Wire Jewelry Making: Create a Bracelet with Pennies

If you love the look of copper jewelry, you'll enjoy this penny bracelet. It's crafty and creative because you make it yourself. It's economical because you can put it together using wire and a handful of pennies from your pocket or purse. Your most difficult task will be drilling the holes, but that can be accomplished with a simple tool.

Tools

Pliers
Round nosed pliers
Wire cutters
Black felt tip pen
Metal file or cushioned emery files like you find in a beauty supply store
Hammer and metal block (optional)

Manual hole punch - I don't typically recommend jewelry making gadgets, but you'll find many future uses for a manual hole punch. You can drill a hole with a simple twisting motion. They work with both metal and plastic. An online search will turn up a number of manual punches and a wide range of prices. The most economical one was 7.99 on the Hobby Lobby website: shophobbylobby.com.

Lubricant - Tools that punch, drill or cut create friction that generates heats. Heat dulls blades and bits and you'll have to replace them more often. A lubricant such as Burr life from Riogrande.com or Pro-Cut from ijsinc.com can minimize the problem and make working with your manual punch a bit easier. For an economical alternative try candle wax. It works just fine.

Materials

16 Gauge copper wire

Pennies - The number of pennies you use depends on how big you want your bracelet to be. 7 pennies will create a bracelet 8 inches long. Use more pennies if you have a bigger wrist or you want a bracelet with more room to dangle.

Make Your Bracelet

Prepare your pennies

If you can't find 7 shiny new pennies, you can remove tarnish from old pennies by cleaning them in a vinegar/salt solution.

-Don't leave your pennies in the solution too long.

-When you remove them, immediately rinse them with water, then dry them.

Put 2 holes in each penny

-The manual punch is convenient, but not very precise. To make sure you put your holes where you want them, use your black felt tip pen to make two marks to guide you. (see illustration #2 )

-The bit on a punch is difficult to get to for lubrication. Rub the lubricant on your pennies instead.

-Place your manual punch bit in the middle of the black dot, hold it in place then make your hole.

Create 7 figure 8s

-Cut 7 pieces of 16 gauge wire 1&1/8 inches each

-Use your round nosed pliers to create your figure 8s. For figure 8 instructions and tips, see "Wire Jewelry Making: What Can You do With a Figure 8".

-Hammer your figure 8s to strengthen them and give them a different look. Be careful, hammering adds strength, but too much hammering can weaken your wire.

Make a shepherd's hook clasp

-Cut a 2 inch piece of 16 Gauge wire

-Use the thickest part of your round nosed pliers to make a "u" shape with one side 1/4 inch longer than the other.

-Create a loop on the longest side. (see illustration #3)

-Bend a slight angle on the other side.

-If you have a hammer and block, hammer the tip and the curve.

-File or smooth the rough edges.

Put your bracelet together.

-Connect pennies together using figure 8s.

-Attach your shepherd's hook clasp to the final figure 8 on one end.

-The final figure 8 on the other end will be your catch.

Additional ideas

Add ear wires to a pair of pennies to create matching earrings.

If you have a dapping block, use it to dome your pennies after you place your holes.

Make a penny necklace.

Source: My personal projects