uncommon jewelry designs, fine art photography &  adult and youth jewelry classes

San Diego, CA  Visual Artist  & Educator Denise J. Bonaimo

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Wire Wrapping a Top Drilled Bead Instructions

Fig. 1	Fig. 2	Fig. 3	Fig. 4

1) Start with a Basic Wire Wrapped Loop. Do not correct the “lazy head” (lopsided loop). (Fig. 1)

2) SLIDE the top drilled bead onto the stem of yout wire.

• Grasp the bead and the wire, holding it in place. Leave some exposed wire between the loop and the bead, so when you bend an angle, the loop will sit centered above the bead.

3) BEND the first angle.

• Using your finger, push the wire (the side with the loop) into an extreme angle so the loop will sit centered above the bead. (Figure 2)
  

4) BEND the second angle.

• Keeping the bead flush against the bend you just made, place the tips of your round nose pliers on the wire just to the opposite side of the bead. Push the wire into an extreme angle until it crosses the neck of the loop. (Figure 3)
  

5) SECURE the intersecting wire with wire wraps.

• Grasping across both of the wires (with round nose pliers) right below the point where they cross will help anchor the wire while you wrap. (Figure 4)
• Wrap the wire around the neck, one complete time, below your existing loop. You can do this with your free hand if the wire is long enough, but if not, use chain nose pliers to graso the tip of the wire.
  

6) SNIP AND TUCK.

• Trim any excess wire with the blunt edge of your wire cutters and tuck in the tail of the wire using your chain nose pliers.
• Run you finger over the edge to make sure it isn’t sharp.
  

7) ROTATE YOUR LOOP HEAD. The loop may be facing in the wrong direction for your desired hanging orientation. Use chain nose pliers to reposition the loop so it is perpendicular to the bead hole.