Wow, its been a while! I wanted to share this quick and dirty Cluster Ring tutorial with you. I am obsessed with making these adorable rings.

1. You’ll need 22 gaugewire, a few different sized beads…

2. …and something to shape the ring around. I used a ring mandrel, but you can use a marker, or anything else that is slightly larger than your ring finger.

You’ll also need flat-nosed pliers, to save your fingernails from a sad, agonizing death… and a pair of flush-cutters.

3. Wrap the wire around something round. You want it to be about one size larger than your finger. A ring mandrel makes this very easy, but a thick sharpie or paintbrush will do if you have no other choice. If you’re like me, you’ll be too impatient to wait to get a mandrel. Wrap the wire around a few times to create a ring band. The thicker the band, the more sturdy it will be. You want to make sure you leave at least five extra inches of wire on each side. Cross the wires under the band and pull tightly to secure them.

4. String each bead, one at a time, onto the wire, crossing the wire under the ringband after each bead. Pull the wire tightly to secure the bead.

5. The wire is pretty pliable, so experiment with pulling in different directions to add dimension. You can add the beads in a straight line, or pile them on top of each other.

6. Once you’re satisfied with your cluster, weave the wire in, out and around the beads to secure everything in place. Once everything feels nice and secure, use your flush-cutters to trim the excess wire. Try to cut as close to the base as possible, and cut on top, rather than on the underside of the ring. This will keep the ring from scratching your finger.

7. Tadaaa! That’s it! Incredibly simple, utterly adorable.

8. Try experimenting with different sized beads, different textures, and contrasting colors! The more you vary the components, the more unique your ring will be! 9. I used the same technique to make a thin bangle bracelet. I wrapped my wire around a hairspray can. Seriously, there is no limit!

And that’s that! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Spread the love, reblog and share this wth your friends!

Thanks!

Don’t forget to check out my etsy store, http://www.etsy.com/shop/etacarina. I’ll have a few of these rings up in a few days!