Do It Yourself Jewelry Projects and More

Wire Wrap/Weave Donut Pendant

1/30/2018

Donut stones can be quite stunning, but they can be equally confusing as to how to wrap them in a complimentary way. I love this wrap because it alternates between an open stone area to a wrapped area and back and forth. I also love how it has space between the frame and the stone making feel like it is floating. It is not a wrap that hides to much of the stone and it has a modern character. So if you want to learn how to wrap a donut stone into a frame like an expert, let's get on with it!

Tools

Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Flush cutters
1/4" dowel (for bail)
Dowel for frame 1 1/4"
File
Rubber hammer and bench block (opt)

Materials

30mm Donut
16 gauge wire 8 ½”
24 gauge wire 4 ft

Directions

Wrap 18 gauge wire around the dowel (center it as best as you can)
Bend wires with flat nose pliers up in the center so that they lay next to one another and out away from the dowel in a 90 degree angle
Two inches in on the thinner wire, wrap it around and upward over the 18 gauge wires where they meet at the top of the circle until the two inches is all gone
Flatten the end with the flat nose pliers to tuck it in
Do not cut the long wire!

Take off the dowel and hammer the circle only to harden the frame, do not hammer the thin wire wrap.
Now wrap the thinner wire around the circle frame on one side 5 times
Begin the weave by wrapping the wire in between the stone and the frame then around the stone and back in between the frame and the stone. This creates a little space between the frame and the stone
Now wrap the frame five times before wrapping around the stone again.

Repeat the wrap of frame and stone until you cover ¼ of the frame and stone
End this section by wrapping the frame five times
Cut and flatten the end to the inside of the pendant

Now repeat wrap/weave that you did before starting at the center bottom of the frame heading up.
Begin with the five wraps around the frame then work your way up and end with five wraps
Trim and tuck the end into the inside of the pendant

Place the ¼” dowel behind the 18 gauge tails just above the thin wire wrap
Wrap the tails over the dowel and down the back of the pendant
Trim and file the tails just shorter than the stone hole.
Make tiny loops on the tails up wards and away from the stone

Be sure to go see some of my original work at my Etsy store!

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Twisted Wire Wrapped Pendant

9/26/2017

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This twisted wire wrap technique can be used on any object. It is best for first timers to use objects that have sharp corners and are not smooth. I show both smooth and rough objects so you can see how versatile this technique can be, but smooth objects are more difficult because they want to slip even more as you wrap. Also be aware that the thicker an object is the heavier it will become, so if you like a large pendant try to use ones that are wide, but not too thick.

Tools

Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Emery board or file
1/4"-3/8" dowel
Safety glasses
Sharpie

Materials

Object to wrap
22 gauge wire

Directions

To determine wire length- measure around circumference of the object then multiply this number by three. Round number up if you get a fraction (best to have more than not enough) Example- My object measured 6" around the outside, multiply by three and my measurement is 18"
Cut two 22-20 gauge wires in the length you got in step one. Example- two pieces 18"
Mark the center of both wires. Example- 9"
Place 1/4"-3/8"(depends on how thick the object is, I used a 1/4" for my shell) dowel between the two wires at this mark
Using a twist or bread tie motion twist both wires three half turns around on both sides of the dowel. Be sure to grip the wires tightly and make the twists tight and close together.

Take wire off the dowel and using flat nose pliers widen the opening of the center
Place on bottom edge of object and using fingers mold the wire around the object creating a seat
Then mold the wire ends upward on the edge of the object so one wire of each bundle is in front of the object and one is in back of the object (If you are using a square object like the turquoise stone place the opening onto one corner of the stone not the center or create a twist at the center then make two opening and place these on the corners, either way works but a square is tricky)

Starting at the front of your object take one wire from each bundle and bring them together using the twist tie method with three half turns to make the wires cross in front of the object
Turn object over and repeat the last step to trap the back
Now take the wires on from front and back on either side and repeat step one again to trap one side and then the other
Continue this technique alternating wires from each bundle to a new twist until you have reached the top and are happy with the look.

Take all four wires and twist them two to three half turns at the center top where you want the bail to be
Using the 3/8" dowel wrap all the wires over it front to back and then wrap them under the dowel two times making the bail secure
Now you can continue to wrap and then trim the ends and tuck them in tight and file them or you can get creative. I got creative on a few of course.

Optional finishes for wire end

To attach the wires in a curve fashion on the front- shape them in the curve towards a single wire then trim the ends evenly 1/4" past the wire to be wrapped around
File the ends
Using your round nose pliers make a small loop around the plier and rotate under the wire and tighten up
Do this one wire at a time until all wires are around the wire
reshape the curve if needed

Another option is to simply make small loops or flat spirals at the end or to make curly spirals by simply using your round nose pliers and wrapping the wire around in a spring like fashion. Be sure to file the ends first and make sure the ends are facing the object.

Optional Final step- tighten the wires

I like to finish the wrap sometimes by tightening up the single wires but in some instances it looks nicer to leave them alone as long as the object is very secure like in the Crystal cylinder pendant.
To tighten the wires use your round nose pliers and carefuly twist the wires along the open parts. Be careful not to scratch your object so not to ruin it and all your work
When you have curved wire ends wrapped around a single wire twist above and below to create a dent in which to trap all the curved wires ( look at the one example of my shell below to see what I mean). This helps the curve stay put

*You can do this technique on bead that are flat like I did on the turquoise and pale peach stones, just try to cover the holes at the top and bottom so they look neat and professional.

Be sure to go check out some of my Gallery and see the other unique pieces I have created.

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Wire wrap a stone into a frame pendant

2/28/2017

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I am lucky enough to live on Cape Cod so of course I love to collect beach stones and shells. I can't wait to make them into pendants and it can be a challenge to wrap them without covering to much of their beauty. I also love my pendants to be reversible if possible so not to waste any of the stones character. Many of my students also wanted to learn a style of wrap that was not to complicated and so I created this style of wrap, which I adapted from other designs I had seen by other artist. You can use this style with flatter beads and other objects as well. So let's get started!

Tools

Flat nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Flush cutters
File (emery board)
¼” -⅜” dowel

Materials

16 Gauge wire
24-26 gauge wire 3 1/2-4 ft
Stone, shell, found object flattish or large flattish bead

First we must figure out the frame wire length (16 gauge)

Measuring around the outside of the stone/shell (I roll the stone down the length of a ruler)
Take this number round it up to the next whole number and add 5"
Cut a 16 gauge wire the length you formulated in steps one and two
File ends

Starting in the center of wire shape it around the outside of the stone (it is ok if it is a little larger and the corners do not have to super sharp)
Cross the wire tails at the top
Using flat nose pliers bend the tails where they meet to make them parallel to each other and going up
Cut the 24-26 gauge wire about 2 1/2 “
Wrap this small wire around the two frame wires to secure them to each other
Hammer the frame to make it strong (avoid the thin wrap)

Cut 24--26 gauge wire 3- 4 ft long (depending on size of stone frame size)
Make a small U shape at the center of this wire
Place U bend around the center ish place of the bottom frame and pinch it tight
Begin wrapping on wire up the frame till it makes about ¼” of a wrap
Repeat on the other side of the frame with the other wire
Check to see if this is wide enough on your stone base ( if not continue to wrap wires up on both sides till it still captures the base but looks right)
Each wire will end up on different sides of the frame

Find the next place to wrap the wire on the frame by wrapping it over the stone and across the front of the stone. The placement of the wrap should capture the stone and leave a small space between it and the last wrap (about ¼”, less if a small stone)
Drop stone and wrap the wire up the frame from this spot for about ⅛” or five wraps, making sure to leave the front space for the stone profile (otherwise your stone will not fit when you are done)
If your wraps are too far apart squeeze them together with your flat nose pliers
Your front wire is now in the back
Repeat steps 18-20 with the other wire on the back of the stone, crossing over to the other side
Your back wire is now in front

Continue to repeat steps 18-22 till you reach the about ¼” from the top of the frame, remember to place stone into the work to check fit as you go, eventually you will be able to leave the stone in place as you wrap (usually after two cross wraps)
If you like the look and wish to stop here with the cross wrapping just keep wrapping the thin wire around the frame till you reach the very top
If you want to make more cross wraps going back down the stone to make X’s just go down with each wire underneath the previous wraps
When you reach the last bottom wrap area keep wrapping until you meet up with the center wrapping
Trim the thin wire close and tuck the wire inward towards the stone

Now determine which side of the stone is going to be the front
At the top of the thin wire wrap of the two tails make a bend with you flat nose plier towards the front
Place your dowel right at the top of this bend
Wrap the tails over and around the dowel and forward to one side of the pendant
Leave the dowel in the loop and wrap the wires under and around the base till they are again in front
You may wrap them to the back and trim and tuck the end on them if you are want a clean look or…. Lay them over the front of the stone and make a small loop at the end for a slightly more fancy look.(top wire should be slightly shorter than the bottom one)

Do not fret if you decide you back is prettier than your front because the pendant is truly reversible!

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Tree Of Life Pendant W/Stone

2/14/2017

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Tools

Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Flush cutters
1/4" dowel (for bail)
Dowel for frame 1 3/8"
File
Rubber hammer and bench block (opt)

Materials

16 gauge wire md 8"
24 gauge wire 44"
1 1/4" flat bead

Directions

File one end of 16 gauge wire
Go in from end about 1 1/2" and wrap the wire around the 1/4" dowel
Wrap short tail around long tail until gone to make bail
About 1/8" under the bail make a sharp bend

beginning at the sharp bend bottom wrap the wire around the 1 3/8" dowel
Now wrap the tail around under the bail till it meets the other wrap.
Trim, file and flatten smooth
Hammer the hoop (not the bail) to strengthen the frame (optional, but suggested)

Cut five 8" wires from the 24 gauge
Cut one wire 4" long from 24 gauge
Wrap one end of the 4" wire around the frame four times
Now fold all the other wires in half and wrap three on one side of the shorter one and two on the other side

Grab all the wires and twist them three half turns to make the trunk
Fan them out
Pull towards the back the center most wire away from the others (we will use this later to attach the back bead)
Twist the first two together to make a stem and two branches
Do this with all the remaining wires to make five stems and ten branches

Start on one side and wrap the wire around the frame up towards the bail.
Use flat nose pliers to make sure the end is smooth and flat
continue this wrapping process with the next four wires
When you get to the other side of the bail skip the bead wire, but leave room for it to be wrapped ( about 1/8")
Now begin wrapping the other side starting with the next top most wire and wrapping it up towards the bail
For more branch details carefully use the tips of your round nose pliers to create bends

Place bead onto remaining wire
Feed the wire under the frame to the front of the frame
Wrap the wire from the bail (to center the bead) outward in the remaining space(5 wraps at least to secure it well, gently move the others out to get more space if needed)
Trim excess and flatten with flat nose pliers

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Wrapping A Briolette, Two Ways

1/24/2017

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So you love briolette beads, but you have no idea how to wrap them? Well It is super easy and you can make it look clean and professional in no time at all! I am here to show you how to do it so you can get all those gorgeous beads and stones without worrying how to use them. Let's get started!

Double Loop Bail

Single Loop Bail

Tools Materials

Round nose pliers 1. 20-24 gauge wire
Chain nose pliers 2. Briolette of choice
Cutters
Emery board

Double loop bail

Cut length of wire out of 20-22 gauge wire (I used 8" for this medieum sized stone)
Slide briolette onto wire in the center
Bring wire ends up and together, pinching them tight to the briolette top

Wrap both wires front to back over your round nose pliers to create a loop
Leave the wires wrapped around the pliers and begin wrapping under the tool and the loops
Spiral down towards the briolette and cover it if you wish
To finish the wires you can do one of three things

             A. Wrap them back up to the top and trim
             B. Tuck them underneath the other wires in the back, to hide the ends
             C. Trim and make a tiny loop end on each wire and lay it on the bead front (show in photo)

Single Loop Bail

Cut length of wire out of 20-24 (I used 2 1/2" for this small crystal)
Place round nose pliers 1 ” from one end and make a loop
Wrap the short tail under the loop to create a close loop making sure it is nice and tucked (alternately you can make an open loop instead at the very end instead of going in 1 ”, but this style is best with the 20-22 gauge)

Create a sharp bend in the wire with your flat nose pliers the make the bail loop at least ⅛-¼”” above the bead top ( I measure the bead hole to the top and add the extra so I know where to make the bend)
Slide on the bead
Make another sharp bend upward towards the bail with the remaining tail
Wrap the remaining wire up towards the bail
Trim when you reach the other wrapped wire or the bottom of the top loop< file and/or flatten the end

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Spiral Stone Caged Bracelet

1/26/2016

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This beautiful bracelet was inspired by Pearl Blay and her wonderful tutorial. My version can be done with an object that has no beading hole such as marbles. I also changed it a bit to create a slightly stronger bracelet, since I am very hard on bracelets. This technique can be adapted to make pendants or other pieces with smaller or larger objects to be caged, and the objects do not have to be perfectly round if you prefer a more organic look.

Tools

Round nose pliers
Flat nose or chain nose pliers
Cutters
File
⅛” dowel or coat hanger piece of wire as a mandrel
¼”-⅜” dowel
Hammer and block(for hardening)

Materials

Six to seven 12mm or so stones or glass
6.5ft 18g wire

While your here check out my store too.

Directions
Bead capture

Cut 6-7 pieces of wire 9” long
File all ends
Mark center of each wire
Make small loop on the ends of the wires going in opposite directions

Spiral around continuously till you reach the center mark on one side
Make same spiral on the opposite end going in the opposite direction to create a very fancy S
Repeat this for all 6-7 wires
Gently hammer all the spiral pieces to slightly harden them

Pull up the center spiral to make a loop connector on both ends
Fold each S in half to make spirals on top of one another
Gently grab the center of one spiral and pull outward to create a cup and repeat on other end creating cups

Gently open the spiral center and place the bead inside each cup and then re-close it to capture the beads

S Hook Connectors

Cut six pieces of wire into 3/4" size
File both ends of each wire
Create one loop on each side of the wire in opposite directions to create tiny s hooks
Gently hammer to harden

Clasp Hook and Eye
Eye

Cut one piece of wire 2" long
File ends and mark center
Wrap at center around a 1/4" dowel and wrap tail around the small stem
Now make a small loop with the remaining stem for a connector.

Hook

Cut one piece of wire 1 1/2" long
File both ends
Make a small loop on one end and make a back bend to create a lollipop
On the other end make a tiny loop and then curve it into a hook
Gently hammer the hook to strengthen

Assemble
*(Lay out all pieces in order to make it easier)

Now open the loops on the bead spirals and hook onto the connectors beginning with the eye clasp.
Close and tighten both connecting loops if needed
Alternate between connectors and beads until it is long enough and then place the hook connector on last
Go back and just make sure all connections are tight and strong

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Wire Wrap/Weave Donut Pendant

Be sure to go see some of my original work at my Etsy store!

Twisted Wire Wrapped Pendant

Wire wrap a stone into a frame pendant

Tree Of Life Pendant W/Stone

Wrapping A Briolette, Two Ways

Double Loop Bail

Single Loop Bail

Single Loop Bail

Spiral Stone Caged Bracelet

While your here check out my store too.

Dawn Rosell

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