Monday, August 2, 2010

Monofilament

I used to use monofilament for making necklaces. It really does work better than you'd think. People were skeptical about how the knots at the end are made, but I had a huge spool and plenty of practice to get it perfect. I used cord ends, and clamped them over a triple knot in such a way that they don't bite through, and still encapsulate the knot so that it couldn't unravel. Like this:
The hold lasts, it's sturdy, soft enough to be pleasantly flexible, and firm enough to easily string beads on. But the spool is almost gone, and I have started using nylon-coated wire (June). It's pricier, of course, and I have to be more frugal with it, not cutting off lengths so much longer than necessary like I used to do with the other stuff. But I love the cleaner-looking finishes at the end, with the wire and crimp. And buyers don't have to worry about leaving a necklace made with wire getting misshapen if left in their hot car. With the monofilament, when it's a small, lightweight pendant, you have to keep it stored hanging and cool so it stays straight.

3 comments:

  1. Do you use the same cord ends for both of them? I'm working on learning to make handmade jewelry, but I haven't worked with beading on wire yet. From looking through your site, I've seen some really beautiful pieces. I didn't know that different types of wire behave soo much differently.

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  2. Monofilament is plastic thread, pretty much. Get some stringing wire (.014 or .015) and crimps (no cord ends necessary). You can get some 'Beadolon' brand wire from Michaels craft stores, if you have those near you.

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  3. Yeah I do have Michaels, I'll stop by there this weekend. Thanks for the tip!

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