This video tutorial will show you step-by-step how to make your own unique jewelry findings. You can then use your headpins to make jewelry, such as earrings.
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This fun pendant is another variety the wire wrapped circle pendant that I have already shown you 2 versions of. I love working with wire, and this tutorial will teach you some basic skills you’ll need to get started.
Now onto How to Make a Wire Wrapped Circle Pendant with Bead Dangles:
Materials and Tools:
24 gauge wire, about 2 1/2 feet
20 gauge wire, a short piece
Beads. I used 4 smaller beads and one larger bead
Headpins, 1 for each of the dangle beads
A jump ring
Wire cutters
Round nose pliers
2 pairs of pliers, I used bent nose and needle nose
Something to wrap around – I used a ring mandrel, but you could use a highlighter or big marker or anything that’s the size you want your pendant to be.
Step #1
Cut about 2 1/2 feet of wire.
Step #2
Wrap the wire around your ring mandrel (or highlighter or whatever you’re using to wrap around) approximately 6 times.
Step #3
Carefully remove the wire from the mandrel, holding the loops together so they don’t lose their shape.
On the end of the wire that is part of the loop (not the long end of the wire), I like to bent up so it’s easy to find. Then wrap the long end of the wire around the loop wire, making sure to capture the other end in the wire.
Wrap around several times until it’s secure and you like how it looks.
Step #4
Clip off the short end you bent up.
Hint:
If at any time your circles start to loose their shape, just slide it back on your ring mandrel.
Step #5
Grasp the wire between the barrels of round nose pliers close to the circle. Wrap the wire toward you, around the barrel of the round nose plier, between the pliers and the pendant.
Step #6
This will – no doubt – create a crooked loop on the top of your pendant. Use pliers to straighten out the loop so it’s centered on the top of the pendant.
Step #7
Hold the loop you just made with pliers and continue wrapping the wire around the loop in the same direction that you started with your first loop.
Trim off any excess wire.
Step #8
Now we’re going to make the bead link for the focal bead of this piece. Cut off a piece of 20 gauge wire. (How long depends upon your bead size.)
Make a wire wrapped loop on one end, just like you did for the pendant. Hold the wire in round nose pliers.
Step #9
Bend the wire towards you.
Step #10
Wrap around one barrel of the pliers and then around the wire one time.
Step #11
Take the wire off the pliers. Use your pliers to straighten the loop and make sure the first wrap is straight, too.
Step #13
Hold the loop in pliers. Continue to wrap a few times in the same direction of your first wrap.
Step #14
Pull the wire off the pliers and trim any excess wire.
Step #15
Slide the bead on and repeat for the loop on the other side. Make sure the loops are going in the same direction.
Step #16
Now we’re going to make bead dangles to hang from that focal bead.
Slide a bead onto a headpin.
Step #17
Begin to make a wire wrapped loop. Wrap the head pin around the pliers and between the bead and pliers.
Do not complete a wrap!
Step #18
Make sure your loop is straight. Then place the bead dangle on one loop of the focal bead.
Step #19
Then complete the wrap exactly as before.
I made 4 dangles for my pendant.
Step #20
Attach the beads to the wire wrapped circle using a jump ring.
Step #21
Put your pendant on your favorite chain or cord and it’s done!
I hope you like this tutorial! Please leave any questions or comments below, or link to a photo of your creation!
Sometimes I feel a little burned out. I feel tired and stuck. I have something that I know I want to create, but I just can’t quite figure it out.
I think we all get that way, whether we feel we are creative or not.
Yesterday I felt that way. I couldn’t exactly find my focus and I was trying to push myself to find it.
Then I watched these Creativi – Tea videos about your inner artist by Jani Franck. Then I took a nap and while falling asleep I sort of daydreamed about the solution to my problem. (Honestly, I didn’t particularly come up with anything while I was daydreaming.)
Then I took a short walk to a little park nearby. I took a bunch of photos and made a video about it:
After the walk I pulled out a sketchpad and some sharpies and brainstormed ideas.
I had so many ideas and the solution to my creative problem!
Here’s why I think it worked:
Jani is amazing and inspiring.
I was exhausted. So I took a nap. While falling asleep I focused on the problem and maybe my subconscious started to work it out.
I got out of my normal environment (the walk.)
My normal medium, as you know, is jewelry. I do often journal and I often take photos, too. However, this time (and I think Jani mentioned this) I was thinking about the actual feeling — the sense of touch. How the camera shutter felt when I took the photos. How the sharpies felt on the sketch paper. Somehow that also opened my mind up. Plus just doing something outside your norm can help shake you up creatively.
Are you struggling with something right now? Feeling burned out? Feel like you’re missing something creatively. Try one of the options I did. Take a walk, take a nap, daydream, grab some markers or colored pencils and give it a try.
And that thing that I mentioned I’m creating? It’s a gift for you! I’ll be working on it. Make sure you’re the first to know when it’s done! Pop your email in the box below to join my exclusive mailing list:
This pendant provides so much opportunity for creativity! You can use whatever beads you like and arrange them in whatever why you like. I used gemstone chips, which look very cool, but cheerfully colored seed beads would work great, too, or really any beads you would like.
I used my ring mandrel to make the circle, but you can use anything you can find around the house – a broom handle, a highlighter, a thick marker, etc.
I also want to make this pendant much larger and I was thinking about wrapping around a tin can to make a larger circle.
Let’s get started!
Materials and Tools:
24 gauge wire. (You can try other gauges, but I found that this gauge works perfectly for this project.)
25-30 gemstone chip beads, or you can try any beads, really
Wire Cutters
Round nose pliers
Chain nose or flat nose pliers
Optional: Bent nose pliers
How to Make this Pendant:
Step #1
Cut off about 2 1/2 – 3 feet of 24 gauge wire
Step #2
Slide 25 – 30 beads on the wire (you can always remove some or add some later if necessary.
HINT: I just bent the wire on the end to hold all the beads on while I worked.
Step #4
Start at the end with no beads and start to wrap the wire around your ring mandrel, highlighter, etc.
As you are wrapping, pull beads up into each loop as you go. I wrapped around 6 times and had 4 – 5 beads on each loop. The placement of the beads on the loop doesn’t really matter right now, but just make sure that you somewhat evenly space the beads on each wrap.
Step #5
Carefully pull the wire off, trying to keep the wire in its shape.
Step #6
The end that you started wrapping with bend up slightly so you can easily see it. Then with the long end of the wire, wrap around the circles a few times.
Step #7
Pull up a couple of beads and continue to wrap around the circle. Continue to pull up a couple beads and wrapping all the way around the circle. Try to make your bead placement somewhat evenly dispersed.
HINT: While I was wrapping around the circle, some of my wraps got a little weird. I just took my pliers and sort of pushed them in.
HINT: The the circle loses it’s shape at any point, just put it back on the ring mandrel to get the right shape again.
Step #8
Grasp the wire with round nose pliers close to the circles.
Step #9
Bent the wire over the round nose pliers towards you.
Step #10
Then go around the wire once. Try to get the loop centered over the pendant, but if it’s not, you can fix it in the next step.
Step #11
Take the wire off your pliers. Use your round nose pliers to straighten out the circle if necessary.
Step #12
Hold the loop between your chain nose or flat nose pliers. (Or ideally, nylon covered pliers).
Continue wrapping around the wire in the same direction as you started, holding the end of your wire with bent nose or other pliers you’re comfortable with.
Step #13
Trim off any excess wire.
Step #14
As you can see, my beads are not perfectly even, but I still love my pendant! I want to make them to match each of my outfits!
I slide mine on a satin cord. You could also place it on a chain or other cord.
These would make amazing earrings, too!
Please comment below if you tried this! Better yet, take a photo and give us a link to it!
Remember that tassel from Christmastime I showed you? I thought it would make a unique necklace! At first I thought I’d use wire to wrap around the tassel to hold it together, but in the end I opted for using fabric just like in the other tassel. I think it gives it a more natural look.
Here’s how I made it (plus a bonus chain tassel tutorial, too!):
Tools and Materials:
A variety of fabrics. Scraps are fine, you just need to be able to make 20″-22″ x 3/4″ strips.
Chain (I used a ball chain)
Scissors
Step #1
Cut strips of fabric 20″ to 22″ long and 3/4″ wide.
Just snip the end and tear the fabric to create a frayed edge.
I used 4 strips, but you can experiment and make it fuller if you like.
Step #2
Trim so that they are all even.
Step #3
Arrange the fabric strips. They should overlap, but have a little bit showing of each fabric.
Step #4
Fold the strips in half over the chain.
Step #5
Cut another thinner, shorter strip of fabric and tie it around the other strips under the chain. I went around twice and tied it on the back.
Step #6
Pull the knot tight and trim off the ends.
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Chain Tassel Necklace Tutorial
Tools and Materials:
Chain. This is a good time to use up those scraps you have from other projects.
Wire. I used 22 gauge.
Bead with a large opening or a cone bead. Pictured is a bead with a large opening, but I ended up using a cone bead.
Wire cutters
Round nose pliers
Chain nose or bent nose pliers – 2 pair in any combination.
Step #1
Cut chain into equal lengths. I used 5 chains, a couple of them were the same, but I used different chains, too.
Step #2
Slide the chain onto the wire and bend the wire in half. Squeeze the wire together.
Step #3
Slide the bead or cone on and push it up against the chain.
Step #4
Grasp one of the wires with round wire pliers. Wrap around one of the barrels of the pliers and then wrap around both wires one time.
Step #5
Take the loop off the round nose pliers. Straighten the loop. Then hold the loop with pliers.
Step #6
Wrap around in the same direction you started. Then wrap the other wire around. Trim off any excess wire and tuck in the ends
HINT: Cut off the wire in the front.
Now you have a pendant that you can put on a chain. I put mine on a cord.
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