This section outlines how to get started in making your jewellery and some basic designs. Making new pieces is great fun and with a little practice you will soon be making fabulous jewellery.
Basic Techniques
Opening and Closing Loops
To open a loop or ring, use one or two pairs of pliers to grasp the wire at the opening. Pull one pliers towards you and push the other away to bring the ends of the wire apart and out and out of the plane of the loop. Never spread the loop side to side, which will fatigue the metal. Close the loop by pulling the ends back into the plane.
Wrapped Loops
Wrapped loops require practice but they are worth mastering. Not only do they increase security for your beads, they also add an elegant designer touch. You can make one wrap or as many as you wish to produce the effect you desire.
Expect to make at least 15 bad wrapped loops before you start making consistently good ones. Use inexpensive copper wire or head pins to practice.
Figure 1: Leaving a ¾ to 1” (1.9 to 2.5 cm) tail, place the tip of the chain nose pliers where the bead will be. Bend the tail to form a right angle.
Figure 2: With round nose pliers, grasp the tail just pass the bend and pull it over the jaw to point the other way.
Figure 3: Rotate the pliers so that the empty jaw is above the partial loop and continue pulling the tail around the bottom jaw until it’s perpendicular to the bead or the wire.
Figure 4: Pull a split ring, chain, etc, from the tail into the loop.
Figure 5: To keep the loop around, grasp it with round nose pliers in your non-dominant hand just above the cross. Don’t dent the wire.
Figure 6: Grasp the tail with the chain nose pliers and pull it around the wire until it meets the bead. Make the first wrap against the pliers and keep wraps close. Clip
Making Loops Or Eyes
Figure 1: Cut the wire, leaving a 3/8” (1cm) tail above the bead. Bend it against the bead at a right angle with the tip of a chain nose pliers.
Figure 2: Grip the very tip of the wire in round nose pliers. If you can feel it, the loop will be teardrop shaped.
Figure 3: Without pulling, rotate the wire into a loop as far as your wrist will turn. Let go, re-grasp the loop at the same place on the pliers, and keep turning to close the loop. The closer to the pliers tip you work, the smaller the loop.
Crimping
Figure 1: Thread a crimp bead at one end of a length of flexible beading wire. Then thread one end of the clasp. Bring the wire back through the crimp, leaving 3” (7.6cm) tail. Slide the crimp close to the clasp leaving a small space. Mash the crimp in the hole closest to the handle, which looks like half a moon. Hold the wires apart so one piece is on each side of the deep dent.
Figure 2: Put the dented crimp in the first hole of the pliers, standing it on end, and mash as hard as you can. This folds the crimp into a small cylinder.
Bead Tips
A bead tip looks like a tiny basket or two half beads with a hooked handle. You use it to hide the knots at the end of a necklace or bracelet.
Figure 1: Use a double cord and either tie a fat multiple overhead knot and string a size 11/0 seed bead. String through the bead tip from inside to the outside. String the beads.
Figure 2: String into the bead tip from the outside. String a size 11/0 seed bead, then cut off the needle. Tighten the beads on the strand, making sure there are no gaps, but leave enough slack for the strand to drape softly. Then tie the cord ends together with a surgeon’s knot.
Glue both knots and trim the thread to about 1/8" (3mm) when the glue is dry. Press the halves of a bead-style bead tip together with chain nose pliers to enclose the knot and seed bead. Use round nose pliers to roll the hook tightly closed around the loop on the clasp.
Using Cones
Using cones at the ends of a multi strand necklace hides the ends and knots professionally.
Begin by tying all the strands on each of the necklace together with an overhand knot tight against the beads.
Figure 1: With a 4" (10cm) piece of 18-20 gauge wire, make a loop in the 3/8" (1cm) of one end (or make a wrapped loop). Working with one tied end of the necklace, thread half the cord ends through the loop from one direction and the other half through the other direction so they cross. Tie then with a surgeon's knot or two square knots and seal the knot with G-S hypo tube ement or clear nail polish. When dry trim the cord ends to 1/4" (6mm).
Figure 2: Feed the long end of the wire into a cone, exiting the narrow end and pull the loop up into the cone until it fits snuggly inside. For a plain loop, trim the wire to 3/8" and make a loop against the top of the cone. Or, make a wrapped loop around one ring of the clasp.
Repeat these steps fot the other side of the necklace.