Tuesday, March 24, 2009

How to Make Wire Jewelry

By PJ Timbere

Learning how to make wire jewelry is all about putting a few simple elements together with a stunning end result. Even the most basic project can look elegant with its classic simplicity. With a few simple materials and tools you can make jewelry that most people would spend a lot of money on.

You materials for making jewelry are the first thing you need to get. Get some different thicknesses of wire. Twenty-gauge wire is great for earrings and is good for most other jewelry. Thinner wire will have a higher gauge such as twenty-four gauge is thinner wire than twenty gauge. Memory wire with stay in the shape of a circle when you bend it, this is great for bracelets; just cut the wire, put the beads on, and fasten the ends. It will still be looped and will go around your wrist.

Once you have the materials in place, you will need to collect adequate tools for making your jewelry. Round nose pliers are essential for making loops. The kind you might find in the hardware store are probably too big, so it?s best to purchase them from a bead shop. Chain nose pliers are great for gripping wire or a jump ring. They are rounded on the outside, but flat on the inside edge. Naturally wire cutters are essential to making wire jewelry.

The last tool you need is called a jig. This is a board with pegs in it. The pegs are used for bending the wire into specific shapes and holding it in place.

You will need a board that has pegs in it this is a jig. The pegs will help you bend the wire in different shapes and keep it that way.

You can get started now that you have everything ready. With this method you can make an anklet, necklace or bracelet. You will start with a wire and loop it at the end with your pliers. String your beads onto the wire, then cut the wire leaving just enough room to make another loop. Make your final loop and put your chain on the end using a jump ring or attach it directly to the loop. Put the clasp on using jump rings to hold it to the loops on each end of the piece.

Once you get the basics down pat, you'll be able to come up with all kinds of variations to make each piece of jewelry unique. The possibilities of what you can do with this new-found knowledge is endless.

As soon as you learn the basics, you can let your imagination run free and create unique pieces of jewelry. There are many different designs you can create to make your jewelry unique. - 15252

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