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 Wrapped Bead Link Instructions

Follow Steps 1-8 of Basic Wire Wrapped Loop Instructions

1) Slide your bead on the wire until it sits flush against the wire wrapped loop.

2) Hold your round nose pliers in your dominant hand.

• Using the tips of your round nose pliers, grasp the wire next to the bead.
• The bead should sit in the pliers on the opposite side of your free hand, leaving the exposed wire (tail) easily accessible.
• Leave a small gap between the bead and the pliers in which you will place your wraps.

3) Using your thumb on your free hand, press the wire firmly against the jaws of the pliers, while simultaneously rotating the pliers inward until you have crossed the wires at a right angle and created a loop (lower case “e”).

Option: If you are attaching a chain link, wire wrapped link or any findings that have loops you cannot open, make sure you connect them by sliding them on the loop before you lash your wire wraps.

4) Remove the wire/bead unit from the round nose pliers. Switch the round nose pliers into your less dominant hand and hold the unit in your other hand.

5) Use your round nose pliers to GRASP across the width of the loop (not inside) above the spot the wires cross (to anchor the wire).

6) Using chain nose pliers in your dominant hand, grasp the tip of the wire with the tip of your chain nose pliers and firmly wrap the short wire around the neck or the wire, right next to the bead.

• Wrap around 1 ½ times. Each successive wrap is placed further away from the loop head.

7) Straighten out the "Lazy Head". Once you turn your loop it will not be level. It will lean to one side. (See instructions on Basic Wire Wrapped Loop)

8) Snip any excess wire with your wire cutters. (Use the blunt edge towards the unit.)

9) 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.

Denise J. Bonaimo
Jewelry Designer and Instructor
www.bonaimo.com
artdiva@bonaimo.com