Ask the Experts Stretching Q&A

I've been making beaded jewelry for some time now. The wire/cord of some of my pieces has stretched over time so that there are spaces near the clasp of my necklaces. I am using Beadalon/Accu-Flex type wire. I've heard of prestretching your wire. Do I need to do this to prevent them from stretching out? Do you have any other suggestions to prevent this from happening? Thanks.

- Lindsay

Beading wire will stretch over time since that is the nature of most things. When stringing your designs, it is best to allow a little "breathing room" before finishing the ends of your wire. This will help prevent any undue stress on the wire as the designs are worn and the beads look for more space to flex and move. This will also help prevent your designs from having too much "breathing room." When choosing your beading wire, select the highest quality you can afford as well as the wire with the most strands possible.

If there is too much wire showing in the designs you have already made, you can fill the space with crimp covers. These beads can be slid over the wire and then closed in place to fill the gap. For more detailed instructions on using this handy finding, view the ''Using Crimp Covers'' how-to video.

- Maura Buckner, Jewelry-Making Expert