comes in spools. Test the wire with a couple of pearls you have. You can get a small hand tool for widening the pearl hole if necessary - check with your beading store.
- Silver wire 14 gauge or thicker for the band. Just three or four inches for one ring.
- Wire tools - See Working With Wire Technical Information Sheet.
- Metal file
- Glue gun (optional)
