Spiral Wire Charm Tutorial

Wire spirals are so much fun to make!  Once I started making them, I wanted to start adding them in in all my jewelry creations!Spiral charms are so versatile.  You can add to them to your jewelry in many ways.  You can make them big or small.  Round or flat.....Here's how to make a spiral wire charm: Tools and Materials:

• Wire - you can really use any gauge wire you like.  If you want more stability use a thicker wire, especially if you're not going to hammer it.  I used 16 gauge round wire.  (This particular wire is silver plated copper artist wire.  I recommend half-hard wire if you're using silver.)
• Wire cutters
• Chain nose pliers
• Round now pliers.
• Learn more about how to use the 3 basic jewelry making tools here

Step #1 Cut off a piece of wire.  The length of wire depends on how large you would like your spiral.  About 5 inches or so.Or you could create this off the spool (don't cut the wire) and then cut it when you're satisfied with the size of your spiral. Make sure there's a flush cut at the end.(Click here for help with wire cutters.)Hold the very tip of the wire in chain nose pliers.  Then make a bend in the very tip of the wire.  Push it so the wires are flat against each other. Step #2 Hold the little bend you made in chain nose pliers.Step #3 Bend the wire up.  Then readjust the wire like in step #2 again and repeat.  You're making a spiral around the original bend you made.Continue doing this until your spiral is the size you like, making sure to leave a couple inches at the end. Step #4 Hold other end of the wire in round nose pliers.  The wire should be at the top of the pliers, but not poking through.Step #4 Twist your wrist away from you, wrapping the wire around the pliers as you go.  Twist as far as your wrist will go and then readjust the wire and complete the loop.  It will look like a "P".Step #5 Now return the spiral to the chain nose pliers and continue the spiraling actions from Steps #1 and #3 until the loop you made is now against the spiral. You can hammer your spiral to harden it.  Use a rawhide, nylon or hard plastic hammer to harden it without flattening it.  Or use a chasing hammer to flatten the wire.Now you can use your spiral for all kinds of projects!Ideas:

• Add them to charm bracelets.
• Add them to necklaces.
• Add them to the Spiral Wire Bangle Bracelet (see below).
• Add earring hooks and you have cute earrings.
• Make them bigger.
• Make them tiny.
• Hammer them Flat.
• Spiral two pieces of different color wire together (this sounds easier than it is!)
• Make a charm necklace and add it.
• Make a cute little dainty necklace.

Ready to make even more spiral wire jewelry??  I have the perfect resource for you!In the Spiral Wire Jewelry Tutorials eBook, you'll learn how to make 2 different kinds of spirals and then 7 different projects with spirals!The list of materials is what you'd need if you did every single tutorial in the book.Get started practicing spirals with 20 gauge wire, round nose pliers, chain nose pliers and wire cutters and move on from there.Level:  Beginner that has enthusiasm or Intermediate. I write my tutorials as if a beginner will be making the projects.  You get every single step with clear closeup photos every step of the way!  If you are a beginner, I believe you can be successful with these tutorials!The tutorials included are:

• How to make an open spiral
• How to make a closed spiral (what I taught you above with the spiral charm)
• Spiral and Gemstone Chip Earrings
• Spiral Earrings
• Spiral Charm Necklace
• Gemstone Chip and Spiral Pendant
• Beaded Spiral Ring
• Beaded Spiral Wire Wrapped Ring (Style II)
• Spiral Wire Wrapped Bangle Bracelet

Note: 3 of these tutorials are free on my blog, three are tutorials that I also have individually for sale in my shop and 1 (Spiral Wire Wrapped Bangle Bracelet) is brand new. (That will be available separately soon as well.) This is the only place you can get them all together, along with the specific spiral instructions as a PDF.

Materials needed for ALL of the tutorials:

• 20 gauge wire (half-hard, round)
• 16 gauge wire (half-hard round)
• 18 gauge wire (half-hard, round
• 22 or 24 gauge wire (half-hard, round)
• Wire cutters
• Round nose pliers
• Chain nose pliers
• Square pliers
• Optional: Long needle nose pliers
• Optional: Rawhide or nylon hammer
• Optional: Steel block or anvil
• Bracelet mandrel or a can of beans or veggies
• Ring mandrel
• Gemstone beads
• Other beads of your choice
• Chain + clasp for necklace tutorial

Get all the tutorials, in PDF form that you can easily print and take to your worktable!Click here to purchase the Spiral Wire Jewelry eBook and start making spiral wire jewelry right away!