Illustrated Wire Jewelry Instructions
for Wire Working Techniques
Use wire jewelry techniques to make jewelry connectors. With these
wire jewelry instructions learn to make a wire spiral and more. You'll
love making wire jewelry!
Easy Wire Jewelry Techniques
To make the lanyard ID holder, before you start this jewelry lesson, complete Part 1 of this wire
jewelry tutorial:
Coiling Wire.
If you simply want to learn how to make wire spirals, you'll need a
few inches (or centimeters) jewelry making wire.
Wire Jewelry Tutorial Part 2
How to Make a Lanyard ID Holder Jewelry Connector
It's easy to make a lanyard ID holder jewelry component with jewelry making wire.
Completed Lanyard ID Holder Jewelry Component
Making Wire Spirals
A Basic Wire Working Skill
We will take a length of coiled wire and make a wire spiral on each
end, making a jewelry component.
You can then connect it to any jewelry you decide to make.
In our case we will attach this jewelry component to a beaded lanyard.
The link to the lanyard making instructions are provided at the end
of this wire jewelry tutorial.
Making a wire spiral is one wire jewelry making skill known as wire
working, which is the essence of wire jewelry making.
Wire Jewelry Making Supplies
- coiled wire length from Part 1 of the wire jewelry tutorial
(or a length of jewelry making wire to practice these jewelry making techniques)
- large size marker to use as a mandrel
Wire Jewelry Tools and/or Pliers
- round nose pliers
- chain nose pliers or flat nose pliers
If you need it, here's a review of
jewelry pliers
used in wire and bead jewelry projects.
Wire Jewelry Instructions Continued...
Note: For these jewelry making instructions...
Work with the pliers in your dominant hand. Hold the wire in your non-dominant hand.
1. Using the round nose pliers, grasp one end of the coiled wire with the tip of the round nose pliers,
ensuring that the wire is flush with the jaws of the pliers.
Rotate the pliers towards you to begin making a wire loop.
2. Continue to rotate the pliers towards you until you make a wire
loop that looks similar to the letter 'P'.
3. Using flat nose or chain nose pliers, grasp the head of the 'P' with
a firm grip on the pliers. (Here, I'm using flat nose pliers.)
With both hands working in concert, twist downward.
Your hand holding the wire, will push down on
the wire to guide it between the jaws of the pliers to roll the wire
upon itself to make a spiral. Each downward push on the wire should be about a quarter turn.
Your hand holding the pliers will provide leverage to
turn the wire into a spiral.
Wire Jewelry Instructions Continued
4. Continue this process until the spiral reaches just over the first of
the wire coils.
Repeat Steps 1 - 3 on the second end of the coiled wire length.
Wire Jewelry Technique Learned
How to Make a Wire Spiral
5. When you're done making the wire spirals, your coiled wire length
should have a spiral on each and look similar to the wire jewelry
component pictured below.
Wirework turns simple wire into jewelry components!
Basic Wire Working
How to Make a Lanyard ID Holder Jewelry Connector
6. In your dominant hand, hold the marker pen with the non-writing
end between your thumb and index finger.
Place the coiled wire length, at its middle, perpendicular to the
marker pen, between your thumb and the marker.
Spread apart the index finger and thumb of your non-dominant hand.
Place your index finger at the top end of the coiled length.
Place your thumb at the bottom end of the coiled length.
7. Now, push the coiled wire length away from you and back over
the marker until the two ends of the coiled wire length meet one
another.
Wire Jewelry Instructions Continued...
8. Another view of the two ends of the coiled wire length meeting
one another to shape the wire coil like a fat letter 'U'.
You may need to glide the ends past one another and squeeze,
bending the coiled wire over the marker to help the component keep
it's 'U' shape better.
9. Remove the coiled wire from the marker. Yours should
resemble the 'U' shaped jewelry component pictured below.
10. Further shape the 'U' shaped jewelry component and bring the
two wire spiral ends together by manipulating the piece using both hands as
pictured below.
Wire Working Technique Learned
Shaping a Wire Coil Into a Jewelry Component
You're done! You've completed this wire jewelry tutorial on making a
wire jewelry connector to be used as a lanyard ID holder.
Easy Wire Jewelry Instructions...
Jewelry Component Ready for Use as a Lanyard ID Holder
Now
make a beaded lanyard to attach to your lanyard ID holder jewelry connector.
Wire spirals can give your wire jewelry a unique look.
Learning how to make a spiral is a good wire working technique
to know for making wire jewelry that has artistic flair.
Want to learn a few different ways of making wire spirals?
Here's a bonus provided free by Beaducation.com...
Wire Jewelry Instructions on Video: Perfecting the Wire Spiral.
Or try your hand at more wire jewelry projects like these beginner to intermediate
wire and bead jewelry projects by Marlize Kasselman.
Enjoy!
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Wire Jewelry Instructions page to Making Wire Jewelry page
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