Wire Wrapping Techniques for Beginners
How to Wrap a Briolette Bead

Get step by step illustrated wire wrapping instructions on how to wrap a briolette bead in this Beginner Jewelry Wire Wrapping Techniques tutorial.

Beginner jewelry making is fun and easy!

Of course, you'll need some beading techniques.

Whether you want to make briolette jewelry or just briolette dangles for wire wrapped earrings, you'll want to learn this easy and versatile beading technique.

Another name for this wire jewelry technique is a wrapped wire loop.

About Briolette Beads
and Wire Wrapping Briolettes

Briolette beads are tear drop shaped. They have triangular cut facets on their surface. Some are top drilled (north to south) and some are side drilled (east to west).

You can use this technique to wire wrap a side drilled bead of any shape or size.

Wrapped wire loops above a briolette or any side drilled bead are used in bead stringing projects, but are a basic beginning wire jewelry making technique.

Vary the gauge (or width) of the wire you use to make a wide range of beaded jewelry like earring dangles or pendants.

Use 20 or 18 gauge (.81 or 1.02 mm) wire to make pendants and bead charms. Use 22 or 24 gauge (.64 or .51 mm) wire to make dangle briolette earrings.

Remember, to wear safety glasses as you learn how to wrap a briolette or when cutting wire. You don't want a snip of wire getting in an eye!

Now, let's learn how to wrap a briolette!

Wire Wrapping Technique #1:
How to Wrap a Briolette with Open Wire Loop

Tutorial Category: Jewelry Wire Wrapping Techniques

Skill Level: Beginning Beading

Bead Jewelry Making Supplies

• 20 gauge (.81 mm) round half hard wire (for practice use brass or copper wire)
• a few briolettes or any side drilled (east to west) bead for practice

Bead Jewelry Making Tools

• one pair round nose pliers
• one pair chain nose pliers
• wire Cutters

Beginner Wire Wrapping Instructions
How to Wrap a Briolette

Make a wire wrapped bead unit.

1. Gather supplies and tools.

Use a fine point marker and mark the jaws of your round nose pliers at about 3/8" (4.76 mm) (or other measurement) from their tip. This will help you to make consistent sized wire loops.

2. Cut a piece of wire about 5" (12.7 cm) long.

Center the bead on the wire.

3. With your thumb and index finger, bend the wire to form an 'X' above the bead.

4. Open the 'X' so that the intersection of the wires are close to the top of the bead. Leave enough room for the top of the bead to swing freely.

5. Pickup the bead and wire with your non dominant hand. With your dominant hand, pickup the chain nose pliers. Where the wires intersect, use the pliers to bend one of the wires to a vertical position.

6. With your non dominant hand pickup the round nose pliers and grasp both wires above the bead between the pliers jaws.

With your dominant hand pickup the chain nose pliers, grasp the tip of the unbent wire.

Let's continue our Jewelry Beading for Beginners Basics lesson on How to Wrap a Briolette...

7. Tighten your grip on the round nose pliers. Using the chain nose pliers, bring the tip of the unbent wire over the bent wire and downward to a vertical position.

8. Use your chain nose pliers and push the wrapping wire close to the base of the intersecting wires.

9. With the chain nose pliers grasp the tip of the wrapping wire and bring it upward, wrapping it around the horizontal wire. You've now completed one wrap. Make two more wraps around the horizontal wire.

Let's continue our Jewelry Beading for Beginners Basics lesson on How to Wrap a Briolette...

10. Use your chain nose pliers and push the wrapping wires close to the base of the intersecting wires.

11. This keeps the wraps closer together, which makes for a neater, better looking wrap.

12. With the wire cutters, trim any excess wire from the wraps.

Let's continue our Jewelry Beading for Beginners Basics lesson on How to Wrap a Briolette...

13. With the chain nose pliers, tuck the wire end close to the straight wire.

14. Now you'll form a simple wire loop with the straight wire. Trim (not pictured) the straight wire to about 5/8" (8 mm).

With the chain nose pliers, grasp the straight wire directly above the wraps.

15. Now, bend the wire at a 90 degree angle.

16. With your dominant hand, pick up the round nose pliers. Grasp one end of the wire between the pliers' jaws at the mark you made in step 1. Make sure that the wire is flush or even with the top of the pliers' jaws. This will help to keep the loop round.

17. Rotate the pliers toward the bend in the wire, making a loop

Beading for Beginners Tip on
How to Wrap a Briolette:

If you don't form a loop in one movement, simply adjust the pliers and rotate them again to make an complete loop.

18. Use the round or chain nose pliers to line up the loop's opening with its body.

19. A perfectly formed wire wrapped plain open loop above a bead.

Congratulations! You now know how to wrap a briolette or any side drilled bead.

This is just one method to wrap a briolette. Use it to make dangles when security of the bead isn't a factor.

Learn More Jewelry Beading Techniques on
How to Wrap a Briolette

Now, you can make this gorgeous little wire wrapped briolette by wire jewelry artist Marlize Kasselman.

Exquisite Wire Wrapping Tutorials
by Marlize Kasselman

You'll become a pro at wire wrapping a briolette in no time!

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