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Make a Bracelet Fastening Tool

by Rena Klingenberg – © 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved

A bracelet fastening tool is a handy device for anyone who loves wearing bracelets with clasps. You know how frustrating it can be to fasten the clasp around your own wrist!

This is an especially welcome gadget for jewelry wearers who have arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or other issues that limit hand movement.

It also makes a wonderful gift (for customers, friends, and loved ones), and it’s a great impulse purchase item when you sell your jewelry.

Have one of your bracelet fastening tools available in your booth or at jewelry parties for customers to try out!

Bracelet Fastening Tool Tutorial

The skill level is “very easy”.

Update:  I have long hands and fingers, and I made this bracelet fastener to fit me.  For smaller hands you may want to use less wire and make the knitting-needle bend in the wire a bit closer to your big loop.

Supplies:

• A 14-inch (35.6 cm) piece of 16-gauge wire (I used brass craft / picture hanging wire from the hardware store)
• A ruler or tape measure
• A file, cup burr, or knife sharpening stone for smoothing off the wire ends
• A ring mandrel, dowel, PVC pipe section, small prescription pill container, or other item with a diameter of approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm)
• A fat Sharpie marker or knitting needle (to use as a smaller mandrel)
• Wire cutters
• Flat nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Nylon hammer (optional)
• Jewelry steel block for hammering (optional)

How to Make a Bracelet Fastening Tool:

Cut a piece of your 16-gauge wire to a length of 14 inches (35.6 cm):

Use your file, cup burr, or knife sharpening stone to round both ends of your wire and smooth off any sharp spots:

Wrap one end of your wire around your ring mandrel (I wrap mine around ring size 10), or whatever you’re substituting for the ring mandrel.

That end of your wire should now look like this:

Use your flat-nose pliers to straighten out the wire stem below the loop you just made:

Your wire should now look like this:

Starting at the other end of your wire (the end WITHOUT the loop), measure down 6 inches (15.2 cm).

Place your fat Sharpie marker, knitting needle, or other item on that spot:

. . . and fold your wire in half around it. Your wire should now look like this:

Now use your round-nose pliers to create a small curve (NOT a full loop) on the straight end of your wire:

Optional: Use your nylon hammer and jewelry steel block to hammer-harden your piece of wire and make it lie flat:

Your wire should now look like this:

How to Use Your Bracelet Fastening Tool:

Thread the bracelet fastening tool through one end of your bracelet’s clasp (or the jump-ring next to the clasp, depending on how the bracelet is made):

Put the tool’s ring around one of your fingers, on the hand of your bracelet-wearing arm.

With your other hand, wrap the free end of the bracelet around your wrist:

Now easily fasten the clasp that’s being held perfectly still by the tool:

When the clasp is fastened securely, slide the bracelet fastening tool out of the clasp.

Even the frustratingly small toggle clasp on this bracelet was easy to fasten when one end was being held in place by this cool gadget!

You can quickly whip up several of these little tools while watching TV or chatting with a friend.

Using inexpensive wire, you can make them quite cheaply.

If I used the entire package of wire (shown above) to make a stockpile of these bracelet tools, I could make 21 of these tools, and the materials cost of each would be about 21 cents.

If You Make Bracelet Fastening Tools
to Give or Sell:

You may want to package them with a brief instruction sheet so people will understand how to use them.

If you like, you can use this text (which I also used above) in your packaging for this product:

How to Use Your Bracelet Fastening Tool:

1) Thread the bracelet fastening tool through one end of your bracelet’s clasp (or the jump-ring next to the clasp, depending on how the bracelet is made).

2) Put the tool’s ring around one of your fingers, on the hand of your bracelet-wearing arm.

3) With your other hand, wrap the free end of the bracelet around your wrist.

4) Now easily fasten the clasp that’s being held perfectly still by the tool.

5) When the clasp is fastened securely, slide the bracelet fastening tool out of the clasp or jump-ring.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and find this nifty gadget useful!

Update:

Make Gift Packaging
for Your Bracelet Fastening Tools

My Mom created three tutorials for making simple, appealing gift packaging for these bracelet fasteners:

Bracelet Fastener Gift Envelope

Bracelet Fastener Gift Pouch

Bracelet Fastener Travel Pouch

Thanks, Mom! 🙂