Hi there, Sandy here.
Welcome to another Friday Findings video at KeepsakeCrafts.net.
Today I'm going to talk to you about another great finding that has a lot of pluses, but
some minuses and that's magnetic clasps.
By the way, this shot that you see on the screen was one of the trickiest ever to set
up because they're all magnetic.
They kept leaping on top of each other, but I finally got it by not having them too close
to each other.
So here are a few magnetic clasps.
If you've been making jewelry for awhile and you start looking for something new and different,
you might come across these and think they are a fantastic idea.
It is a good idea, magnetic clasps sounds good, only it's one that I use with just a
few warnings and things to pay attention to.
I'm actually highly suspicious of magnetic clasps because like here's a bracelet I made
recently with superduo beads and it just comes apart so easily.
So yes it's easy to put on, which is a plus, but if I was out and about and doing stuff,
it could be so easy to catch that on something and my lovely bracelet and all my hard work
is gone.
But I'll show you in a minute a way to keep that from happening.
So here are a few magnetic clasps that I've gotten, most of them from ArtBeads.com, and
if you're interested in the supplies, in all of my videos I always have a blog post with
a supply list and product links so you can find these for yourself.
My main concern with magnetic clasps is, like I showed with this one, security.
Now for a bracelet that's a problem.
Here's a necklace I made a long time ago.
I think this was one of the first bead weaving projects I ever did and I put a magnetic clasp
on this and I kind of like it because this is a choker and so, see what I mean about
them jumping on each other.
So this is a choker and so it's nice to be able to give it a tug and pull it off and
not feel like it's going to choke me.
So that's an instance where a magnetic clasp, as long as you're not going to be doing something
where it's going to get strained, could be a really good choice and it does make it easy
for somebody with difficulty with their hands to put on and take off.
So back to these clasps.
This is probably the one that I would use the absolute least because it doesn't have
any kind of safety features.
One tug and it's taken apart and that's that.
So what I would suggest is if you want to use a magnetic clasp, you make sure that there
are other catches in place.
For example, this is a tube clasp.
It pulls apart like this and that is a little magnet right in there and it attaches to a
magnet here and so you can hear it and so it's magnetic.
Here's a bracelet I made with one of these and it is nice and easy to put on and it's
very secure.
One thing I like about these magnetic tube clasps is they don't take up as much space
as another clasp.
Often directions will tell you that a clasp is going to take up about an inch and this
takes up probably half an inch which is nice because there's more room for bracelet, and
it's easy to take off.
I just catch it there.
One warning about these.
The day after I made this bracelet, and this was a lot of work, and then I sewed the clasp
right into the bracelet, one of these little pieces, the one with the magnet came off.
It actually popped right off and eventually my bracelet fell off and I was thankful to
find it in my home and not lose it someplace out and about.
So you might want to just check that.
I actually sent ArtBeads an email and they sent me a replacement.
Then I found the magnet and glued it and it seems to be good, tugging.
Now I glued that one back in place and now it's good, but something to check to make
sure that the connection is secure.
I think 99% of these are going to be just fine.
I just happened to get one that wasn't good.
So this is fun because you can do this 10mm, this antique brass plated.
You can do 20mm with five rings.
This is silver plated, copper plated.
Now this one just by virtue of surface area is pretty strong.
Again, a tug would pull your bracelet apart, but there's a lot of magnet surface area here
and it takes a bit of work to pull it apart, but I would still prefer those with a catch
that is in opposition with the direction the magnet is pulling and what I mean by that
is this is the best example.
This is the mini Regaliz Antique Brass Plated Magnetic clasp or Regalz.
You can see here are the magnets and they are pulling towards each other, yeah.
This way, but then the catch in order to undo it is pulling this way.
So they're pulling in complete opposite directions so in order to undo it, you kind of have to
give a twisting motion.
One twisting in one direction and one twisting in the other.
So this I would consider a very secure clasp.
Also this is really cute.
The antique brass plated magnetic heart clasp also from ArtBeads and I thought these were
adorable because the clasp is part of the design and it doesn't even look like a clasp
when it's closed and again the magnets are attaching this way, but the catch is pulling
in the other direction.
So you have to do again that twisting in opposition to get them apart and they come in different
finishes.
And then there's this one, quite bling-y.
I got this at the craft store and the magnets are here in the little hinged hook and again
they're in opposition to the direction you would need to pull it apart so the magnets
are catching this way, but you're going to have to lift that up and over and around to
undo it.
So those are a few options and I'm sure there are others.
Just things to watch out for if you decide you want to use magnetic clasps.
One thing I did in this bracelet that I probably would not do again is that I sewed my clasp
right onto the bracelet.
The clasp is now, this is the thread that's going through the beads and it is part of
the bracelet and I was really bummed when I had to ask ArtBeads for the replacement
for this clasp because I knew I was going to have to undo a bunch of thread and redo
it and so the next bracelet that I made was this one and I did it differently.
What I did was I put a number 8 seed bead right there instead of sewing on my clasp,
which I could have done.
I could have sewn it right there with some thread, but instead I put a seed bead and
then attached a couple oval jump rings.
So if anything ever goes wrong or I feel the need to change the clasp, I don't have to
undo the whole bracelet.
Thankfully like I said, I found the magnet that had fallen off of this and glued it on
and I didn't have to do any resewing.
I asked ArtBeads to send me the resewing fairies, but they said they were all busy for Christmas.
So anyways, here's a little trick for you I thought of to make this bracelet more secure
because I really like this and it was a bit of work and I don't want to lose it.
The first thing I did was I wrapped it around the widest part of my wrist and then measured
how much distance I'd need there and that's about 2" and then I have a piece of chain
here.
And I'm going to attach the chain here and make a little safety catch so that even if
the magnet comes undone, the bracelet won't fall off as easily.
So while I'm doing this, I'm going to tell you a little story.
What made me think of this.
When I was 15 or 16, my mom and I went to one of those fairs.
You know, the type with rides and fried dough and games and 4H animals and we were walking
around the fair and this man, I won't even call him a gentleman, he was kind of creepy.
He walked up to us, took my mother by the hand and started trying to talk us into playing
one of his games and neither of us were the least bit interested in playing a game.
But he stood there for the longest time with both hands holding her hand in this very almost
courtly, but like I said, I was 15 or 16.
I was utterly creeped out by this guy.
He just was holding her hand this way that was so strange and he kept talking and talking
and talking and it was awkward and uncomfortable and weird.
And eventually he stopped and left and my mom and I just looked at each other and shook
our heads and kept walking and it wasn't until we got home that she realized her gold watch
was gone!
Yeah, he had taken the time and it was a nice gold watch.
It had a catch and it also had a safety chain and I suspect that that safety chain gave
that man fits.
I'm guessing he probably got the catch undone, likely being a pro and then he probably had
to break the chain in order to get it off her wrist without her noticing it and that's
why he was standing there so long, holding her hand.
So creepy.
So the moral of the story is don't wear your nice jewelry to the fair.
Goodness!
Don't let creepy men touch you.
I don't know if he'd get away with it these days.
This was back in the 80s, but anyways, I thought of that and that's what gave me the idea to
put this little bit of chain on, just enough.
I just have to kind of work it to get it over my wrist and then let's see if it will work
the way I think it's going to.
And then I can do the catch and there.
Okay, now that's kind of well attached because it's magnetic, but that's okay.
There!
So that's good.
Now I feel so much better because if that comes undone, this isn't going to fall off
easily.
I feel so much better about wearing this bracelet, which I really like and I'll have a link for
the directions on making this.
I followed somebody else's directions on my blog.
So there you go.
If you're interested in the supplies, click on the little tag in the upper right of the
video or go to the blog post that is in the description box.
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So happy creating with or without magnetic clasps.
And keep your jewelry safe from creepy men!