Easy Breezy
by Nancy Vaughan.
(San Diego, California USA)
Several years ago I saw a demonstration of this technique. I really liked what I saw. I had the memory wire in several sizes but didn’t have any rubber tubing on hand so I didn’t immediately try it out.
Skip forward 4 or 5 years… One day when I went to the local bead store to get some copper wire the owner showed me some brown rubber tubing she had just unearth in the store room. “What can you do with it?” she asked.
I remembered the demonstration I had seen many years ago and told her I’d take three feet of it and get back to her after I tried it out.
A few days earlier I had received an order of Czech fire polished glass beads. There was one color combination in particular that had really caught my eye. It was cantaloupe and fuchsia. Perfect for brown rubber tubing.
As soon as I got home I went to work. Major Success! It was gorgeous. The next day I went back to the bead store and bought the rest of the tubing and asked the owner if she could get some in black. She got it so I bought it, took it home, got out a whole rainbow of beads and had a great time.
The first time I took some of these bracelets to a street fair they were a big hit. They are quick and easy to make and can be sold at a very reasonable price. Endless possibilities.
Nancy Vaughan
Comments:
These look fun
by: Anonymous
Fun and colorful. Choosing which color combo is my favorite is not so easy. Thanks for sharing these.
Rubber Tubing Bracelets
by: Rena
These are really cool, Nancy! The rubber tubing makes a wonderful spacer, allowing small groups of beads to make a big visual impact. Love the brown tubing – I’m inspired now to find some in that color and see what I can create with it! Thanks so much for posting these here!
very good idea!
by: dea-line
It’s such a good idea, very rewarding, the possibilities are endless! I love the colors of your bracelets.
Thank you for sharing with us.
Very Cool
by: Barbara
You’re right- the cantelope & fushia with the brown tubing really pops.
Can you please let us in on where to get the tubing?
memory wire?
by: Anonymous
Are these bracelets done on memory wire?
Very Cool
by: Barbara
You’re right -the cantaloupe & fushia really pop. Would you be willing to tell us where to get the tubing?
Thanks
Jewelry Tube
by: Nancy Vaughan
Thanks for all of the nice compliments everyone. I hope each of you will give this technique a try.
I got the brown tubing at my local bead store. The new tubing she stocked is available in both brown and black. I still have the hang tag/packing that came with the tube. It is called Jewelry Tube and is from Bead Smith. I did see some precut multicolor tubing on the Fire Mountain web site but the lengths were not very long and there were no single colored packs available.
Very Nice
by: Fran
I have some rubber tubing looking for some ideas. I’ve made a choker for my brother using leather end tips, but never thought of using memory wire, another item just sitting in a drawer.
I admire your strength and artistry with the wire ends. I have a hard time making the ends look nice. The ball ends never stay glued, so the best way really is just to leave a nice loop. Key word: nice.
