[Q] What are Wire Guardians and how do you use them?
These clever little inventions by Beadalon were created to protect the loop of flexible beading wire at the ends of a strung necklace or bracelet where you attach the clasp. This is especially nice when you have a clasp with a sharp loop, as with some styles of magnetic clasps. They also allow any clasp to move freely, and act as a guide to create equal loops on either end of a bracelet or necklace.
I was able to find a couple of alternate uses for these findings. In the earring above, the Wire Guardian acts as a loop to connect an earring finding to. It creates a secure connection when making a stitched earring, allowing you to make several passes through the Wire Guardian.
Here is how I made the earring above:
[1] On 1 yd. (.9 m) of Fireline, pick up a 15/0 seed bead, a 4 mm pearl, a 15/0, a 5 mm pearl, a 15/0, a 6 mm bicone crystal, a repeating pattern of a 15/0 and a keshi pearl five times, a 15/0, a 6 mm bicone, a 15/0, a 5 mm pearl, a 15/0, a 4 mm pearl, and a 15/0. Sew through the Wire Guardian from the bottom hole on one side, lay the Fireline across the channel along the top, and then sew down through the other hole. Sew through the first four beads.
[2] Pick up three 15/0s, a 6 mm pearl, and three 15/0s, and sew through the last four beads on the opposite side.
[3] End the thread.
[4] Open the loop of an earring finding and attach the Wire Guardian. Close the loop.
[5] Repeat steps 1–4 to make a second earring.
The other use I thought of was to attach Wire Guardians at the end of a stitched band. The sample shown above shows how you can make a secure connection to a multistrand clasp. This is a great advantage to just a loop of thread attaching a clasp, or even a beaded loop, because there is no chance of the Wire Guardian wearing out. It is also much more secure if you have to attach a clasp with jump rings.
[1] Exit a bead on the end row. Sew through the Wire Guardian from the bottom hole on one side, lay the
Fireline across the channel along the top, and then sew down through the
other hole. Sew down through the next bead in the row, and up through the next. Repeat as many times as needed to add a Wire Guardian to each pair of end beads.
[2] You can bend the Wire Guardian so the two ends are very close together or a little wider to accommodate larger or smaller gaps between beads.
[3] If you are using beads with larger holes (such as 8/0 seed beads) the Wire Guardians may slip right into the beads, which is not bad. Less of the finding will show at the end of the bracelet.
Do you use these findings? Have you thought of any ideas on how to use them other than the ones above? I'd love to hear about them!