Tips for creating cleaner, more professional looking wire jewellery.

Pliers are hard and have sharp edges. Covering those edges to soften them can help you avoiding marring your wire.

Masking tape  or blue painters tape wrapped around the jaws of your pliers will cover the edges, but they need to be renewed often as they wear quickly and leave sticky residue that needs to be stripped off.

On the other hand you can get liquid rubber at the hardware store or from some bead suppliers. Dip your pliers jaws and a couple of hours drying time your pliers will be ready to use.

You can make your own liquid rubber by using silicon caulk and paint thinner at the rate of  1 to 2 (silicone to paint thinner) for a thin mix that is pourable.  A couple of drops of acrylic paint will help to get a thorough mix. The dry time is around 2 1/2 hours.

Garden Gate Clasp Tutorial

Reblog from: http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com.au

Create a wire hook and eye clasp to use with a multi-strand design.  I think this would look great on a bracelet with some floral inspired art beads.  Ah, spring – so glad you are here!

Supplies:

9″ 18 gauge half hard sterling silver wire

4″ 22 gauge copper wire

Tools: Round and chain nose pliers, flush wire cutters, chasing hammer, bench block

Directions:

1. Cut the silver wire into two 4.5″ lengths.  Bend the wires around a tube of beads (or a Sharpie Marker), form into two circles. 

2. Use your fingers to bend and form one circle into a slightly oval shape, a little thinner than the circle.  This part of the clasp will need to fit inside the circle.

3. Create spirals on the end of wires with round nose pliers, keeping the spirals as uniform as possible.

4. Hammer the ends of the spirals with the chasing hammer on a bench block.  Hammer the circle on the round clasp and the end of the oval.  Don’t hammer on the part of the wires that crosses over each other.

5. With the chain nose pliers, bend the oval clasp section in half to form the hook.

6. Cut the copper wire into two 2″ lengths and wrap around the center of the clasps.

The last two photos show the clasp in it’s natural state and antiqued with liver of sulphur.

Designers note: Use brass or copper wire to practice this design before trying it in silver wire.

Posted by Heather Powers

How to Make A Silver Wire Jewelry Necklace, Egyptian Link

Part 1

Part 2

How to make Herringbone Wire Wrap

I find this the best way to do Herringbone wrap

How to Braid Beaded Kumihimo and Make a Bracelet

In this video, see how to add beads to your Kumihimo braid. You will “pre-load” your bobbins with beads and add them into the weave as you go. Very satisfying results and fun to do!

Coiling Wire on a Drill

Learn from wire master Lisa Niven Kelly how to coil wire on a drill. Lisa will show you tips and tricks to making coils fast and effortlessly. This class is perfect for the wireworker who loves to design with coils but is looking for a way to speed up the coiling process.

To purchase jewelry making tools and supplies visit us at beaducation.com! If you have questions about this technique or any of the products shown, email us at info@beaducation.com. Enjoy!

Learn all about the Coiling Gizmo

Jewelry Made with the Coiling Gizmo

MAKING A COILED WIRE BEAD

TECHNIQUES

Learn How To Crochet with Wire

Mike shows you how to Crochet using Jewelry Wire. Using a Steel hook, mikey shows you how easy it is to do chain work with wire. It’s a bit of a technique but once you learned it, you will have the skills for life!

Learn how to make Viking Knitted Bracelets

Part 2

How to Wire-Wrap Beach Glass the Easy Way