Wire Jewellery

How to Make Closed Secure Loops with Wire Jewellery

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While practising, use copper or silver plated wire for ease. They are also inexpensive. Jewellery wire supplies are abundant and varying. Be generous with the amounts of wire you work with, especially while practising.

For the following wire jewellery technique in creating 2 closed loops, give about 6cm (or 2½ inch) of excess wire for each closed loop.

Tools Needed: jewellery wire wire cutters round nose pliers or wire looping pliers flat nose pliers 2 earwires (if you want to make a dangle drop earring)
1) Cut 2 lengths of wire, at least 6cm (2½ inch) in excess of what you need for your beads. This extra length will be for the 2 closed loops you will be making.
2) This is a step you will have to experiment with to get this right - both to the loop size that will be appropriate for your beads and the lenght of excess wire you will need to close the loop. Grip the wire with the round nose pliers, rotate anti-clockwise to create a loop, allowing for a tail of excesss wire to close the loop with. 3) Then grip the loop securely with your pliers. Hold this securely. Use the thumb and finger of your other hand to wind the excess wire around the main wire, just below the loop. A nylon jaw plier used to hold the loop securely will prevent you from marring the wire. If you don't have one, use a flat nose with smooth jaws to hold the wire. Never use serrated jaw pliers which will indeed mar your wire jewellery.
4) After winding 2 or 3 times, clip off excess as closely to the main as you can with a pair of wire cutters. End Cutters might actually be able to give you a closer cut.
5) Use the tip of the flat nose pliers to gently squeese the sharp end of the wire back into the coils you have just made. Touching the cut end of your wire with a slight dollop of clear nail varnish will also ensure a smoother, non-scratchy experience for the wearer. You have now completed one secure, close loop.
6) Put the tip of the round nose pliers back into the loop. Run your fingers up and down the wire a few times to straighten the wire. Also, adjust to centralise the loop.
7) Thread on your chosen beads. It is always easier to work with a small bead next to the closed loop.
8) When you have finished threading your beads, grip the wire next to the last bead with your pliers. Bend the wire towards you. With a bit of experience, you will be able to judge what space to leave between your last bead and where you grip the wire with the pliers to bend it - so that you have enough comfortable space for creating your coils to secure this loop.
9) Adjust the angle of the pliers to the wire so that the plier is almost perpendicular to the strung beads. Your aim here is to form a loop, while allowing enough space between the loop and the beads to form your secure coils. Use the thumb and finger of your other hand to wind the excess wire over the top jaw of the pliers.
10) Hold the loop with your pliers. Wind the excess wire beneath the loop. As before, make 2 or 3 coils, working back down towards the bead (to match the loop at the other side).
11) Cut off excess wire as you did with the other loop.	(Click to view more details)
12) Use the tip of the flat nose pliers to squeeze the end into the formed coils.

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