15 Pretty Homemade Knuckle Rings
Updated on August 31, 2017
We’re pretty big fans of keeping up with jewelry and accessory trends, but when it comes to buying all of the most fashionable things, we often find that we’re hesitant to pay brand name prices. Even at the cheaper stores, the things that are the trendiest right now tend to be the most expensive because they’re in such high demand. That’s why we often find ourselves figuring out ways to make our own versions! So, what’s our latest accessory obsession to recreate, you ask? Well, we’re huge fans of knuckle rings lately because we think they look so delicate and pretty sitting at all different points on the finger, giving our hands lots of visual interest and cute embellishment without being very large and attention drawing. We love the subtle glamour they involve. That’s part of the reason we’ve been looking for ways to make our own!
Just in case you’re interested in creating lovely little knuckle rings of your own as well, here are 15 pretty tutorials and design inspirations to help you out along the way.
1. Pretty wire heart rings
If you’ve already got experience with making bent wire necklaces that say things like “peace” or “love” or have your name on them, then you’re more than set for using that same technique to create adorable little golden knuckle rings in all kinds of shapes! Hey Dahye shows you how to use needle nose pliers to bend soft jewelry wire in the right shape and size, but also guides you through the process of creating images like adorable little hearts that will sit against your finger in a subtle, whimsical way.
2. Delicate gold spiral rings 
Whenever you see someone wearing knuckle rings, do you always find yourself gravitating towards the more abstract designs that don’t necessarily have a discernible little image built in but absolutely add some decorative appeal to your hangs, especially if you have a nice manicure to go along with it? In that case, perhaps you’d prefer to make yourself cute little spiral rings just like these ones from Irresistible Icing! The best part of rings like this is that you can size them to your fingers so they really fit and don’t slide off.
3. Twisting mid-knuckle ring
Do you quite enjoy the idea of making a ring that twists and turns but you’re not sure a larger or wider design that takes your whole knuckle space up? In that case, perhaps you’d prefer this cute little twisted idea from The Wearwithal! Their tutorial shows you how to wrap the malleable jewelry wire around itself for a twisted effect that will sit right above your knuckle and only really draw attention to that spot.
4. Tiny bow knuckle ring
Are you actually quite into the idea of creating yourself a little image or design when it comes to DIY knuckle rings but a heart just doesn’t quite appeal to you? We’ve been rather into bows lately; we’ll wear them in any size or style as long as the adorable aesthetic of a bow is involved somewhere in our look! For subtler days, consider passing up your favourite huge hair bow for a simple bow shaped knuckle ring, just like this one that Dewanda will show you how to bend carefully using jewelry wire.
5. Curved ends and angles
Do you like the spiraling idea but sometimes you find that you prefer angles and diagonals over rounded swirls because the swirls start to remind you of a coil or a spring? We can totally understand wanting to inject a bit more style into the accessory so it doesn’t look like you just found a wide spring in your home and put it on your finger like pseudo-jewelry. That’s why we loved stumbling across this more abstract knuckle ring tutorial from Irresistible Icing. We also love the way they finished their ends off with a light curling to stop them from poking your skin and to make them look a little more finished!
6. Delicate chain knuckle ring
Working with jewelry wire is all well and good, but the pieces and looks that you create with it can be quite stiff and sometimes they bend and need to be reshaped if you use your hands a lot but size the rings near a part of your finger that often bends, or if you’re listing many things throughout the day. If that’s a problem for you, perhaps you’d be better off making this pretty chain design instead! Rebecca Accessories shows you how to measure out a length of fine jewelry chain that will fit perfectly around your knuckle, fastening it with a closing ring to make sure it doesn’t come apart when you slide it on.
7. DIY infinity ring
Are you sill thinking about how cute some of the shapes you’ve seen are when it comes to bent wire knuckle rings but the little hearts and bows just aren’t quite appealing to you right now? Then perhaps you’d prefer to make yourself a little symbol that has a bit more meaning. We came across this design that features a tiny infinity symbol that lays across the front of your finger and we fell in love with it immediately and just knew we had to make our own. Just in case you like it as much as we do, get the full instructions for making it on Hey Dahye!
8. Pretty little knuckle arrows
Were you intrigued by the simple lines and diagonals that you saw in the ring designs above but you’d rather have a lined look that’s a little more neat and streamlined than one that goes off in several directions in the same accessory? In that case, we think you might get more use and enjoyment out of these adorably simple arrow inspired knuckle rings from Jolie Jouel! They might not look like anything special while you’re making them, but the second you put them on, they make an incredibly delicate and adorable detail that amps up your style in a wonderfully subtle way. We especially love the idea of layering them!
9. Solid arrows and little beads
Many of the ideas we’ve shown you so far for DIY knuckle rings have been very fine and delicate, made from thin wire or chain rather than something thicker or more substantial. What if, however, your personal style is a little bit more stated or you’d prefer to make yourself a larger piece that really stands out, even though the ring still sits at your knuckle? In that case, we think you’ll much prefer working with this tutorial from Inspire J Kang! They show you how to make awesome knuckle pieces from solid triangular shaped jewelry decals or small metal seed beads strung in a line onto ring wire. You’ll still be following the same trend, you’ll just have a slightly chunkier aesthetic to your accessorizing!
10. Extra small top knuckle rings
Perhaps you’re actually ready to go in the opposite direction to what we just described and you’d rather make something even more delicate and fine looking than the average jewelry wire crafts that we showed you above? In that case, we suggest working with very small wire (consider a 26 gauge or thinner) and creating all kinds of multi-wrapped looks that made your fingers look gilded. With Love, Chrissy made these adorable, extra fine rings but we also love how they look even more dainty because they were made small enough to fit only at the tip of the very top knuckle, rather than further down.
11. DIY armour knuckle ring recreation
Speaking of statement pieces, who ever said that knuckle rings can’t be just as big as any other finger embellishing accessory you’ve seen out there? Just because you prefer when a ring sits higher up on your finger because you find it more comfortable doesn’t mean you have to pass up statement style and chunky aesthetics for delicate looking pieces. This big armour inspired knuckle ring from Bye Bye Soccer Mom is the perfect example of the kind of piece we mean.
12. Lovely pearl knuckle ring
Were you rather intrigued by the idea of using beads in your knuckle ring designs when we showed you the little metal seed bead idea above, but you’re not sure an entirely metal chunky look is quite the aesthetic you want to aim for? Perhaps you’d prefer to work with pearled beads instead! They’ll add a little bit of shine to the look and make it appear a little more feminine, just in case you’re aiming for a very pretty style rather than a statement piece. See how this cute little row of pearls was turned into a knuckle ring on True Blue Me and You.
13. Tied knot knuckle ring
We’ve shown you lots of twisted and wrapped ring ideas, but what if the design you have in mind actually involves making a knot in the metal? This can be very difficult to do (or nearly impossible, depending on the thickness of jewelry wire you’re using), which is why Laura Loves Boutique is here to show you how to get the look by making a faux knot instead! We love the way it looks sitting high on your finger, a subtle detail that still catches the eye despite its small size.
14. Peace sign charm knuckle rings
Are you in love with the little gold image knuckle ring designs but you’re rather new to the concept of wire bending and, even though you’re fine with the idea of bending the actual band of the ring and fastening it, you’re not so sure you’re ready for the challenge of actually creating little pictures from bent wire? In that case, check out how My Clothes Mind made their rings using little gold charms that match the wire instead! We’re crazy about this super cute peace sign design.
15. DIY fabric ankara rings
We’ve shown you quite a number of knuckle rings by now, but even though we discussed a wide range of designs and tutorials, there’s definitely a feature that’s largely missing from the styles we presented: colour! It’s rather hard to add colour to the style when you’re working primarily with jewelry wire and chain, but that doesn’t mean you can’t switch tactics and add some if you’re willing to go for a knuckle ring look that’s slightly more chunky and makes more of a bold statement. These amazing fabric wrapped rings from Miralabelle are the perfect example of what we mean! They’re also a great way to use up the smallest scraps of fabric in your stash that you’re just not willing to throw out because they’re too fun in pattern or colour.
Do you know someone who loves both making their own jewelry and keeping up with the latest accessory trends all at once? Share this post with them for a little bit of crafting inspiration!