DIY Viking Knit Wire Weave Bracelet: A Complete Intermediate Tutorial

If you’ve ever admired the intricate, chainmail-like texture of Viking knit jewelry and wondered how it was made, you’re in the right place. This ancient wire-weaving technique dates back over a thousand years, and while it looks impressively complex, it’s well within reach for anyone who has spent a little time working with wire. This tutorial is designed for makers who already have some experience with basic wire wrapping or jewelry-making fundamentals and are ready to take their craft to the next level.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to create a beautiful, wearable Viking knit bracelet from scratch — including how to draw it down to size, finish the ends professionally, and troubleshoot the most common problems that trip up intermediate crafters.

What Is Viking Knit?

Viking knit is a wire-weaving technique that creates a hollow, braided tube of metal. It gets its name from the similar structures found in archaeological discoveries from Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon sites dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries, though variations of the technique appear in jewelry traditions around the world. The result looks like a woven chain, almost like a metallic version of finger knitting, but with a distinctive petal-like texture when made using the double Viking knit method.

There are two main versions of the technique: single Viking knit, which produces a more open, lacy look, and double Viking knit, which creates a denser, more substantial braid. This tutorial focuses on double Viking knit, which is better suited for bracelets because it holds its shape more reliably and has a more finished appearance when drawn down.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you get started, gather everything you need so you aren’t hunting for tools mid-project.

Wire: 28-gauge copper, sterling silver, or fine silver wire works best for Viking knit. Copper is ideal for practicing because it’s inexpensive and very forgiving. Dead soft wire is essential — half-hard wire will break as you work. You’ll need roughly 20 to 30 feet of wire for a standard 7-inch bracelet, though it’s always smarter to start with more than you think you’ll need.

Draw plate: This is a flat piece of metal (usually steel or hardwood) with graduated holes drilled through it. You pull your finished knit through progressively smaller holes to compress and lengthen the tube. Draw plates designed specifically for Viking knit typically have round or petal-shaped holes. If you don’t have one yet, an inexpensive hardwood draw plate works fine for copper practice.

Mandrel: You’ll knit your wire around a cylindrical form. A wooden dowel, a marker, a pencil, or even a knitting needle works. The diameter of your mandrel determines the diameter of your finished tube. For a bracelet, something between 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch in diameter is a good starting point.

Chain-nose or needle-nose pliers: For tucking in wire ends and adjusting loops.

Wire cutters: Flush cutters are strongly recommended to avoid sharp, jagged wire ends.

End caps and toggle clasp: You’ll need two end caps (also called Viking knit end caps or cone end caps) that fit the finished diameter of your drawn-down tube, plus a clasp of your choice. Toggle clasps have a classic, handmade look that pairs beautifully with Viking knit.

Ruler and permanent marker

Optional: A bead reamer or round-nose pliers for opening and adjusting end caps.

Setting Up Your Mandrel

Cut a piece of wire about 12 inches long. This is your anchor wire, not part of the knitting itself. Wrap it tightly around the top of your mandrel three or four times, leaving a small tail of about an inch sticking up. This anchor wire creates a foundation from which you’ll hang your starting loops.

Using your longer working wire, cut a length of about 5 to 6 feet to start. Working with wire longer than this tends to tangle and kink, so it’s better to work in manageable lengths and join new wire as needed. You’ll learn the joining technique shortly.

Creating the Starting Loops

This is the step that confuses most beginners, so read through the whole section before you start.

Starting at the top of your mandrel near the anchor wire, create five evenly spaced loops by bending the wire around the mandrel and tucking each loop under the anchor wire coil. These five starting loops should look like five small petals sticking up around the circumference of the mandrel. Space them as evenly as you can by eye — exact precision isn’t critical at this stage, but even spacing will make your knitting much easier to manage.

Each loop should be about 1/4 inch tall above the anchor wire. Pinch each loop gently with your fingers so they lay flat against the mandrel rather than standing straight up.

If you’re doing double Viking knit, you’ll repeat this process to create a second set of five loops directly on top of the first set, using the same wire, so you end up with ten loops in total — alternating so they nest between one another like flower petals. Take your time here because these starting loops set the rhythm for everything that follows.

The Knitting Stitch

Now comes the actual knitting. This is easier to feel than to describe in words, so be patient with yourself during the first round or two.

Hold the mandrel in your non-dominant hand so the loops face upward. Using your working wire, bring it up through the inside of one of your starting loops from below, creating a new loop. Then swing that new wire around the outside of the mandrel and bring it up through the next starting loop in the same way. Continue around, always working in the same direction (either always clockwise or always counterclockwise — pick one and stick with it).

The key to consistent Viking knit is making each new loop the same height as the last. This takes practice. Many crafters use a small piece of tape on the mandrel as a height guide, keeping all loops even at around 1/4 inch above the previous row.

After you’ve gone around the mandrel once, you’ll have created a new set of loops that sit above your starting loops. Continue working round after round in this way. After two or three rounds, you’ll start to see the distinctive woven texture forming, and the knitting will start to slide down the mandrel on its own as it grows. This is exactly what should happen.

For double Viking knit, each loop goes through two loops from the previous row rather than one. This is what creates the denser, more complex texture. It takes more wire and more patience, but the result is noticeably more polished and substantial.

Maintaining Even Tension

Tension is the single biggest challenge in Viking knit. Loops that are too tight will be difficult to work through on the next row, and your tube will be narrow and rigid. Loops that are too loose will create a sloppy, uneven texture that doesn’t draw down well.

A good rule of thumb is that each loop should feel snug but still easy to pass the wire through without forcing it. If you’re using pliers to get through loops, they’re too tight. If the loops flop around without any resistance, they’re too loose.

If you notice your tension changing, stop and examine your last few rows. Sometimes taking a break and coming back fresh makes an enormous difference — this is genuinely one of those crafts where tired hands produce uneven work.

Adding New Wire

When your working wire gets down to about 3 or 4 inches, it’s time to add a new length. Don’t panic — this is easy to hide in the finished piece.

Thread the tail of your old wire through the loop it just created so it’s anchored. Then take your new 5- to 6-foot length and thread the first inch or so into the same loop, lapping it over the old tail. Continue knitting with the new wire. After a few rows, you can go back and gently tuck both tails into the body of the knitting using your chain-nose pliers, pushing them under the existing loops so they disappear. Clip any remaining stub flush with your flush cutters.

When you’re first learning, adding wire feels disruptive, but with practice it becomes quick and invisible.

How Long to Knit

For a finished bracelet of 7 inches, you’ll need to knit a tube that is approximately 9 to 10 inches long before drawing down. The draw-down process compresses and lengthens the tube, so starting length matters. As a rough guide, drawing down increases length by about 20 to 30 percent, depending on your draw plate and how many holes you pull through. A tighter draw-down produces a longer, narrower tube; a looser draw-down produces a shorter, wider one.

Measure the tube along the mandrel periodically as you work. Mark your target length lightly with a permanent marker on the mandrel so you know when to stop.

Finishing the End

When your tube is long enough, cut the working wire leaving about 3 inches. Thread this tail through the last loop and wrap it once around the outside of the tube to anchor it. Use your pliers to tuck the tail under the nearest loops. You can also apply a tiny drop of jewelry glue to secure it, though this is optional if the wire is well-tucked.

Slide the tube gently off the mandrel. It will look a little loose and messy at this point. That’s normal.

Drawing Down the Tube

This is the most satisfying step in the entire process.

Attach your draw plate to a solid surface. Many crafters clamp it in a vise or hang it from a cup hook drilled into a workbench. Find the largest hole that the tube will fit through without force, then pull it completely through. Move to the next smaller hole and pull through again. Continue until you reach a hole that gives you the diameter you want.

Use smooth, steady force. Jerking the wire will cause kinks. If you need more leverage, grip the tube close to the draw plate rather than pulling from the far end.

You’ll see the tube transform as you draw it down — the loops tighten, the texture becomes crisp and uniform, and the overall appearance becomes much more finished and professional. This moment is genuinely exciting, especially the first time you experience it.

After drawing down, lay the tube flat and check for any areas that look uneven. Minor inconsistencies can often be smoothed out by rolling the tube gently under a flat piece of wood or by running it through the same hole once more.

Attaching End Caps and Clasp

Now you’re in the home stretch.

Trim both ends of the tube so they’re neat and even. Push a small amount of two-part epoxy or strong jewelry adhesive into one of your end caps. Insert one end of the tube and hold it in place for a minute, then set it aside to cure. Repeat on the other end.

Once the adhesive is fully cured (follow the manufacturer’s instructions — most two-part epoxies need 24 hours for full strength), use a jump ring to attach half of your toggle clasp to the loop on each end cap. Make sure your jump rings are properly opened and closed using two pairs of pliers — twist them open sideways rather than pulling the ends apart, which weakens the ring.

Your bracelet is complete.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Tube is lumpy or uneven after drawing down. This is almost always a tension issue from the knitting stage. The draw-down process can smooth out minor inconsistencies, but it can’t fix major ones. Practice maintaining even loop height and tension from the very first round.

Wire is breaking during knitting. You’re either using wire that’s too hard, or you’re pulling too tight. Switch to dead soft wire and consciously relax your grip.

Loops keep slipping off the mandrel. Make sure your anchor wire is secure and that you’re not accidentally pulling upward when creating new loops. Working with the mandrel held slightly tilted can help keep the loops in place.

Can’t get the tube through the draw plate. The tube is probably too long or the loops are too open. Try starting with a larger hole and working down slowly, or add an extra round of knitting to close up any very loose sections at the ends.

End caps won’t stay on. Make sure you’re using the right size end cap for your drawn-down tube and that the adhesive has fully cured before wearing the bracelet.

Tips for Taking Your Viking Knit Further

Once you’re comfortable with the basic technique, there are many directions you can explore. Mixing two colors of wire — copper and silver, or gold-filled and rose gold — creates a striking two-tone effect. Adding small beads to individual loops before closing them gives the finished bracelet sparkle and dimension. Experimenting with different gauges of wire changes the texture dramatically: thicker wire creates a bolder, more architectural look, while thinner wire produces something almost gossamer.

You can also vary the number of starting loops. Five loops is standard, but working with seven produces a much denser, more elaborate weave that some crafters prefer for statement pieces.

Final Thoughts

Viking knit is one of those wire techniques that looks far harder than it is once you’ve got the rhythm. The first inch of knitting is the most challenging — after that, your hands find the pattern and the work flows naturally. Like most craft skills, the gap between your first attempt and your fifth is enormous, so don’t be discouraged if your practice piece in copper looks rough. Keep it, compare it to your later work, and you’ll have a satisfying record of how quickly you improved.

The bracelet you make with this technique is genuinely durable and beautiful enough to wear every day or give as a meaningful handmade gift. There’s something deeply satisfying about wearing jewelry that connects you to a tradition of craftsmanship stretching back more than a thousand years — and knowing that you made it yourself.