ECT TV Episode 36: Flower Ring

Mar 17

Written By

Spring is in the air, so it's a perfect time to make a fun flower ring!This ring is simple, which is not to say it's easy necessarily, but if you follow the steps you'll have a fun new ring in no time! Watch the video or follow the step-by-step photos below.Remember, my newsletter subscribers get a PDF of the tutorial for each episode of ECT TV! Sign up here to get the next one.Flower Ring Video Tutorial:Flower Ring Photo Tutorial: Tools and Materials:

2 Flower Beads
1 Leaf Bead
2 Headpins (use store bought or make your own - see below)
18 gauge, half-hard round wire
24 gauge, half-hard round wire
Wire cutters
Round nose pliers
Chain or flat nose pliers
Bent nose pliers or another pair of pliers
Ring mandrel
Ruler

Note: You can use whatever beads you like. You may want just one flower, a flower and a leaf or any other combination. It's up to you!The 24 gauge wire is for making the leaf into a dangle. My leaf is side drilled so I couldn't just use a headpin. If you have a top drilled leaf bead, you won't need this wire. However, if your flower beads happen to be side drilled, then you may need it to make the flower into a bead dangle in this way.Some helpful links:Quick Wire Wrapping Tip (making loops uniform)Basic Tools You Need for Wire Wrapping Wire Workshop (if you're brand new to using wire this is a great resource to get started and important safety information)Headpin tutorials:Infinity headpin Spiral and knotted headpinsPolicy and Terms of Use for this Tutorial:Policy and Terms of Use (the relevant part is the beginning about "free tutorials")Step #1 First we'll make our flower beads into bead dangles with wire wrapped loops.First slide the flower bead onto a headpin, making sure the larger side is toward the head of the headpin. (If your flower bead is side drilled, use the instructions below for the leaf bead to make it into a bead dangle.)Step #2 Hold the headpin slightly above the bead in round nose pliers. Bend the wire toward you and around one barrel of the pliers.Step #3 Remove the loop from the round nose pliers and hold it in between chain nose pliers.The loop will be off center, so as you wrap the wire around once, use the chain nose pliers to straighten the loop directly on top of the bead.Step #4 Switch hands, still holding the loop in your chain nose pliers. Wrap the wire a few times around keeping the wraps neat and close to each other.Step #5 Trim off any excess wire and make sure the end isn't poking up. Use your chain nose pliers to push it down.Step #6 Now we'll make the leaf bead into a bead dangle.My leaf bead is a side drilled bead, which just means it's drilled from side to side instead of from top to bottom. Cut off about 5 inches of 24 gauge wire. Center the bead on the wire.Step #7 Bend the wire so it crosses directly in the middle of the top of the bead. In this case there is a little point, so it's really easy to find the middle.Step #8 Twist the wire one time. 24 gauge wire is really easy to manipulate, so I just twisted using my fingers, but if you find it difficult or are using a larger gauge wire use chain nose pliers to twist the wire.Step #9 Hold one of the wires in round nose pliers. (The next steps are very similar to the steps above when we made a bead dangle.)Step #10 Wrap the wire toward you and around one barrel of your round nose pliers.Step #11 Follow step #3 above to straighten the loop.Step #12 Hold the loop in chain nose pliers and continue making a few wraps with that wire. Then wrap the other wire a few times.Step #13 Trim off the excess wire and make sure the ends are not poking out.Step #14 Now we'll make the ring band. You can work right off the coil (don't cut off any wire) and wrap the wire around your ring mandrel about a half size larger than the size you're trying to ultimately make.Step #15 Cut the wire. You should leave a 1/4 of an inch on each side of where the wires would cross.Or it may be easier to think about it this way: leave about 1/2 an inch where the wire is side by side.Step #16 We'll make a loop on each end of the wire perpendicular to each other. These loops need to be a little bit bigger than I typically show you loops. You'll want to use the middle of your round nose pliers. (It's helpful to make a mark so that both loops are the same size.)Hold the end of the wire in round nose pliers. The wire should be at the top of the pliers, but not poking through. You should be able to run your finger over the top.Twist your wrist away from you while wrapping the wire around one barrel of the pliers.Twist as far as your wrist will go and then readjust and do the same thing to complete the loop.Step #17 The loop will be off to the side, so place your round nose pliers back in the loop and bend back so it's centered.Step #18 Repeat for the loop on the other end, but make that loop perpendicular to the other loop as seen in the second photo.Step #19 Open up the loop that's going up and down like you would open a jump ring. Don't pull it out sideways, but just open it while the circle stays intact.Add the 2 flowers and leaf (I added them flower, leaf, flower) and then put the other loop in and close the loop.Step #20 Put the ring back on the ring mandrel and push it down as far as you can so that it is a perfect circle in case it got a little wonky when you were adding the bead dangles.I didn't mention this in the video, but you can hammer the wire to harden it. Use a rawhide or nylon hammer and gently hammer it. I would avoid the part with the dangles and just hold that part off the steel bench block. Do you love making rings?Do you want to learn how to make 30 of them in one month?!Join in with my Rings Every Day Month starting April 1st! You get a new tutorial every single day for 30 days! (Paid version)Or you can join in with the free version and get daily inspiration (without all the tutorials) and a weekly tutorial.Learn more here.