Making Wire Jewelry
Components and
Elements

Making wire jewelry is fairly simple. With all of the different kinds and colors of wire out there, it can be a lot of fun, too! A few techniques are all that is required to create some really interesting designs.

Making wire wrapped jewelry could actually be considered an art form. The more you practice, the more exact and uniform your wire wraps will be. A good pair of wire wrapping pliers is essential if this is the jewelry making technique you want to excel in. The better the pliers, the easier this technique will be.

Using the techniques below, you can create all sorts of wire wrap components and findings. Find out how much making wire jewelry really can be!

Making Wire Jewelry Elements
Basic Wire Wrapping Techniques

(These instructions will from a right hand perspective. If you are left handed, please adjust them to suit your needs.)

Click here to check out some of the different types of wire available that is used in these wire wrap techniques and for making wire jewelry.

Making a Wire Wrap Loop

Creating a wire wrap loop when you are making wire jewelry is really quite simple. A little practice and you’ll soon get the hang of it. I always thought it would be really difficult to do, but once I got started, I couldn’t stop! Not only was it simple, but it was really fun.
Watch a video of making a wire wrap loop

There are two (2) basic ways to create a wire wrapped loop. It’s only the beginning of the two methods that is different.

With a flat set of pliers or regular pliers, bend the wire about 1” from the end into a 90 degree angle. With the wire wrapping pliers, grip the wire right next to the angle on the short piece. Wrap the short end of the wire around the pliers forming a circle. Remove the pliers and insert them into the circle you just made and begin wrapping the short end of the wire around the longer piece of wire.

Hold the wire wrapping pliers in your right hand and the wire to be wrapped in the left. (Or visa versa if you’re left handed) Grip the wire with the pliers about 1” from the end of the wire. Wrap the short end of the wire around the pliers forming a circle. Remove the pliers and insert them into the circle you just made and begin wrapping the short end of the wire around the longer piece of wire.

You just made a wire wrap circle with either method. This is the most widely used form of wire wrapping you will use in making wire jewelry or when making wire findings and components.

You can use this simple wrap technique on the end of a thinner head pin full of beads to secure the beads, and give you something to connect the bead dangle with. You can also use this technique to connect multiple beads together in a wire wrapped chain. Simply add a wire wrap loop to both ends of the beads creating a link.

Super Simple Wire Wrap Loop

This is a technique to use only with thicker wire. If you try to use it when making wire jewelry that is made out of wire that is too thin, it will simply pull out, and all your beads will fall off.

Curl the end of the wire around until it meets itself. Close the gap as best you can to prevent anything you attach to it from slipping out. You’re done. Told you it was super simple!!

This is the best way to handle putting a loop on the end of some of the thicker head pins. The wire is just too stiff to be able to wrap the end around itself.

You could use this method to make bead links, as well. Just make sure the wire you are using is really thick (low gauge) or it will just pull apart.

Making Wire Jewelry Components

Another form of making wire jewelry and wire wrapping, is making wire jewelry components for your pieces. You can do this by hand, or you can use something to wrap the wire around to make spirals, curls, and spiral curl combinations. There are also some really fun gadgets out there for creating wire components.

Wire Wrap Spirals

To form a simple spiral, you curl the end of the wire around the very end of your wire wrap pliers. Continue getting the spiral going as tight or as loose as you would like it. Once you get about a full circle to a circle and a half, I usually switch to my padded (rubber coated) pliers. I clamp the spiral in the pliers and curl the wire, by hand, around and around until the spiral is the desired size.

Variations of this are spiral squares, triangles, multiple spirals, “S” shape spirals and hearts.

An “S” shape spiral will have a spiral going in different directions on each end. The finished spiral component will have the shape of an “S”.

To make spiral squares and triangles, bend your wire at a 90 or 45 degree angle, whichever is required for the shape you are making. Continue to spiral outwards creating the same angles at the appropriate times. Your shapes will gradually get larger and larger.

To make spiral hearts, you will want to create spirals going in opposite directions on the same side of the wire. (Make sure the spirals are both on the same side of the wire.) Leave a length of wire in between the two spirals un-worked and straight.

At the half way point of the center piece of un-worked wire, use your pliers to create a point, bend the wire into a “V” shape, bringing the two spirals together at the top. The two spirals will meet at the top creating the curved part of the heart. The “V” you created in the middle of the straight piece of wire will become the point at the bottom and the sides of the heart.

When making wire jewelry spirals, you can vary the sizes and types of spirals on each end for an even different result. Experiment with all the different shapes and shape combinations. It’s a lot of fun! You can try mixing different kinds of wire or colored wire for even more variations. Making wire jewelry components can really add a touch of originality to your finished pieces.

Wire Wrap Beads
(French Wire)

You can even create wire wrap beads or french wire when making wire jewelry, or for use with your beaded jewelry projects. This is a very simple wire wrap technique to learn. All you do is wrap wire tightly around a dowel, or anything cylindrical that is the size you want your finished wrap to be. (Crochet hooks and knitting needles are great for this if you have them laying around. They come in all sorts of diameters, so your wire wrap beads can be any size you want.)

Start wrapping your wire around your wrapping post of choice. Make sure you wrap it tightly, and keep pressing the wire together to keep it tight and neatly together. Make a bunch of beads at the same time, if you know you will be using them. Wrap the length of wire you want, then simply slide if off your post. (At this point it is french wire.) When you remove it, your wire will look like a long spring. Clip off sections of the wire with your wire cutters in the length you want your finished beads.

For a variation, you can use this wire wrapping technique, then leave a length of straight, un-worked wire on both sides of your beads. Create a wire wrap circle on each end (creating a link) to attach the beads to something else.

You can also use this as an accent bead. Run some cord or ribbon through the center of these beads for a cool effect. You will be able to see the cord or ribbon through the bead.

You could also leave it in one piece to use as french wire. If this is your intent, make sure what you are wrapping it around is fairly small. You will only need wire or string to run through it.
Click here for more information on french wire

Wrapped Loops and Figure 8 Components

More fun wire wrapping is just free-handing some loops and figure 8's into your wire. Use your wire wrapping pliers to wrap the wire around for loops. Hold the working wire securely, then wrap the wire around the pliers to create a loop. You can put loops going in different directions all over the wire for different effects.

You can also create Figure 8's this way. This is a good technique to use for making wire jewelry clasp findings or links. Because the wire you will be working with will be a small piece, it will take some practice to get it “just so” without making you crazy.

Snip a piece of wire the length needed to create the size figure 8 you are trying to make. (This may take a little practice to see what size loops you have to make, and what size wire you need to create the size you want. Experiment with it. Soon you’ll be able to eyeball it exactly. I would start with about an 1” of wire.)

Grip the end of thicker wire with your wire wrapping pliers. Curl the end of the wire until you form a loop meeting back at the working wire. Close the gap as much as possible. Turn the loop over and grip the other end of the working wire, curl that end of wire in the opposite direction, meeting it back to the center of the wire. The end of this loop should match up with the end of the loop you made previously. You will now have a figure 8. Bend the loops or the center wire however you need to until it is in the shape you want. Make sure that the entire piece lays flat. You do not want your ends overlapping the center.

More Making Wire Jewelry Fun
Using a Jig

Another fun technique used when making wire jewelry involves using a jig. This can be something like the Wigjig (a specialty type of wire wrap jig made just for this purpose), or something you make yourself with some evenly spaced finishing nails (pegs) pounded into a board. (Finishing nail have no heads. That way you can slide your wire on and off your jig easily. You could also use regular nails and cut off the heads, but you will want to file them down so that you don’t have any sharp edges. We’re creating a jewelry making jig here, not a medieval torture device!)

You wrap your wire randomly around the jig's pegs to create some really fun curly components. Weave the wire back and forth, going around the pegs, first in one direction, then around another peg in the other direction. There are tons of patterns and ideas for this type of jewelry all over the internet. You can do some searches, or just use your imagination.

One Last Twist

One last method I have used for making wire jewelry is just twisted wire. You can twist the same kind of wire together, or different colors, sizes, etc... for all sorts of different results.

The simplest, “no tool”, way to do this is to take a long piece of wire, about three (3) to four (4) times the desired length of the finished piece and fold it in half. Stick a pen, pencil, dowel, screw driver, just about anything solid and long enough to hold onto into the loop created by halving your wire. Hold the other two ends together and start twisting the pen, pencil, etc... As you twist your post, you will begin to see the wire beginning to twist together. Continue twisting until you are satisfied. Remove your post, clip of the circle it left and the flat pieces that will be left on the other end. You now have a twisted length of wire.

The tool method is to get a good set of pliers with teeth and a power drill with an adjustable bit holder. Half your wire. Insert the two ends into the power drill, close down the adjustable bit holder until it is holding the ends securely. Grip the loop firmly with the pliers. (Hopefully, my husband will forgive me for my use of the “technical” power tool terms.)

(Using pliers to hold the loop is very important for this method. If you tried to put anything wood or plastic into the loop, it would be broken by the power of the drill. Anything like a human finger or body part could be completely severed! So DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HOLD THE LOOP WITH YOUR FINGERS, unless of course, you’re not fond of them, and prefer hospital visits to jewelry making.)

When your fingers and everything else is safely out of the way, make sure you have a tight grip on the pliers, and turn on the drill, slowly. The drill will twist your wire for you. When the twist is complete and as tight as it can get, the wire will break off at the drill. Open the bit adjuster and dispose of the pieces of wire that are left and clip the loop off the other end. This tool method will give you a much tighter twist than when you try to do this by hand.

You can use this twisted wire for making wire jewelry components of all sorts. It has a beautiful twisted look, and catches the light much differently than regular straight wire. You can use it just as you would regular wire and create all sorts of wire wrap components, or even make jump rings with it.

The only caution I would give is, the thicker the original wire you twist together, the stronger and less pliable the finished twisted wire will be. The twisting has a strengthening effect on the wire, so does any further bending. I suggest if you are going to use this for wire wrapping or making jump rings that you use more flexible, thinner wires to start with.

This twisting also thickens the wire, so be sure to take that into consideration if you are going to be stringing beads onto this wire.

Strengthening or Hardening Your Wire Components

The last step in making wire jewelry components is to strengthen or set your shapes. The bending action will actually harden the wire, making it stronger, but sometimes you need to do a little more to help maintain your shapes more permanently.

Lay your wire piece (or pieces) on a hard and flat metal surface. (There are pretty cheap flat solid metal blocks you can buy from jewelry making suppliers for this exact purpose.) Lightly tap it all over with a jeweler’s hammer or a rubber mallet. Not too hard, though! You want to be careful not to mar or mark up your wire, unless that is the effect you are going for. Also be sure to avoid any areas where the wire is crossing itself. Even tapping these areas lightly will cause smashing, deforming and weakening of the wire in that spot. This tapping will harden, strengthen and set the wire, helping it to keep its existing shape.

It’s actually kind of weird the way it happens. I didn’t believe it at first. (I’m a show me girl, especially if something sounds a little out of the ordinary, and this sounded a little strange to me.) I made two different components out of a fairly flimsy wire. One I tapped very lightly, and the other I did not. It was amazing how much stronger and how much truer the loops held in the one I had tapped. The other one stretched immediately out of shape.

Ok, fine! So it really does work.....

If you are looking for a different effect, tapping with the edge of a hammer, tapping with a hammer with a pattern on the head, or a jewelry hammer made specifically for the purpose of marring your wire, will give you a kind of sparkle effect. The damaged parts of the wire will catch the light differently and make it appear to sparkle and shimmer.

Click here for more information about wire types and styles.

Making wire jewelry components and elements can really be a lot of fun. Experiment with all these different techniques to find your favorite. Combine them for some really amazing jewelry!

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