Wire Wrap Earrings and Jewelry

To start a wire wrapping jewelry piece you will need wire, beads, a hammer, steel plate or anvil, long nose pliers, round nose pliers, and a file. Measure your wire, being sure to leave some on the end. Place the wire on the anvil and hammer it flat. Smooth the flattened wire and add the beads. With the pliers turn up for a loop, then wrap the excess around neatly. Once you learn the basic steps you can make earrings, bracelets, necklaces and even pins.

Wire wrapping is one of the oldest ways of making jewelry by hand. Sometimes silver wire is used, and other times copper or brass is used. Sometimes the wire comes with strands twisted together or braided together. The wire is measured in diameter and listed in gauges with lower gauges being very thick, while the higher numbers are for finer wire. The very thin wire works well for coiling and wrapping. Precious metal wire comes in three hardness; dead soft, half hard and full hard. The dead soft is not good for making clasps since it will not hold its shape if there is any stress put on it. Half-hard will hold its shape and is used for weight bearing parts of the jewelry. Full hard wire is tempered and holds its shape well.

Wire wrap jewelry is hand made by twisting wires together. It comes in many shapes such as square, half round, triangular, patterned and flat. If you choose gold wire it will be a brass core with gold on the surface.