Do It Yourself Jewelry Projects and More

2/6/2018 0 Comments

Wire Weave Teardrop Pendant

Wire weaving can be very ornate and a bit daunting to attempt if you haven't tried it before, but you shouldn't let that keep you from giving it a go. I came up with a little trick after many failures to making a more uniform bezel and I began with a simple two wire base to get myself started. This smaller teardrop stone sits very well and securely and look beautiful in this design. The teardrop is the easiest shape besides a round for beginners, but with more practice and a little tweaking I am certain it could be used for almost any shape you wish to wrap. Let's give weaving this pendant a try shall we?

Tools

Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Flush Cutter
Ruler
Sharpie
¼” dowel
½” blue painter tape

Materials

18g wire 18”
26-24g wire 3 ½-4 ft
¾ ” teardrop stone

Directions-Prep

Cut 18gauge wire into two even pieces (9”)
Lightly hammer these wires to slightly harden if using copper or soft wire
Mark center of the wires then mark out 1” on either side of the center mark

Weaving

Wrap 1”of thinner wire around one 18g wire on the outside the outer marks heading toward the center of the wire, one side of the wire only.
Place 18 gauge wires one on either side of the ¼” dowel not quite in the dowel center and tape them and the dowel together just to the outside of the wrap you just made.
Thin wire now goes over the short side of the dowel, then wrapped over and between the outside wire and the dowel.
Wrap around and between the wire and dowel three times

Weave back under the dowel and back to the first wire and wrap it three times
Alternate weaving back and forth under the dowel, until you get to the last mark on the wires
Be sure to keep smooshing the wires together and keep them about the same distance apart on the dowel as you weave.
Now trim wire 1” and wrap 18 gauge wire to finish weave ( it should be on opposite sides to the beginning of this weave
Trim and flatten wire towards the inside

Remove tape and shape the hammock around your stone. Shape as needed carefully
Bend front and back wires at top to capture the stone
Place the ¼” behind the tails at the base of the top of the pendant stone
Wrap two back wires around the ¼” dowel to create a bail leaving tails flat against the stone back

Using front wires wrap around the bail twice so tails end in the stone front
Trim and file front wires
Curl the front wires flat to make a pretty design and to help secure the stone.

Trim back wires and file
Curl them up towards the bail to finish ends

Make sure to visit my Etsy shop for something a little different!

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1/30/2018 0 Comments

Wire Wrap/Weave Donut Pendant

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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5/16/2017 0 Comments

Beaded double Band Ring

Tools

Wire cutters
Flat nose pliers
Ring mandrel
File

Materials

20 gauge wire 14-16” (depend on ring size)
4-6 beads no larger than 6mm (2-4mm is best for looks

Everyone loves rings and why not, they are so fun and can be easy to make for yourself! This one also takes very little wire and beads to make, so you can make a bunch and have a ring for every finger and every occasion! So come on let's get started and make us some fun rings!

Make sure to also check out my store!

Directions

Cut 20g wire in half
Wrap wire around the ring mandrel ½-1 size larger than finished ring will be.
Where the wires cross in front twist them around one another one (makes a u shape connection on both sides) to two times (creates a spiral connection). Make sure to keep all wires parallel while doing this).

On one side of the connection separate the wires just a bit
Remove from mandrel
Slide on bead/s to the inner wire
Wrap the tail around the ring bands three times
Trim the ends and flatten/file with the end facing away from the inner band
Pull the next wire around this beaded section and slide on the next set of beads to be placed in a design you like
Repeat steps 6 & 7 to finish this side wrapping the wire under the last wrap, not on top covering the first wrap.

Go to the other side of the ring and repeat steps in last section
Check ring for any rough edges and gently file them to make a comfortable ring
Place back onto mandrel to adjust size and reshape if needed

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5/16/2017 0 Comments

Triple Bead Wire Ring

Tools

Wire cutters
Flat nose pliers
Ring mandrel
File

Materials

20 gauge wire 20”
3 5-6mm beads

Another wire wrap ring? Sure, but really, can we get enough of them? I think not! Trinket rings are a great way to show your style and not break the bank! This ring is super easy and really fun to wear. Make them for all your friends in no time, or make enough for every finger and every outfit!

Make sure you check out my store too!

Directions

Place the beads as close to centered on the wire at 1.5-2 sizes larger than the finished ring onto the ring mandrel.
Wrap Wires around the mandrel back and then to the front again just one time
Wrap one tail around the cluster of beads in a spiral or u-shape to capture them
Repeat on the other side to capture the cluster of beads from the opposite direction
Remove from mandrel

Wrap wire around the band one time to secure it
Do the same on the other side of the ring

Take one wire and going through the band wrap the wire in between the first and second bead.
Then again between the second and third bead
Wrap the end around the band three times

Take the other wire and going through the band wrap the wire in between the first and second bead.
Then again between the second and third bead
Wrap the end around the band three times
Trim, flatten and file the ends on the outside of the ring band on both sides
Place back onto ring mandrel to adjust size a bit and reshape

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5/9/2017 0 Comments

Easy Egyptian Coil Bracelet

Ever wonder how they make those awesome spiral /coil Egyptian bracelets? Well so did I. I went searching and I found only two sets of directions. Both were terrific, but as I was working, I wondered if there was an easier way to assemble them. I was having trouble getting the links hooked together after I made them. So I came up with a way that works better and easier for me, and maybe it will be better for you too.

Tools

Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Wire cutters
File (emery board)
¼” Dowel
Thin Sharpie
Ruler

Materials
18-20 gauge wire 10 feet (I used 18 gauge)

Directions

Cut one piece of wire 8” long
Cut 18 pieces of wire 6” long
File all the wire ends

Clasp Hook

Hold ends together and fold in half
Using flat nose pliers bring the tip closers to begin hook
Gently bend the very tip up just a bit

Measure from the tip ⅜” then using round nose pliers bend it around the pliers so little tip is still pointing up
Move round nose pliers to ⅛” below where the tip is and bend back in the opposite direction (you should have something that resembles a S shape)
Spread tail wires a little apart at the tips

Make a small loop on each tip from inside to outside
Continue loops till you get spiral coils that should end Just below the hook top

Links

Fold 17 of the 6” pieces in half
Use flat nose wires to bring them slightly closer but not closed
Mark these wires ¾” from the fold tip in with a thin sharpie
(Optional) mark ⅜” between the tip and the mark

Feed one wire onto the hook loop under the spirals
Make a small loop on both ends
Coil each end until the spiral meets your ¾” mark

Bend the coils up over your round nose pliers towards the last link
Continue steps 5-8 for the rest of your wires, or until your bracelet is one link short of fitting.

Clasp Eye

Mark the center of the last wire (3”)
Loosely fold the last wire into a large open teardrop
Place on tip into the last link loop and then the other tip on the other side of the loop(they should cross each other inside the loop)
Place your ¼” dowel into the large loop so that your half way mark is centered on it.
Pull both wire ends until they are tight around the dowel and the center mark is centered

Remove dowel
Make small loops on each end of the wires
Coil until they come over and just barely under the eye loop top

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5/2/2017 0 Comments

All Wire Spiral Earrings

   Love spirals? Well so do I! I just can't get enough of these fun designs. They are everywhere in nature and they can be mesmerizing to look at. So I designed these super easy and fun earrings that you can make in a very short period of time.

  The best part is the design is simple to master and you can add all sorts of elements to change it up a bit. For instance add extra small beads t the top of every spiral for some color, or if you just can't stop yourself from making spirals add even more drops for more drama. Whatever you do have fun with it!

Tools

Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Wire cutters
File (emery board)
Pen with cap (bic style round)
Rubber Hammer and bench block
Sharpie

Materials

18-20 gauge wire 49-50”
4" of the 20 gauge is for ear wires

Directions

Make sure to check out my store too!

Fish hook ear wires

Cut one wire 4” long
Small loop with round nose pliers on both ends
Slide on loop under pen top with loop opening away from pen
Wrap wire about ¾ of the way around pen

Now repaet step four in last section on the other side of the wire
Find center between the larger loop ends and cut making two ear wires
Cut shorter stems if you wish
Gently file ends with emery board
Using Chain nose pliers make a small bend on ends facing away from earring loops (if you wish) to a 20 degree angle with flat nose pliers
Hammer gently to strengthen

Cut - 2 wires 10” long, 4 wires 4” long, 2 wires 4 ½” long (for a total of 20 pieces)
File the ends of all the wires
Make a small loop on one end of every wire

4” and 10” wires

Begin to make spiral using the flat nose pliers to help hold the loop and keep the spirals parallel, then slowly in small increments make the wire spiral around.
When you get enough of a spiral you can drop the flat nose pliers and use your fingers.
Spiral until only ¼” is left on the wires

On the smallest spirals only, make a small loop going from the front of the spiral to the back
Bend this spiral up to make the loop centered to the spiral center
Set aside the completed and uncompleted spirals

4 ½” wires

Mark the end with no loop with a sharpie at ¾” from the end
Repeat steps one and two in the previous section until the spiral reaches the sharpie mark.
At the mark bend the wires up to center them
Make a small loop going from the front of the spiral to the back ( hold the wire stem just under your tool to keep the stem from warping while making the loop)

Assembly

Gently hammer all the spirals to make them sturdy, be careful to not hammer the small loops.
Feed onto the large spiral one small one medium and one small spiral drop
Make a small loop on the large spiral going in the opposite direction of the spiral to capture these drops and make a place to hang on the earwires.
Open the earwire and place the large spiral on, then close the earwire and you are done!