How To Use Flex-Rite Jewellery Wire
What Is Flex-rite Jewellery Wire?
Flex-Rite jewellery wire is a popular choice of threading material for your handmade jewellery designs. It consists of multiple strands of stainless steel, with a nylon coating, providing the best strength and resists kinking with no compromise on flexibility.
We love using Flex-Rite wire as it's great for both small and heavy beads, plus it provides a lovely flexible drape, perfect for those simple, modern jewellery designs.
In this post, we share with you our range of Flex-Rite jewellery wire options, talk you through the most popular way to fasten your designs, your tool options and some brilliant step by step tutorials so you can have a go for yourself at home.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with our team. We'd love to help.
Watch Our Video On Flex-Rite Jewellery Wire
Discover The Many Options Available With Kernowcraft
Don't forget it's more cost effective to buy our wires & threads by the reel instead of per metre, especially if you are doing a few designs.
What do the numbers mean?
As you will see on the Flex-Rite reels below, each reel has a number - 49, 19 or 7. These numbers refer to the number of micro wires that are used to make up a single piece of wire, for example the 49 strand wire is made up of 49 individual fine wires braided together and then coated in nylon. If you increase the number of wires and decrease the thickness, you will have a more flexible and stronger wire for your design!
Flex-Rite 49 In Various Colours
- 49 strands of stainless steel with a nylon coating
- 0.45mm in diameter
- Breaking weight of 24lbs
- Available in a range of colours including black, gold colour, steel tone and white
- Sold per metre or reel
Flex-rite 49, Sterling Silver Plated Stainless Steel
- 49 strands of Sterling Silver plated stainless steel wire with premium clear nylon coating
- Medium: 0.45mm in diameter with a breaking weight of 17lbs
- Heavy: 0.6mm in diameter with a breaking weight of 12.8lbs
- Solder per metre or reel
Flex-rite Silver Plated Stainless Steel
- Fine: 0.3mm in diameter, made up of 19 strands of stainless steel with a breaking weight of 13lbs
- Medium: 0.45mm in diameter, made up of 19 strands of stainless steel with a breaking weight of 17lbs
- Heavy: 0.6mm in diameter, made up of 49 strands of stainless steel with a breaking weight of 35lbs
- All sold per metre or reel
Flex-Rite 24K Gold Plated Stainless Steel
- Made from 19 strands of stainless steel, plated with 24 carat gold and protected with a nylon coating
- Fine: 0.35mm in diameter
- Medium: 0.45mm in diameter
- All sold per metre or reel
Flex-Rite 7 Extra Fine Stainless Steel
- Made from 7 strands of stainless steel with nylon coating
- 0.24mm in diameter, making it a fine beading wire yet still incredibly strong
- Breaking weight of 9.3lbs
- Sold per metre or reel
What is the best way to fasten my designs with Flex-rite?
With crimps! Follow our simple step by step instructions below
1. Move the beads to the middle of the wire and then thread on one crimp a few cm down the wire.
2. Loop the wire to thread the end through the crimp. Do not worry if the loop starts off too large, you can adjust this once the end of the wire is through the crimp by pulling it up. Ensure the loop has enough room to allow your clasp to connect.
3. Once you have adjusted the loop to the correct size use snipe nose pliers or magical crimping pliers to pinch the crimp together. Then cut any excess wire using side cutters
4. On the other end of the wire, add the other crimp and then add one clasp - repeat the last process in creating a loop by threading the end of the wire through the crimp.
5. Adjust the size of the loop accordingly and push the crimp shut with snipe nose pliers or magical crimping pliers - cut off the remaining wire.
Essential Findings
Take a look at our recommended findings to use with Flex-rite wire, all available on our website in a range of metals and styles.
Crimps
As you can see from our image above, crimps are usually used with Flex-rite jewellery wire to provide a professional and neat finish.
All you need to do is squeeze the crimps flat using snipe nose pliers to secure the end of necklaces or bracelets.
Clasps
Jewellery clasps are essential for fastening your necklace and bracelet designs. There are various clasps to choose from such as toggle clasps, screw fasteners, magnetic clasps, bolt rings, carabiner clasps and hooks. Clasps usually need to be attached using the help of jump rings.
Featuring plated small carabiner lobster clasps - sold in a pack of 10.
Watch Our Tutorial On How To Make A Briolette Necklace With Flex-rite & Crimp With Loop
We have a huge range of gemstone briolette beads to incorporate into your handmade designs, perfect for hanging on Flex-rite wire and for wire wrapping to create earring drops or pendants.
Crimp With Loop
These clever sterling silver crimps with loops provide a really neat way to finish necklaces and bracelets without the need for separate crimps, jump rings and gimp wire or thread protectors.
All you need to do is insert the Flex-rite wire into the crimp and squeeze the centre using snipe nose pliers to secure.
Choose our crimp with loop for up to 0.6mm thread, suitable for use with Flex-rite.
Watch Guest Tutor, Cat's Tutorial On How To Make A Bracelet With Flex-Rite Wire & Wire Guardians
Wire guardians are findings to use on bracelets and necklaces to prevent your stringing material from wearing against your other findings, prolonging the life of your jewellery pieces. It also offers a professional looking result for your designs.
What Tools Do I Need For Flex Rite Wire?
Wondering how to cut Flex-rite wire or if magical crimping pliers are necessary? Take a look below at our recommended tools to get the job done! The tools you choose will depend on the finish you would like on your design.
Side Cutters
The best tool to use for cutting Flex-rite is our v-sprung side cutters.
They are also used for cutting and trimming metal wire, headpins, eye pins etc.
Snipe Nose Jewellers Pliers
The most popular tool to use for securing crimps is snipe nose pliers - simply squeeze the crimps flat to secure your design in place. These are brilliant all-purpose pliers and one you'll use for many jewellery projects for bending wire and getting into awkward to reach spaces. The only downside with using these pliers for crimps is that the crimps can sometimes look untidy and have sharp edges.
Micro Crimping Pliers
Micro crimping pliers will create perfect crimps every time! These pliers have cleverly shaped jaws, this two step process will create small, neat crimps unlike snipe nose pliers which won't always create a neat and professional finish.
These pliers are suitable for crimps with a diameter of up to 2mm, forming a finished crimp with a diameter less than 1.2mm.
Magical Crimping Pliers
These magical crimping pliers are great to have in your tool collection. They easily and quickly transform 2mm tube crimps into little round beads, making them look part of your design!
Suitable to use with our 2x2mm sterling silver or gold filled crimps on 0.45mm/0.018 inch Flex-rite jewellery wire or 0.6mm/0.024 inch Flex-rite jewellery wire).
Follow Our Tutorials Using Flex Rite
DIY Friendship Bracelets
These beautiful gemstone bracelets are made with 0.45mm Flex-rite 24K gold plated wire with pretty rondelle beads. Use crimps and a clasp to finish the designs.
How To Make A Beaded Bracelet
This bracelet combines ametrine rondelle beads and gold plated beads to create a sparkly design! This technique differs slightly, as in this project uses knot covers to cover the crimps and needs a jump ring and clasp to finish the design.
Explore Jewellery Making Kits Using Flex-Rite Wire
Our kits are perfect for beginners! Each page contains step by step instructions and a one-click shopping list with all the jewellery making supplies you need. You can even customise them with your favourite gemstones...
Morganite & Aquamarine Bracelet
Use flex-rite and crimps to create this eye catching bracelet designs, using statement gemstone beads!
Click below for step by step instructions and all the supplies you need.
Rainbow Fluorite Earrings
This is an example of how you can experiment with flex-rite jewellery wire to create fun and interesting designs!
Click below for step by step instructions and all the supplies you need.
Shop Beads
Explore our range of gemstone and metal beads in a range of styles, shapes and sizes to complete your designs using Flex-rite jewellery wire.
Just make sure your chosen wire will fit through the bead holes.
The products used in these projects are suggestions to inspire you. Products used were compatible at the time of making but do be aware that stocks can vary, so do use your own judgement as to the compatibility of each item when making.
Also in this section:
- Your Guide To Bead Stringing Materials For Jewellery Making
- The Essential Tools For Beading
- Beading: How To Start Jewellery Making With Lyndsey
- Answering Commonly Asked Beading Questions
- Types Of Beads For Jewellery Making
- The Difference Between Half Drilled, Top Drilled And Head Drilled Beads
- How To Use Top Drilled Beads
- Jewellery Making With Half Drilled Beads
- What Are Briolette Beads & How To Use Them
- Stringing Beads With Small Holes
- How To Make Your Bead Holes Bigger With A Bead Reamer
- Types Of Clasps For Jewellery Making
- 8 Reasons You Need A Bead Board
- How To Make A Sliding Knot
- Advice On Knotting Elastic Stretch Magic Thread
- How To Use Flex-Rite Jewellery Wire
- How To Use Crimps
- How To Make A Silkon Thread Briolette Necklace
- How To Make A Necklace With Beading Chain
- 4 Ways To Use Gemstone Donuts
- 4 Gemstone Chip Bead Project Ideas
- How To Use End Caps For Jewellery Making
- How To Make Earwires With Gemstone Beads
- How To Make A Memory Wire Bracelet
- How To Make Gemstone Bead Earrings
- How To Make A Bead Bar Necklace
- How To Make Beaded Bracelet With Flex-Rite Wire & Wire Guardians
- DIY Gemstone Friendship Bracelets
- How To Make A Beaded Bracelet With Knot Covers
- How To Make Polymer Clay Earrings
- How To Make Felt Jewellery
- DIY Mini Tassels & Jewellery Projects
HAVE A QUESTION?
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team who will be more than happy to give you advice over email or on the phone.
You can learn more and find inspiration by visiting our Jewellery Making Tutorials, Jewellery Making Kits and YouTube Channel. Don't forget to follow us on social media and tag us in your designs on Instagram & Facebook, we would love to see!