~Chain Nose Pliers
~Wire Cutters
~Painters Tape
~Smooth Pen no Wider Than 8mm
Material
~Cabachon
~20 and 22 Ga Wire HH
Step 1~ measure the outside diameter of your stone and cut out 3 pieces of 20 gauge wire 5-7 inches longer than the diameter of your stone.
Step 2~ Wrap a piece of painters tape around your stone (tight enough to measure but loose enough to easily take off). Mark the bottom center as well as the 2 sides of the stone. Take the tape off and lay it out in front of you.
Step 3~Cut 1 ½ inches of of 22 gauge wire. We will use this to wrap the 20 gauge wire together. Find the center point of the wire, keeping the 3 wire laying side by side, take your 22 gauge wire and wrap them together, doing approx 3-4 wraps. Now wrap both sides where you have them marked.
Step 4~ Begin to form your wires around your stone. Cut another piece of 22 gauge wire and wrap it as tight as you can where all of your wires join back together.
Step 5~ By using 2 pairs of pliers, in the center of each section, grab the outer 2 wires and separate them from the middle wire. Do this in all 4 sections.
Step 6~ Making your Bail.... Grab the 4 centermost wires coming out of the top of the pendant. With your bic pen or mandrel, fold 4 wires nice and snug and laying nicely side by side over the pen to form the bail. With the 22 gauge wire you used to wrap the top section, go ahead and do a few more wraps around the wires of the bail at the base.
Step 7-This is where you get to have fun with the excess wire, twist, curl, weave, wrap, most importantly, Have Fun!!!!!
Basic Wire Links
Wire links are a neccessity in jewelry making. Once you have the basics, the possibilites are endless. In this tutorial I will show you how to create a basic wire link and how to attach your links to create a bracelet.
Tools~
round nose pliers
chain nose pliers
wire cutters
Supplies~
20 gauge wire
toggle clasp or clasp of your choice
Beads of choice
In this particular bracelet im attaching each link to a unique jumpring just to add a nice element to the piece. so before i do each wrap, i will slip my ring inside of the loop then wrap!
~keep in mind that each step you take is going to put you in the correct position for the next step.
Step 1~ Lay your beads out how you would like them to be in your bracelet.
When working, I work from the center beads and go side to side, that way I can judge the length as I go .
2~ Cut you wire pieces approx 2 inches longer than the beads for that section
4~ Take the short piece of wire and push it nice and tight over the top jaw of the plier (this will begin to form your loop)
5~Now reposition the pliers so the jaw that is sitting below the loop is now sitting on top of the loop.
6~Pull the short piece of wire nice and snug across the bottom jaw of the pliers
7~Pick up your chain nose pliers and begin wrapping the short piece of wire around the long piece of wire working from the loop down the shaft. (you want each wrap to sit just below the last wrap)
8~Add your Beads then put your round nose pliers just a few mm above the beads, make your right angle, back over the top, repostion, pull it across then begin you wrap.
Practice that a few times then begin your piece.
Remember, each link has to connect to another link or fancy jumpring,so before you begin to wrap, be conscious of wether or not you need to attach to something) In the piece I am doing, I am connecting to fancy jumprings, so before I do my wrap, I will slip the jumpring inside of the loop then begin my wrap.
Here is the finished product!
I hope this helps!!!!!!!!!!
