Tutorial - Wire Wrapped Pendant and Link Connectors for Necklace - How To

Quick and simple wire wrap pendant how to :)

All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

Although I do live a lifestyle that is richly enhanced with healing crystals, crystal energy, and universal energies, some do not, and that being said, I must say - Crystal meanings, metaphysical and spiritual healing lore is lore for inspiration, folklore, reference, and entertainment only. Crystal and spiritual healing lore is not a prescription, diagnosis or healthcare information. See a doctor or other healthcare practitioner for all health issues. By using this site and associated materials, and accessing this metaphysical and healing lore information, you acknowledge and agree that you personally assume responsibility for your use or misuse of this lore.

Wire Wrapped Copper Cuff with Amethyst and Fluorite Chips - Jewelry with Meaning - Peacefully Brings Order to Chaos

These bracelets are fun and easy to make.

Use a heavy copper ga. like a 14 ga. If you have a bracelet mandrel, form the wire around the mandrel at the size you want, leaving extra length on the end to coil. If you don't have a mandrel, free form the wire into a cuff form, leaving extra length on the ends to coil.

Coil the ends, using a round nose pliers. Hammer the form on an anvil to give it tinsel strength. Now you have a vague cuff shape to work with.

Using 24 ga copper wire, begin at the base of the coiled end, and wrap the 24 ga wire around the cuff form, spiraling up the form as you go. Keep the wraps tight!

When you are about 1/3 of the way up, start adding your stone chips to the wire, and wrap 3 times in between each stone. Do this across the top of the bracelet about a 1/3 of the way. Now stop adding the stones, and wire wrap the cuff form, down to the base of the opposite coil, so that the whole cuff, excluding the coils has been wrapped in copper.

Now you can free form and shape the cuff to the size you are wanting, or to your wrist!!!

Choose any type of stone chip, swarovski crystal or mix and match!!

What is your favorite stone?

All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

Although I do live a lifestyle that is richly enhanced with healing crystals, crystal energy, and universal energies, some do not, and that being said, I must say - Crystal meanings, metaphysical and spiritual healing lore is lore for inspiration, folklore, reference, and entertainment only. Crystal and spiritual healing lore is not a prescription, diagnosis or healthcare information. See a doctor or other healthcare practitioner for all health issues. By using this site and associated materials, and accessing this metaphysical and healing lore information, you acknowledge and agree that you personally assume responsibility for your use or misuse of this lore.

Year in Review! Come Make A Ring With Me!! -Tutorial

The rest of the week, I am going to re post some of my favorite posts, and also link back to some of yours!!

A little stroll down memory lane to finish out the year!

Monday April 19, 2010
I wanted a ring to go with the earrings I was wearing this morning, and when I started to make it, I thought I would share the process with you!

I used 22 ga copper wire from Rings & Things and 5 tumbled sleeping beauty turquoise chips.

Cut a piece of wire 11 inches long. (as you can see I am back to my old messy habits......)



I chose these chips for my focal



Find the middle of the wire and slide on several of the chips depending on the size you want.



Use a ring mandrel to get the correct size for your ring. I wear 8 1/2 - so I want to start my ring 1 full size up from that. Place the middle of the wire with your beads on the 9 1/2 mark on the ring mandrel.



Wrap the wire from front to back, and then bring the ends back around to the front again.



Take the wire on the left and go under the focal and up to the right, and the right wire over the top of the focal and down to the left.


Repeat this step again - left, under, up right - right, over, down left. Depending on the length of the tail, you can do this step several times.



Remove the ring from the mandrel and wrap the tail of the wire down the shank of the ring. Clip the excess after 6 or 7 wraps, or just take it on down til you have finished with the wire. Repeat with the other side.



This is where the magic happens. Now when you slide the ring back on the mandrel - it is a full size smaller!!! I use a dead blow hammer and beat the band of the ring to strengthen it without mashing it.


And there is my new little sleeping beauty!!!



Once you learn the basics you can go crazy and make all different kinds!!!
One of my favorites is the one I made on with the 28-335-15 Lampwork 'calavera' skull bead from Rings & Things! I would love to see what you've made!!!



*FTC compliance disclosure: the '*' items mentioned in this post credited to Rings & Things were provided as a promotional gift as part of the Blog Partner Program. These items are for review or design purposes. Find out more about the Rings & Things Blog Partner Program

New Copper Pendants!

Found some time to make a couple pendants yesterday, thought I would share em here.


African bloodstone bead


This is a quartz - what kind I am not for sure. It is a top drilled pendant, so I just made a huge wrap at the top and added a swirl and seed beads for accent.

This one is a basket weave for lack of better words. I don't know what this style is called. This one is surprisingly easy, but time consuming. I thought I would try and break it down for you.



Create your loop or bale at the top of the wire, and then measure it around the cab. Lay the cab on your table, and measure the wire around the cab, slightly above where it is touching the surface. Make a wrap with the tail to secure it to the bale.

Turn the cab over. Make a loop at the end of the wire, and now measure the wire around the inside edge of the cab, and make a loop on the other end of the wire.



Use wire to connect the loops, to stabilize the base wire. (1) Wrap some wire around the base to stabilize the bottom of pendant (2) You will remove these as you work thru the piece


Start on one side (1) and begin your wrap. Wrap several times around the loop on the wire back then bring it over the top wire, and then back under the bottom wire - making a figure 8. You can do single wraps or make additional wraps on the top wire to space out the figure 8. EX. Two wraps on the top wire, down and under the bottom wire, two wraps, up and over the top wire, two wraps and so forth. Make several wraps to stabilize the one side, and use a second piece of wire and start on the other side. (2) Work your way down either side, alternating to keep the wires even and tight. If you want to add the decorative wire, (3) make a loop in a separate piece of wire. As you are working down the side of the pendant, position where you want your decorative piece to start, and when you wrap over the top wire, wrap over both pieces of wire. Then continue on with your figure 8. Leave the decorative wire til last.

Continue down both sides of the cab, until you get close to the bottom where you have anchored it. Clip the anchor wire off and continue with the figure 8 wrap til you meet at the bottom. Finish the wrap by wrapping it around the bottom wire a couple of times and giving it a good mash with your needle nosed pliers. Remove the anchor wire from the back of the pendant



Free form your your decorative wire, around the top. You can wire wrap the wire to give it extra texture, wire in crystals to the loops, the possibilities are endless.

I hope this gives you some insight on how to do this wrap. If this is clear as mud, leave me a comment, I'll wrap another one, and do step by step pictures.

Happy Wrapping!!!!

Just Wire from Art Fire and Ring Tutorial

Just Wire is the place to go kids for copper on ArtFire.com.

I just got a bundle pack of 7, 8 oz spools of copper, ranging from 12 - 24 ga.
3 1/2 lbs of copper - for only 48.99!!!! Do know you know how stupid cheap that is!?!? These work out to $7 each - and twice the weight of what you would get from any online supplier. Why are you not shopping at Just Wire!??!!?

I had to play with some of my wire, and got a new camera so I thought I would show you a new ring. I made these rings this weekend at the market. As fast as I could make them I was selling them. It worked for me in two ways. Customers would see me working in my booth and come in to see what I was doing. I would show them the rings, and ask them what size they wore. While I was talking to them, I would make a ring in their size and have them try it on. Instant sell. They were amazed they could watch someone do that, and how easy it was.

Also, as you know, when you have a booth, you have other jewelry artists come thru and scope you out. They may be sizing you up as competition or they may be looking for new inspiration, or they my be new the craft and trying to see just how things are done. You know them when they are in your booth, they have a way about them that is not browsing, but studying. I always ask them, do you make jewelry? Some are put off by it and run thinking they have been busted. Others answer. When they do, I ask them what is their speciality? There is no reason to get upset at being 'shopped'. I take it as a compliment. I always give them my card and tell them, that the designs they are looking at are listed on my site, and they can use them as templates if they are needing inspiration. You would be surprised at the looks I get. It's a big world, we could use more jewelry :)

There was a girl fiddling with my wire wrapped rings. She was studying them hard and pointing out differnt things to her husband. I asked her if she made jewelry, she said she was a beginner and wanting to learn to wire wrap. I drug her over to my table and showed her just how easy it was to wire wrap a ring. She was thrilled and bought the ring. I also told her about ArtFire, ArtBeads, Rings-Things and gave her my card and told her if she had any questions gimme a shout.

What you give will come back to you.

Here is the ring that was the big seller this weekend - it literally took 5 minutes to make.
I am going to show you how easy it is to make these. Some of the pictures are blurry but you should be able to get the jest of the idea. James surprised me with a new camera and I am still working out the kinks.

Here is what you will need. 14 ga. wire, heavy nippers, round nose pliers, flat nosed pliers, anvil, hammer, ring mandrel


Cut about 25 inches of wire. Find the middle of the wire and place it a size larger than what you need on the mandrel guide. (if you dont' have a ring madral, you can use a sharpie, dowel, CD spool - anything that is cylindrical and fits your finger!)



Push the wire away from you forcing it around the mandrel, wrap it under the mandrel and back up facing you.


Somewhat blurry - sorry bout that. Take the left wire and push it to your right, and the right and push it to the left. Take the wire and wrap the right one down, and push the left one up to make a twist in the middle.


Remove the wrap from the mandrel and tap the wire tails with your hammer to flatten them and strengthen them. Dont' go crazy and make them too flat - they will be hard to bend. Dont' think you have to have a hammer and anvil to do this. If you have a house hold hammer, and any hard flat surface, like a patio, that will work. Tap it on your driveway, or the bricks on your porch. That will give the copper some awesome texture and character.


Put the ring back on the mandrel and take the right wire and push it around til it is laying flat again' the left wire. Put your thumb on the middle spiral to help guide it and continue to wrap both of the wires around the sprial.



Is blurry again - sorry - but you can see the big rosette looking spiral that is taking shape.



You can gauge how large you want your spiral to be. When you get close to the ends of the wire, make sure you leave enuff to anchor it to the ring. Bend the wire down and around the round nosed pliers to create a 'hook' on the ring base. Clip the wire and then use your flat nosed pliers to mash it around the ring base.



And here she is!!



As a variation on the ring, you can anchor the ring on each side. Just anchor one end and wrap the other wire around to the other side of the ring and anchor it on the other side.

Also you can use a smaller gauge wire, and ad a bead. It is a fun, artistic look.






This is the same base design. When you make your first twist, that is when you add a bead. Bring both the wires around to one side as you did with the spiral ring and wrap around and around. Leave enough wire to wrap down the sides of the ring.

Easy peasy pumpkin cheesy!!!

Happy wrapping!!!!