Can anyone offer advice on the best size to make bracelets please? I am going to be making some to sell but am not sure what would be the most popular size. They will mostly be just small beads threaded on wire with smallish toggle clasps.
Thank you
Helen
7.25-7.5 inches seems the usual size I have seen.
Yep, I was gonna say about 7.5".
Actually I tend to make them to fit myself ... which is a bit daft really, cos I think I've actually got quite small wrists!
7.5" for weeny beads. 8.25" for small BHB bracelets (ie the beads are quite small, pandora size) and a bit bigger for bigger beads as they take up more room. Beware the bracelet buyer who asks for big bracelets, my experience has been they bring them back and ask for them to be sized down. I just had someone talk me into remaking a bracelet for her to increase the size (this involved making up additional beads as well as breaking the bracelet up) and then change her mind and ask me to remake again and go back to the original. This I did, but I will probably not do so again.
Well just to put the other side of the argument, I have 8 - 8.5 inch wrists (and big fingers too!) and would love it if I came across the occasional bracelet or ring that actually fit me!!
I found a quide somewhere and saved it. Generally it's the wrist measurement plus one inch (bit more for beads bigger than 10mm) and as a guide they included the charts below. In silversmithing I was told the average womans size is 7.5 inches for a bangle.
Sizes for woman Length
Small 6.5 inch
Average 7 inch
Large 7.5 – 8 inch
XLarge 8.5+ inch
Sizes for children Length
Newborn 3.5-4.0 inch
3-6 months 4.25-4.5 inch
6-12 months 4.75 inch
12-24 months 5 inch
2-3 years 5.0-5.5 inch
4-5 years 5.75 inch
6-7 years 6 inch
8-9 years 6.25 inch
10-13 years 6-7inch
Quote from: helbels on October 10, 2010, 07:28:00 AM
Well just to put the other side of the argument, I have 8 - 8.5 inch wrists (and big fingers too!) and would love it if I came across the occasional bracelet or ring that actually fit me!!
Me too! And as for getting an anklet to fit, I've never had one until I started making my own jewellery.
I aim for slightly bigger usually, 7 1/2 - 8 because from what I see in the shop here, its the ladies with the bigger wrists who tend to buy the type of bracelet I make, also, I figure I can make it smaller easier than I can make it bigger!and I don't have to make more beads.
I think partly its the finding one that fits them that they like, 'Oh I can never get ones to fit me, I'll just have to have it!'
oh and with anklets, anklets that are sold by ALL jewellery companies are all wrong. they don't know what they are talking about 9-10" is a stupid size, I have a small ankle and I wear a 10 1/2 because I like it dangling. 9-10" would probably fit a teenager or someone teeny tiny,it might go round the ankle, but it doesnt fit the way they want.
I make mine around 7.5 too but I always work an extension chain into the design somehow, as it allows for a good fit on most wrists.
Quote from: Lush! on October 10, 2010, 12:27:39 AM
Yep, I was gonna say about 7.5".
Actually I tend to make them to fit myself ... which is a bit daft really, cos I think I've actually got quite small wrists!
I do exactly the same! Of course it depends on the size of your beads. It's the internal diameter you need to worry about not the length. Melanie at www.kandmbeadshop.co.uk used to sell a clever little gadget called the E-Z sizer (or something like that). It comes in bracelet and necklace sizes. It's very useful. Despite that, my sizes are still all over the place! ;D
I have small wrists and don't like my bracelets to hang down the back of my hand, so if I'm making for me I do them 6.5 to 7" depending on beads, but for selling I make them 7.5 as a general rule, if the beads are bigger I'll put an extender chain on.
Quote from: MadelineBunyan on October 10, 2010, 09:44:52 AM
oh and with anklets, anklets that are sold by ALL jewellery companies are all wrong. they don't know what they are talking about 9-10" is a stupid size, I have a small ankle and I wear a 10 1/2 because I like it dangling. 9-10" would probably fit a teenager or someone teeny tiny,it might go round the ankle, but it doesnt fit the way they want.
I have to tell you this folks but when I was a child, the only people who wore anklets were the local prostitutes. It was a kind of badge among them.
LOL! :D
Thanks very much for the tips and advice everyone. Sounds like about 7.5" should generally be ok for small beads. I know I can always alter them but it's good to know what is most likely to fit most people.
Thanks again
Helen
I am feeling very svelte after reading this - my wrists are quite chunky and I usually make bracelets to fit me by habit - I often end up making them smaller for customers which is a pain. Glad to read that 7 inch is average - Yay! :D
I use an extension chain on all my bracelets - so one size fits all and I don't get "its too small" or "its too big"...