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Saturday, May 24, 2014

Waxed Linen Jewelry, Tutorials and Giveaway!

Spools of Irish Waxed Linen Cord
 
Hello and Welcome. Stay tuned for a waxed linen jewelry giveaway at the end of this post! Today, I'm sharing with you one of my favorite materials for jewelry-making - Irish waxed linen cord. I first discovered waxed linen about 7 years ago and I've been using it in my jewelry ever since. The more I use it, the more I fall in love with it. Waxed linen cord is a strong, durable and versatile material that works great for knotting, braiding and bead stringing. It's made up of fine threads twisted together that's referred to as "ply". The waxy coating on the cord helps make well-defined, crisp knots and holds them in place without the need for glue.The highest quality cord is Irish waxed linen cord made by Crawford Threads in Belfast, Ireland. I like to buy my waxed linen wholesale by the spool from royalwoodltd.com. You can also purchase it by the yard or the spool at ornamentea.com or jewelryaccord.etsy.com, which also offers cord color palettes. The color mixes offer wonderful inspiration to start your jewelry designs. Below is a bracelet tutorial I created for the Jewelry Accord shop on Etsy using one of Lorelei's many color cord palettes:

Fortuneteller's Bracelet

Waxed linen has traditionally been used for book-making and basket-weaving, but it's become quite popular for jewelry-making in recent years. Jewelry designers are drawn to the variety of beautiful colors it comes in, it's affordability, as well as it's strength and durability. Waxed linen comes in different plies or thicknesses. I use a 4-ply cord in most of my jewelry. A single strand of 4-ply will string through most beads. I tend to like to use multiple strands in my designs. More strands gives me more design options when I'm making jewelry and I also love the texture and fullness I get with multiple strands.

Tribal-Inspired Beaded Bracelet
I want to show you the range and versatility that waxed linen can provide in your jewelry designs. You can get a lot of mileage out of the cord if you let it provide multiple elements in your pieces. Use waxed linen to it's fullest potential by using it as your stringing material, using it to add color, using it to add texture and using it as part of your clasp all in one piece, like in my Tribal-Inspired Beaded Bracelet above or the Fortuneteller's Bracelet above that. If you look carefully at each piece, you can see that the linen cord is: the stringing material, adding color, adding texture and part of the clasp element.

Although I didn't make any new jewelry for the hop, I have plenty of designs I've done in the past to show you and this isn't even every piece! I have broken up my collection into 3 categories: Modern Brights, Earthy Bohemian and Feminine Romantic.  

Which collection below is your favorite? I've provided links to tutorials for some or links to magazine issues where you can find the tutorials for others.

Modern Brights Collection

Feminine Romantic Collection

A special thank you to my friend, Diana of Suburban Girl Studio for hosting the waxed linen jewelry blog hop. I hope you have enjoyed viewing a variety of jewelry designs created with waxed linen. Now, it's time for my waxed linen jewelry GIVEAWAY!

Win your choice of a digital copy of a waxed linen jewelry-making tutorial from my Etsy shop: Bohemian Knotted Earrings, Macrame Flower Bracelet or Triple Row Macrame Bracelet.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ErinSiegelJewelry?ref=si_shop

Or win your choice of a waxed linen bracelet kit from Ornamentea.com: Knotted Friendship Bracelets or Silver Branches Bracelet.

http://store.ornamentea.com/store/category/14/93/Jewelry-Kits/

Which jewelry collection from above appeals to you most? Modern Brights, Earthy Bohemian or Feminine Romantic?

Leave a comment answering this question and you will be entered for a chance to win a digital copy of one of my waxed linen jewelry tutorials OR a waxed linen bracelet-making kit!

Leave your comment by Sunday, June 1st to be entered into the giveaway and please leave a way for me to contact you, if you win.

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52 comments:

  1. AliceMay 24, 2014 at 12:06 AM

    Oh gosh they are all beautiful collections but I think the Earthy Bohemian Collection is my favorite. Thanks for the links and the chance to win your giveaway.

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  2. pastorconnieMay 24, 2014 at 12:57 AM

    I really like Modern Brights.

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  3. Jean Katherine BaldridgeMay 24, 2014 at 4:48 AM

    and I like and am amazed by the mystique of feminine romantic! However, they are all beautiful! Lovely pieces, Erin! xox jean

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  4. AnonymousMay 24, 2014 at 5:43 AM

    Erin, I love your book, thank you for introducing me to waxed linen, it's become an integral part of my jewellery design arsenal! Of your collections above, I have to say I'm drawn to the Modern Brights. (melissa_trudinger at yahoo dot com)

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  5. baymoondesignMay 24, 2014 at 6:23 AM

    What great collections! I especially like the feminine romantic. I have never really considered that can be a look with the thread. I love it and it is my style. Thanks for sharing your wonderful creations.

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  6. a2susanMay 24, 2014 at 7:25 AM

    Excellent blog post and it's fun to see the range of your work in one place. My favorite is the Feminine Romantic
    Susanlk310@yahoo.com

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  7. Deb FortinMay 24, 2014 at 7:59 AM

    great post. I have yet to use waxed linen on any of my jewellery. I always thought it was too thick to go through most beads.
    I love the earthy boho look collection but would more likely wear the modern brights.
    It is time i tried using fibres in my jewellery.

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  8. Linda YounkmanMay 24, 2014 at 8:00 AM

    I love the Earthy Bohemian collection but I also love the Modern Brights - I have used your techniques for several pieces and thank you for inspiration. Your work is always perfection.

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  9. Sarajo WentlingMay 24, 2014 at 8:56 AM

    Wow! Thanks for sharing so many of your lovely designs, Erin. And thanks too for the awesome class on the Bead Cruise... that opened up a whole new world for me! It's a tough call as to which collection I like best between Modern Brights and Earthy Bohemian, but I think I have to go Earthy Bohemian because of all the turquoise and red.

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  10. JaneenMay 24, 2014 at 10:12 AM

    These designs were all so fun to look at! Definitely the Modern Bright, but I was really intrigued by the idea of the Feminine Romantic because that sort of design idea is not what you automatically associate with waxed linen jewelry. Beautiful work! I look forward to checking these designs out!

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  11. flowersMay 24, 2014 at 10:23 AM

    Erin,
    Everything is just gorgeous. The Tribal inspired beaded bracelet catches my eye. I almost gave up on using waxed linen, but I find that it's not as difficult as I thought. Your page here has a lot of inspiration. All the pretty colors. I may just order a few other colors.

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  12. UnknownMay 24, 2014 at 10:52 AM

    I love all 3 collections! So hard to choose! The pieces are great! I think the Modern Brights are just wonderful! I love the vibrant colors and fun styles! All great!

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  13. beadhenMay 24, 2014 at 10:57 AM

    This post is "like a dream come true", with the focus of Irish Waxed Linen. I am a beginner in using this stringing material and have just purchased a spool of Robin's Egg Blue. I am looking forward to following some of these tutorials. Although I like each of the collections, I chose the FEMININE ROMANTIC COLLECTION and would love to create jewellery like this. Thank you for this blog which is so inspirational.-patricia@savage.ca

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  14. UnknownMay 24, 2014 at 11:11 AM

    I love both the bohemian and brights. Have not worked with waxed linen yet but would love to

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  15. janmade designsMay 24, 2014 at 11:17 AM

    Hard choice be a u eat I like many pieces in all collections especially the brights and bohemian. If I had to pick one it would be the bohemian. (yes I have and love your book) thanks for sharing your ideas and talents. Andagull@earthlink.net

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  16. sandysewinMay 24, 2014 at 11:58 AM

    The Earthy Bohemian set is definitely my favorite, those fringed, knotted earring are great. The Tribal inspired bracelet is wonderful, too. I agree completely that the more strands the better, giving a rich, full feeling. You have so many nice pieces!

    Thanks for the chance to win, I love that Silver Branches Bracelet.

    Sandy

    sandysewin (at) gmail (dot) com

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  17. AnonymousMay 24, 2014 at 12:01 PM

    It is so hard to choose since they are all so beautiful. If I have to pick, I would say the "Modern Brights" collection is my favorite. Thank you for this opportunity! Cheryl W.

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  18. sandysewinMay 24, 2014 at 12:50 PM

    Btw, Erin, thanks for the lovely compliments on my bracelet on my blog. :-)

    Did you know that we're practically neighbors? I'm on the south shore of MA, just the big city between us!

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  19. MelMay 24, 2014 at 1:11 PM

    I actually really love all three collections, but I'd say the bohemian collection is probably my favorite. However I love the silver branches bracelet, ever since you posted the tutorial before I've been wanting to make one with your tutorial! Thanks Erin!

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  20. Jennifer CameronMay 24, 2014 at 1:19 PM

    I like aspects of all the collections, but I think the feminine romantic is probably my favorite.

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  21. Honey from the BeeMay 24, 2014 at 1:58 PM

    I'd probably pick the feminine romantic, but I do love that multi-strand bracelet in turquoise. Thank you for introducing this wonderful thread to more jewelry artists!

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  22. Ann SchroederMay 24, 2014 at 2:41 PM

    What a great blog post. I loved seeing all of those pieces together in one place. In think about my favorite collection, I would have thought modern brights because bright colors make me happy, or earthy bohemian because that's how I see my style, but really my favorite is feminine romantic. Those pieces are just so beautiful, and I've found I love the look of lots of strands of beads all together. Strands always look so beautiful at the bead store and they never look the same once I get them home and cut them apart!

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  23. SaraccinoMay 24, 2014 at 3:03 PM

    Definetely earthy bohemian! :) I also bought your book "Bohemian inspired jewelry a few days ago because I love this style!

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  24. LynnMay 24, 2014 at 3:28 PM

    It's a hard choice but I would have to choose "Earthy Bohemian". I have your book and admire your wonderful creativity. I've made several things with waxed linen but feel I've barely dipped my toe in the water. I do love that Silver Twig Bracelet and would love to try it. Thanks for the opportunity.

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  25. Michelle MachMay 24, 2014 at 5:10 PM

    I like Earthy Bohemian best. Your work is so amazing! Thanks for sharing so many photos of it in this post. I can see that the couple of yards I have of linen cord are not going to last very long.

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  26. flowersMay 24, 2014 at 5:13 PM

    Erin,
    I had to say one more thing now that I have been thinking about it. Thanks for giving me the knowledge and taking the time to teach me for free at that mini class during beadfest. I would not be using waxed linen if you hadn't been such a patient instructor.

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  27. Shai WilliamsMay 24, 2014 at 5:31 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  28. Shai WilliamsMay 24, 2014 at 5:32 PM

    It's really hard to choose just one style but I do have to say that I would wear the designs from the Earthy Bohemian the most. Thank you so much for sharing your supplier also. I just picked up a bunch of spools from royalwoodltd.com. I am glad to see that my research skills haven't totally deserted me.

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  29. UnknownMay 24, 2014 at 5:50 PM

    Earthy Bohemian all the way. BTW, this is totally all your fault. 8 days on a cruise ship together and I can't stop playing with this stuff. What will happen after the next cruise together?!? LOL!

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  30. Becky PancakeMay 24, 2014 at 7:31 PM

    Hi Erin, The first thing I want to say is thank you for co-writing such a great book. I learned a lot from it. "Fortuneteller's Bracelet" has a fun cord color mix. "Tribal Inspired Bracelet" is very creative and unique with it's open areas. The Earthy Bohemian Collection is my favorite.

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  31. Kari AsburyMay 24, 2014 at 8:22 PM

    Beautiful! Your work is so inspiring and the book you co-wrote fantastic! All of your collections above are each gorgeous but Earthy Bohemian is my favorite :)

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  32. AnonymousMay 24, 2014 at 9:52 PM

    Love all these designs, Erin, but I find myself most attracted to the Feminine Romantics the most. Have to add that your designs got me started experimenting with waxed linen cord. Love ti!

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  33. KayzKreationzMay 25, 2014 at 8:08 AM

    All of your designs are great, but I love those Modern Brights. All the color really attracts me. Probably why I love your first bracelet, the Fortunetellers Bracelet. I love all the colorful linen you used to string and knot together the beads. It's gorgeous. I can't decide between the triple row macramé bracelet (since I've started doing my macramé again) or the silver branches bracelet kit. They are both so cool.

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  34. HMB StudiosMay 25, 2014 at 9:20 AM

    I love all of the designs and collections, of course :), but if I had to pick a favorite it would be the tribal bracelet. Very awesome!

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  35. SueBeadsMay 25, 2014 at 11:01 AM

    WOW, Erin, I love all your pieces! Thank you so much for linking to tuts! I love your bohemian collection the most! Thanks so much for the giveaway too! You really do such an excellent job of showing off what to do with waxed linen cord!

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  36. JenniferMay 25, 2014 at 12:05 PM

    All so beautiful but I think I like Earthy Bohemian best.

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  37. Therese's TreasuresMay 25, 2014 at 12:10 PM

    Hi Erin,
    Thank you for sharing some great tips and places to find waxed linen. It is so hard to pick because they are all so beautiful, but I am more attracted to the Earthy Bohemian group.

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  38. Terry BizMay 25, 2014 at 3:56 PM

    I love all of them! But I'll choose Modern Brights today because they're so cheery!

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  39. AnonymousMay 25, 2014 at 6:35 PM

    I like the Earthy Bohemian collection best, but the are all wonderful!
    llandig at msn (dot) com

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  40. UnknownMay 25, 2014 at 10:45 PM

    Thank you, Erin. I don't know whether to love you or hate you for introducing me to a whole new technique and material to spend my pennies on. After reading several of the blog posts in yesterday's blog hop I immediately ordered some waxed Irish linen cord and can't wait for it to arrive.
    Will this ever end?There's always something new to try and I have so many other techniques to perfect before moving on. Your designs are so much fun and just perfect for summer. I'm torn between modern brights and earthy bohemian but really all 3 are great. The selection of colours is wonderful. Thanks for the giveaway. wirednan13 at hotmaildotcom

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  41. MarissaMay 26, 2014 at 8:29 AM

    They're all so very lovely, Erin! I'm drawn most to the Modern Brights collection. It's so fun + playful... perfect for summer! :o)

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  42. UnknownMay 26, 2014 at 10:08 AM

    If I had to pick one, it would be Modern Brights. I love your book, it's one of my favorites. :) jenrenblog at gmaildotcom

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  43. AnonymousMay 26, 2014 at 11:33 AM

    Beautiful designs!! I have your's and Lorelei's book and NEED to start using waxed linen!

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  44. aneri_masiMay 26, 2014 at 12:21 PM

    Thanks for sharing the source for buying large spools of cord. I think if I had a big spool, i would be more generous in the amount of cord I cut :) I went to their website and realized they are located in Mansfield, OH. I go there all the time, my sister lives there!

    My next trouble with using cord (now that I am over my fear of the knots opening up) is that they are never even...especially a row of half-hitch knots. They get all twisty and some knots are bigger than others. Any tips for tackling that?

    The next question would be: how do you manage to string in that many seed beads? Don't you and your eyes get tired? I love that look...LOVE the first necklace in the romantic collection, but I find stringing so many seed beads very intimidating. Do you use any tools for this?

    Of the sets, I like the Earthy Bohemian one the best.

    Thanks for a very informative post!

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  45. KelsyCMay 26, 2014 at 12:23 PM

    Your Fortuneteller's Bracelet is the piece that initially drew me to waxed linen in the first place! I remember the first time I saw it (probably on Pinterest?) and then spent the next couple hours going through your entire blog. You are so inspiring! I can't really pick a favorite style, they are all so wonderful and I could see myself wearing every single piece in your collections!

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  46. JennyMay 26, 2014 at 5:07 PM

    I love the Early Bohemian collection - and I love all the ideas and creativity that have gone into all of the collections! (e-mail address is jgholson@onemain.com)

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  47. UnknownMay 26, 2014 at 7:37 PM

    Erin, I love your jewelry! I am drawn to the Earthy Bohemian overall but the Romantic necklaces are really pretty and I love all the great earrings in the Modern Brights...so hard to choose! Thank you for your tutorials and I will buy your book soon! I just adore Lorelei's style too! I will definitely be using more Irish Linen in my designs.

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  48. Blanca Medina joyas tejidasMay 26, 2014 at 9:58 PM

    Erin your designs are beautiful. I really like the tribal inspire bracelet. I love bracelets ..you are very talent...

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  49. UnknownMay 26, 2014 at 10:06 PM

    Erin oh Erin!!! I am hooked!!! I am in love with linen now. I actually have favorites in all three of your catagories. And your book has now gone from a wish list item to a must have!!!!!!

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  50. jtranhoMay 27, 2014 at 8:28 PM

    Modern Brights , love it!

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  51. Ema KilroyMay 28, 2014 at 12:35 PM

    So many wonderful pieces! I'm torn between the Earthy Boho and the Feminine Romantic. If I can only choose one look it would have to be the Romantic look. Thanks for the chance to win Erin. I just bought bunches of bead at a bead show and I'm going to try creating a bracelet with the beads, waxed linen and one of your tutorials. Thank you for posting the free tutorials. I'm loving all that your doing lately. Congratulations on the new e-book!

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  52. MarybethMay 31, 2014 at 10:02 PM

    I am drawn to the designs that have lengths of exposed thread, like the African-Inspired bracelet from the Earthy Bohemian collection, and the Glistening Branches necklace from the Feminine Romantics. Having to choose is difficult, but I'll go with the Earthy Bohemian. Thanks for being so generous with your knowledge and expertise! mkallok@att.net

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