Wired Ribbon Bracelets (Tutorial)

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

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

These wired ribbon bracelets are pretty and lightweight, with “hardware” looking closures that keep them from appearing overly delicate.

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Wired ribbon is made of a fabric ribbon with wired edges, so you can “sculpt” it and it holds its shape nicely.

It comes in all colors, and in seasonal designs like the Autumn leaf print I used in one of the bracelets in this tutorial.

For projects like these bracelets, I love the look of the metal borders on the ribbon.

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

I can also imagine these bracelets as a wonderful accessories for bridesmaids, to add a touch of the wedding colors to their outfits.

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

A Tip for Creating Bracelets
with Wired Ribbon:

Wired ribbon is packaged on rolls like this:

Wired Ribbon for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

It comes in opaque and transparent colors.

Sometimes when you unroll the ribbon, you discover that the transparent colors are actually so see-through and pale that the color barely shows up.

A quick fix for that is to use a double layer of the transparent ribbon.

In the photo below, you can see on the right how transparent and pale a single layer of this peach wired ribbon is – compared to the finished peach bracelet on the left, where I used a double layer of the ribbon:

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

To use a double layer of wired ribbon for these bracelets, you simply cut a piece of ribbon that’s twice as long as long as you need for your bracelet.

Then fold it in half:

Folding transparent wired ribbon for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

. . . and press the fold line with your fingers to make the fold nicely flat:

Folded wired ribbon for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

In the bracelets I made here, I’ve used a single layer of wired ribbon for the opaque Autumn leaf pattern bracelet; and a double layer for both the peach and green because of their pale transparency.

Supplies:

  • Wired ribbon. Mine is 2.5″ (64mm) wide.
    The ribbon length should be 1″ (25mm) longer than your wrist measurement.
    (Example: for a 7″ wrist, your ribbon should be 8″ long.)
    My wired ribbon rolls came from a dollar store. You can also find them at craft stores, fabric stores, and online.
  • 4 metal eyelets – for reinforcing the fabric where you’ll be attaching the jump rings.
    I’m using 1/8″ (3.175mm) size eyelets.
    You can find eyelets in craft stores, fabric stores, and online.
  • 4 larger jump rings (mine are 10mm size).
  • 4 smaller jump rings (mine are 7mm size).
  • 2 lobster clasps (mine are 13mm size).
  • Scissors – for cutting your ribbon.
  • Flat nose and chain nose pliers – for opening and closing your jump rings.
  • Eyelet setting tool.
    Often a package of eyelets also includes a tool for setting (attaching) the eyelets to the fabric.
    Or you can use a tool like the Crop-A-Dile Big Bite punch (which is what I used).

How to Make
Wired Ribbon Bracelets:

Cut a piece of wired ribbon that’s 1″ (25mm) longer than your wrist measurement.

(Or if you’re doubling your ribbon as mentioned above, then cut a piece of ribbon that’s twice that long).

You can use regular household scissors to cut the ribbon:

Cutting ribbon for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Fold over 1/2″ (13mm) at each end of the ribbon (folding the ends to the back side):

Folding the ends under for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

On the back side of the ribbon, where you just folded down the ends, measure and mark where you will make the holes for your eyelets.

You’ll need 2 eyelet holes at each end of the bracelet (4 holes total).

We’ll punch holes in the fabric that are slightly smaller than your metal eyelets.

I used a black pen to mark a spot 1/2″ (13mm) in from each wired edge:

Marking the holes for eyelets - Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Attaching Eyelets to Your
Wired Ribbon Bracelet:

In this project we’ll use metal eyelets to reinforce the holes at each end of the wired ribbon bracelet.

In most fabric stores and craft stores, you can get a package of several eyelets plus a little eyelet-setting tool for attaching them to your project, such as this:

Eyelets and Tool for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Alternatively, I bought a box of hundreds of these 1/8″ (3.175mm) eyelets in various colors, in the paper-crafting aisle at my local craft store:

Box of metal eyelets for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

This box of eyelets didn’t come with an eyelet-setting tool for attaching them to the fabric.

So I’m using a crafting tool called a Crop-A-Dile Big Bite to punch the holes in my ribbon fabric and crimp the eyelets into place:

Crop-A-Dile Big Bite Punch for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

If you don’t have the Crop-a-Dile tool, then you can use an awl, and icepick, or other type of punch to punch the holes in the ribbon fabric, and use the eyelet-setting tool that comes in a package of eyelets.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT:

Attaching eyelets to fabric has a slight learning curve to get the results you want.

So first practice with your eyelet-setting tool on a scrap piece of the wired ribbon (or a doubled piece of the ribbon, if that’s what your bracelet will be).

Keep practicing until you’re able to set and crimp the eyelets into the holes with good results.

Then you’re ready to attach the eyelets to your actual bracelet. 🙂

Now punch holes in the ribbon on the 4 marks you just made for the eyelets.

You can use an awl or an ice-pick to punch the hole, or use a craft punching tool like the Crop-a-dile Big Bite punch, which is what I used:

Attaching eyelets for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Now get 4 eyelets ready:

Eyelets for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

You’ll be putting one eyelet into each hole you punched in the folded-over ribbon ends:

Attaching eyelet to Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Put an eyelet through one of the holes on the top side of the ribbon.

The widest end of the eyelet should be on the top side of the ribbon, with the shaft of the eyelet poking through the hole and coming out on the bottom side of the ribbon:

Attaching eyelet to Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Now use your eyelet-setting tool or Crop-A-Dile Big Bite punch to crimp the bottom back side of the eyelet:

Attaching eyelet to Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Attach the remaining eyelets to the other 3 holes in your bracelet ends.

Now set out your jump rings – 4 larger ones and 4 smaller ones:

Jump rings for Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

If you’re new to using jump rings, see my quick tip, How to Open and Close a Jump Ring.

On one end of the bracelet, attach a larger jump ring to each eyelet at that end:

Attaching jump rings to Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Then twist open two smaller jump rings and use them to attach a lobster clasp to the larger jump rings you just attached:

Attaching clasps to Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Now this bracelet end should look like this:

Attaching clasps to Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Move to the other end of the bracelet.

Attach one larger jump ring to each eyelet on this end.

Attach one of the smaller jump rings to each of these larger jump rings:

Attaching clasps to Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Now this end of your bracelet should look like this:

Attaching clasps to Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Your bracelet is finished!

You can wrap it around a soup can to shape it into a cylinder.

To fasten your bracelet, hook the lobster clasps onto the smaller jump rings on the opposite end:

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

If you need to adjust the size of your bracelet, simply use smaller or larger jump rings to get the perfect fit.

Your finished wired ribbon bracelet may look something like this:

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Wired Ribbon Bracelets - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

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