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2/28/2017 0 Comments

Wire wrap a stone into a frame pendant

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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2/14/2017 0 Comments

Tree Of Life Pendant W/Stone

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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2/7/2017 0 Comments

Teardrop Link Beaded Bracelet

This DIY bracelet is fun and simple to create. It will open you to a whole new world of link making. Which such a great tool in so many ways. Turn it into a chandelier earring, a necklace, or a chain to hang your pendants from. Create smaller or larger links, with or without the beads and play with different wire colors. The possibilities are endless, so let's get started!

Tools

Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Cutters
Emery board
3/8" Dowel

Materials

18 Gauge wire 26” (use a bit extra for mistakes)
22 5-6mm beads (make sure hole is large enough for wire)

Cut 10 pieces of wire 2 ¼” long File ends
Shape each wire in a U shape around the 3/8" dowel
Slide a single bead onto each wire
Make a loop on the side with the bead only on each wire

On one wire only place a second bead
Make a loop on the other side of this wire only (This is the beginning ,or the eye clasp, of the bracelet)
Bend the loops outward and then pinch them together with your flat nose pliers to make loops sit flat against each other.

Get the next wire and feed it through the first links loops
Place a bead on the open side
Make a loop to capture the bead onto this link
Bend the loops outward and then pinch them together with your flat nose pliers to make loops sit flat against each other.
Repeat these steps until all the wires are linked to one another

Shape around the 3/8” dowel in a U shape
Now pinch the wires together on the dowel to make a hoop
Put a bead onto the wire
Feed it through the last link
Put on last bead

Wrap one tail around the other two times, where the two wires bend upward
Trim, file and flatten the wrapping tail
Make a small loop on the remaining tail in the opposite direction of all the others( towards the front of the bracelet)
Using round nose pliers bend the wire over and towards the inside of the bracelet to make a hook.

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DIY Wire Wrap Projects

Wire wrap a stone into a frame pendant

Tree Of Life Pendant W/Stone

Teardrop Link Beaded Bracelet

Dawn Rosell

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