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Wire-Wrapped Flower Necklace Wire-Wrapped Flower Necklace From "Jewelry Making" episode DJMK-308

Wire-Wrapped Flower Necklace

Wire-Wrapped Flower Necklace

Materials:

22-gauge wire (14k gold-filled, silver or copper)
1 12" piece of 26-gauge copper wire
1 18" piece of silver wire or leather strip
5 petal-shaped beads (side-drilled drops)
10-15 3mm faceted rondels, or round beads
1 5mm bead
Protective goggles
Wire-cutters
Flat-nose jewelry pliers

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Figure A

Making the Necklace

1. String the five petal-shaped beads on one end of a 12" piece of 22-gauge wire, leaving 3"-4" on one end.

2. Keeping the beads close together, form the wire in a circle design to create the petals of the flower (figure A). Secure the circle by bringing the short end of the wire around to the back of the flower. The long end of the wire twists around the shorter end of the wire and wraps around the front end of the piece.

3. Wrap the long end of the wire back to front, going between each bead and pulling tight to firm up the piece. When complete, both ends of the wire should be in the back of the necklace.

4. Using the longer end of the wire, create a loop for the piece to hang from: wrap the wire around and under the loop, sewing it into the wire grid to hold the loop firmly in place. Cut off any extra wire after working the end into the center of the piece.

5. Secure one end of 26-gauge copper wire to the back of the piece. Pull the other end through the middle to the front of the flower.

	Figure B
	Figure C

6. String one or two (or as many as your design requires) small beads onto the wire, pulling them tightly into the center of the piece. Hold them steady and tight as you sew the beads into the center of the flower, using the wire as you would thread (figure B).

7. Cut off any remaining wire and work any sharp ends down into the center wire grid.

8. Slide the flower onto either a wire, shaped to the design of your choice, or a leather strip (figure C).