The first book Handcrafting Chain and Bead Jewelry (2006), illustrates how to create beautiful silver, copper, and brass chains using simple tools; no hot torch soldering or loud power tools needed! This introductory-level manual explains the fundamentals of chain making, from hand tools, round wire metals, and explains the math to create correctly sized jump rings for different chain patterns.
We will go step-by-step through the process of creating jump rings by wrapping the wire around a knitting needle mandrel, cutting the coil into jump rings, and assembling various chain patterns. We will start with a simple 2+2+2 chain and slowly progress to the more complex Byzantine chain, which is fashioned into different geometric designs. The negative spaces within these geometric designs are fulfilled with colorful gemstone beads using a flexible beading cable and secured with a smashed crimp-tube.
With this 128-page book, you will learn how to handcraft 24 beautiful beaded chain jewelry projects from earrings and pendants to bracelets and necklaces. Scroll down to view jewelry projects, magazine articles, and customer reviews. Click on any jewelry design image to view a larger photograph within a Lightbox Slideshow application.
This book is no longer available in print, but you can find used copies for sale or purchase the digital eBook on Amazon.
“Reading Scott David Plumlee’s book is like visiting with a friend who invites you along on his creative journey. Plumlee chose chain making as a portable artistic outlet during his five-year, 32-country, four-continent trip around the world. Plumlee’s hope is that readers will have fun with these skills and maybe even take his book on vacation and ‘chain away the sunset.'” |
“This book is a must-have for any aspiring chain jewellery artist. Scott David Plumlee has been inspiring a new generation of chain jewellers over the past decade, leading over 150 workshops nationwide in the USA. A world traveller and jack-of-all-trades, Scott has studied ancient cultures and craft designs all over the globe and currently resides in sunny Taos, New Mexico.” – The Bead Book is a South African Publication |
Jewellery
“I have just started making my own Chain Mail Jewellery and this book has helped lots. I have made many of the projects as gifts and the people I gave them to love them.” – JM at Amazon
Good book for beginner or intermediate chainmaillers
“I bought this book and his Geometric Connections book after finding Scott’s website and seeing what a great job he did teaching chainmaille weaves. He is precise, organized and specific – which is a perfect style for me. He has a good section in the front on the tools and basics of chainmaille design and creation. His pictures are good, his descriptions clear and his designs pretty.” – Ovieda Estrada at Amazon
This is an EXCELLENT book for any novice jewelry designer!
“I have to say that, of all the jewelry instruction books I have purchased –and I must have 15 or so–this is, by far, the very best. I am so glad I bought this. It is well worth the price and then some. This book pays for itself. The pictures are wonderful as is the text that accompanies them. I have never been happier with an instructional book. This guys really knows of what he speaks. Cudos to Scott Plumee for a job well done!” – B. A. Davis at Amazon
More handcrafting chain and bead jewelry
“This is one of four books about chain maille written by Scott David Plumlee. Like the other three, this book is a learning book where the author goes through preparations, tools and methods and also gives you a couple of patterns. If you are a fresh beginner you can learn a lot from this book, but if you have been around for a while it’s more of an inspiration. He uses both jump rings and beads which makes it more than just chain.” – Pretty Ogr at Amazon
The Chainmaille guru
“Scott gives a wonderful reference book here, replete with beautiful close-up color photos of the work and inspiration gallery, as well as in-depth instructions on how to create unique jewelry pieces. This is a great text for not only its instruction, but it gives a complete and nearly total technical guide on how to create the perfect jump ring, inside and outside diameters, the types of metals and what to expect from them, conversion charts and product references, and what to look for (and ask for) in a purchased jump ring.
This is a good book for any beginner, it gives good instructions on the various patterns of chainmaille, and how to achieve the different types of link units in a step-by-step manner……I consider it a very good foundational book on this art. Having done some chainmaille designing for a while now, I do think there could be some further modifications to Scott’s techniques, but for initial study, this is a fabulous book. As a matter of fact, once one learns what Scott teaches, I think some of those changes will be self-evident after a while.
His book is very inspirational as well as thoroughly instructional, I don’t think anyone would be unhappy with this book, it’s one of my handy references as well, when I am not inclined to “do the math” for the rings’ dimensions and quantities, etc. A keeper, great, clear color photos and totally complete, understandable instructions, you won’t sit there groaning with a mess of rings in front of you, you will enjoy the process the way he teaches it……you will also learn what tools work the best too……:)” – DL at Amazon
Best book yet on chain maille jewelry
“This is without a doubt the best book on making jewelry with chain and beads for beginners and those already proficient in chain mailling. Mainly based on Byzantine, the pictures are clear and the written instructions are very easy to follow. His many adaptations on the use of Byzantine weave are both innovative and beautiful. Take a bow Scott David Plumlee, I’m already recommending this one to all the members in my wire working and chain maille forum. Regards from one very happy owner of this great book.” – Dunsire Leslie at Amazon
Wonderful ideas!
“OK–so I’m an instructional book junkie! But I learned the chainmaille weaves from books and DVDs and now I’m teaching, so . . . This book is among the best. Most folks interested in jewelry have beads; if not, they know where to get them. When the creative juices stop flowing and all the weaves begin to look the same, the cure is in this book! Ideas begin to flow and suddenly the creative spirit is recreated. It is beautifully illustrated with excellent instructions. But the real beauty is that it makes you think “outside the box.” Well worth the money–and more!!!” – Ann L. Lacava at Amazon