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Free Wheeling Pendant

by Linda “Sorcie” Smith

Jewelry  artisans  have  begun  to  explore  many  other
craft fields to find techniques that can be adapted to
wire, such as crochet, knitting, and weaving. Adding
these  dimensions  to  jewelry  enables  wire  artisans
to  produce  works  that  are  rich  in  texture  and  eye
appeal.

This pendant employs a wire frame over which a
weaving technique is used, as well as coiling. Beads
are added later by “sewing” them onto the woven
frame.

One-of-a-kind wire weave and beads.

materiaLS:

18-gauge half-hard round wire

24-gauge dead soft round wire

16 x 8mm Bali style flat bead

4-5mm square beads, 3

7.5mm pearl

3.5mm beads, 2

7 x 10mm rondelle
2.5 and 3mm square and round metal beads

tOOLS:

Round nose pliers

Flat nose pliers

Chain nose pliers

Mandrels of different sizes

Flush cutters

Planishing or ball peen hammer

Bench block or anvil

Plastic coated clamp
Ring mandrel

techniqueS

Wirework

Step 1

To make the frame, cut

an 8” piece of the 18-gauge
wire. Make a loop using the
widest part of your round nose
pliers, and then form the wire
1-1/2 times around the largest
size on your ring mandrel.

Step 2

Use your round nose

pliers to form another loop on
the end of the wire and then
form a loose spiral around the
loop. Pull gently on the wire so
that the wire loops fit inside
each other.

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Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Lay the wire on your anvil and use your hammer to slightly flatten and harden

your wire frame.

Turn the top loop into a bail by using your flat nose pliers to rotate it 90° and

perpendicular to the frame.

Clamp the wire loops into position with the plastic coated clamp so that the

two widest curved sides have 1/4”-5/16” space between them to accommodate the
weave. Cut a 2’ piece of the 24-gauge wire and use your flat nose pliers to bend a
V on the wire end. Position the V beneath the bail and wind several coils of wire
beneath the bail to anchor the weave. Coil the wire from the inside of the frame
to the outside with your dominant hand while you hold the frame with your other
hand.

Come up behind the outside frame wire, and wind around it. To begin the

weave, take the wire down through the space between the wires and bring it up
on the inside of the inner wire. Coil this wire once around and then bring the wire
back down through the space between the frame wires and up on the outside of the
outer wire.

Step 7

Step 8

Make sure to keep the wire coiled tightly on the frame, but be careful not to

pull too tight as it will distort your coil. When the original 2’ of wire comes to an
end, coil the wire around the inner wire and trim the front. Close the coil with the
flush cutters.

Begin a second wire by making a V with the flat nose pliers, forming a binding

coil on the outer wire. Pick up the weave again, making the transition as seamless
as possible. Continue to weave until the two wires move apart when the curl goes
to the inside.

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Step 9

Step 10

Step 11

After the weave ends, begin to coil the wire around the single outer frame wire.

Periodically, alternately adding a 2mm round, then a square bead to the outside of
the outer wire for decoration.

Coil around the wire all the way back to the bail.

With the long coiling wire end near the bail, thread on the 16mm Bali bead.

Coil the wire around the frame to secure the bead at the 11 o’clock position on the
frame.

Step 12

Step 13

Intermittently coil the wire back down toward the curl and the weave, adding

3mm rectangular beads to the wire frame. Complete the last coil by coming up over
the outside, so that the next wrap will go down through the inside of the frame. If
necessary, to get the wire into position, come up through the last weave stitch.

Thread a 3mm accent bead, the rondelle, and another 3mm accent bead onto

the wire and secure it by going under the frame wire and coiling around it twice.

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Step 14

Step 15

Step 16

Coming up from the outside of the frame wire, thread on 2 round accent

beads, 2 rectangular beads, the 3 cube beads, 2 more rectangles, and 2 more rounds.
Secure the beads by coiling down over the outside of the frame 2 coils.

To add the pearl, bring the wire up from the back of the pendant through the

second weave stitch, and coil once. Add the pearl, and push it down into the top
open space of the pendant. Insert the wire back through the weave. Bring the wire
back up on the inside of the pendant, between the pearl and over the last stitch of
the wire, locking the pearl in place.

To finish the pendant decoration, add two 2.5mm rectangular silver beads and

“sew” a stitch into the weave. Repeat with a 3.5mm bead, then 2 more rectangles,
then the remaining 3.5mm bead, and lastly 2 rectangles and two 2.5mm round metal
beads, bringing them to the base of the spiral. End the wire by coiling it tightly
around the armature of the spiral and flush cut the wire on the front of the piece.
Press it tight with your chain nose. Trim all wire ends close to the coil, with the end
on the front of the pendant for wearing comfort.

LINDA  “SORCIE”  SMITH  is  a  graphics  shop  owner  and  jewelry
designer  from  Beaver  Falls,  PA.  Co-moderator  of  the  Creative
Wire Jewelry forum, she loves to combine compelling colors with
imaginative balance in her designs. She teaches lessons locally
and  has  written  tutorials  for  online  Web  sites;  Linda  can  be
contacted via her Web site, www.FacetsOfLight.com.