Make Your Own Loc Jewelry
Looking to add a personal touch to your locs? Making your own DIY loc jewelry is a fun and creative way to express your style while embracing the beauty of your hair. Whether you’re new to locs or have been rocking them for years, these easy-to-make accessories will add a bit of sparkle and individuality to your look. In this guide, I’ll show you just how simple it is to craft unique loc jewelry right from the comfort of your home.
Visual learner? Scroll to the bottom for the step-by-step video tutorial.
Supplies Needed
Wire
For this project, I’m using a mix of 18-gauge and 20-gauge wire. I like copper or gold-colored wire because it’s durable and looks great against the color of my locs. You can also use aluminum wire, which is more affordable but tends to be temporary. The thicker wire holds its shape better, so I wouldn’t recommend going lower than 18-gauge for loc jewelry.
Beads
Beads are where you can let your creativity shine! The beauty of using beads in loc jewelry is that they can be anything you have on hand. I’ve had beads donated to me, so I’m using some mystery gems from my collection. You can use glass beads, wooden beads, shells—whatever suits your style. I tend to stay in the 2-8mm range for these beads.
Tools
Pliers: You’ll need a pair of regular pliers for bending the wire and making loops.
Wire Cutters: A must-have for cutting your wire to size.
Mandrel or Jump Ring Tool: I use a jump ring mandrel for creating spirals and loops. It helps keep everything neat and even.
Okay, we’ve got the supplies, now let’s talk about how to put it all together!
Step-by-Step
Guide to Creating Loc Jewelry
Step 1: Wrapping Your Beads
To get started, we need to wrap our beads in wire to make them ready to attach to your locs. You can either use a piece of wire to create a loop at one end of the bead or use headpins, which come pre-looped at one end. I like to wire wrap mine because it gives the jewelry a handcrafted feel.
Here’s how you do it:
Cut a piece of wire and create a small loop on one end using your pliers.
Slide your bead onto the wire.
Wrap the wire around itself a few times to secure the bead in place.
Step 2: Making Spirals and Loops
Next up is creating the spiral design that gives loc jewelry its signature look. You’ll want to use your mandrel or jump ring tool to make loops in the wire:
Take your wire and start coiling it around the mandrel, forming a spiral. Keep your loops close together and neat for a more polished look.
If your locs are small and thin like mine, you’ll want to make the loops smaller so the jewelry fits snugly. If your locs are thicker, go for larger spirals.
Once you’ve created your spiral, leave a little extra wire at the end to make a loop. This is where you’ll attach your bead.
Step 3: Attaching Your Beads
Now it’s time to bring everything together! Take the bead you wrapped earlier and slide it onto the loop at the end of your spiral. Use your pliers to close the loop securely. You can make multiple beads for one piece of jewelry or keep it simple with just one statement bead.
Step 4: Fitting Your Loc Jewelry
The best part about DIY loc jewelry is that it’s customizable to your own locs! To fit your jewelry:
Find the loc where you want to place the jewelry.
Gently slide the spiral over your loc until it sits where you want it.
Once it’s in place, you can squeeze the bottom of the spiral a bit to ensure it stays secure.
And that’s it! You’ve just made your first piece of loc jewelry. How easy was that?
Pro Tips for Making Loc Jewelry
Choose durable wire: Especially if you want your jewelry to last, go for copper or thicker gauge wire that can handle the wear and tear of daily life.
Be mindful of the size of your locs: My locs are pretty small, so I make sure my spirals are tight. If your locs are thicker, you can make bigger loops to accommodate them.
Mix and match materials: Don’t be afraid to get creative. Use shells, feathers, or other unique items you have lying around. It’s your loc jewelry—make it as personal as you want!
I hope this guide has inspired you to create your own stunning loc jewelry. Whether you’re just starting your loc journey or you’ve been on it for years, loc jewelry is a beautiful way to express your individuality. Remember, you don’t need to follow any strict rules—just have fun with it.
Pin It!
If you love this project, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest so you can easily find it later and share it with others! It’s a great way to organize your favorite ideas and inspire your next creation.
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