Ribbon Ends...

Ribbons are all the rage right now and hem tape is the best bet for jewelers. It is rayon - doesn’t ravel overly much, comes in all sorts of fabulous colors, looks vintage right off the roll - Completely fabulous.

You can tie them in - fabulous vintage feel - just add a dab of glue inside the knot for stability.

Or dress it up a bit with a crimp end - just follow the squares to a fabulous finish.

You can also use a tube bead and then crimp it flat for a nice clean looking connection - you can use this at the front to connect into your design or at the back to hook into a jump ring or chain closure seamlessly. (Personally I love a ribbon tie back - it is so feminine!)

Here is a bit more complicated design - take one of our lattice bars and cut it in half. Turn it into a ribbon crimp by carefully folding over the cut portion of the bar, inserting the ribbon and closing the finished side of the bar over the back. This way all the cut ends are enclosed and you have a fabulous looking connection.

Give hem tape a try - make something fabulous! We have nearly a dozen shades and all the brass ox supplies you see here - just visit our etsy shop.

Bail Out!

You have a chain and a fabulous handcrafted pendant, now if you only had a bail to join them. I never seem to have one at my desk when I need one and often commercial bails are just too plain for handmade pendants. Also, bails are often hard to find in the color you are working with - but they are quick and easy to make. Most small symmetrical connectors can be fashioned into a bail if they are at least 18mm long and have a filigree at the tips.


Choose your filigree and finish if necessary (see other posts on how to color brass). Take a pair of flat nose pliers and grasp the filigree in the exact center. Finger fold the metal downwards to form a U. Bend the ends together and slide your chain through. A small jump ring will go through the bottom filigree and attach your pendant.

Customizing your own bail adds that extra touch to your design that makes it OOAK. The connector I have used here is one of my staple piece - I use it as a lengthener and bail regularly - Check out our etsy shop - we carry this Celtic connector in antique gold, antique silver, brass ox and raw brass (Yes - we love it that much!)

This necklace is available at Winter Rose Cameos.

Jump Ring Opener

A necessity if you want to keep your fingernails intact! This little beauty gives you all the leverage you need to open even the thick jump rings. You can find them in our Etsy shop under the findings tab - if you don't see one there convo us - we will just need to relist.

How does this work - you ask? Well slip it on your finger and slide the jump ring into the slot - three size slots for varied thickness of jump rings. Then take your pliers and, using the ring as leverage, push the ring open.

This opens the ring without changing the round shape - when you are ready to close it - just slide the jump ring in the slot again and push the opposite way.

Easier than the two pliers method for certain - have fun!