First Steps

I first came across wire wrapping back in May while doing research for another craft on You Tube.  My insatiable thirst for learning new crafts led me to look at one video after another. I was hooked. I decided that I would gradually buy the tools I would need since I was saving up for a family vacation with two of my daughters and grandchildren. I bought a flush cutter. Had no idea what it was for but it was in the jewelry making section at my local Wal-Mart along with several other different types of pliers.

That is as far as I got until about three weeks ago. While cleaning my house I picked up those cutters and decided they had lain around long enough and it was time to get going with my plans to learn this new craft. It also helped that after a hectic summer things had finally slowed down and I actually had time to stop and learn. And so it began.

To date, I have made two pins and a bracelet. I have also made several wire beads. The beads were a part of the learning, the pins because I couldn't wait to learn everything and had to make something with the limited knowledge I had. To my surprise the first pin looked remarkably well. I needed something to give away for a door prize at a church event and had made this pin while sitting in my brothers hospital room. So I don't have my very first project. I did, however, make another one and of course it is not exactly the same because crafter that I am I had to experiment.

 

There are plans for a third with modifications and beads.  This was inspired by a feather look wire wrapped headband that I saw a picture of. Yes, I know it looks more like a tree then a feather, thats just how my mind functions or maybe its my eye sight.

 

 

I didn't have much in the way of wire when I did this project. I had two guages of wire: 20 ga mahogany, 20 ga pink and 24 ga gold. I had a tool set that included round nose pliers, flush cutters, bent pliers and flat pliers. I'm probably not calling them by their proper names but hey, I've only been doing this for a few weeks. Also in the set came a bead reamer and a tweezer/bead shovel combo.

 

 

 

My photo is lying. Please forgive it. It was suppose to be gold wire instead of the silver.

This  is what I started with. Of course this didn't last long as I got on the net and ordered more.  The dark purple handled pliers with the nylon tips in above photo did not come with the set. I just store them together. That was my first order of business was to get those pliers. They are used for straightening the wire among other things. These are a definate must if you want to work with wire.   These five pliers shown above are a great starter kit.

 

 

Also with my online shopping I bought several other gadgets.  Shown above is a wire coiler. That silver thing that looks like a big T.  I also bought a double ended gadget for twisting wire together  and a wooden handled file for rounding out the ends of cut wire.  Shown, but bought at Michael's, is jewelry glue.  I have used the wire coiler quite a bit already not only teaching myself how to make wire beads as well as teaching my sister-in-law but turning all those small remnants of wire left over from a project in into coil beads.

 

 

 

 

That is my very first wire bead  bottom center.  They look complicated but are very easy to make. I have plans to make a larger one and turn it into a necklace. I'll do a tutorial when i make it so everyone can make their own.

 

I have since been to Michael's craft store and bought more wire, more beads and more gadgets. And of course my sister-in-law who is another crafty person wanted to go to Michael's, a new one just opened up fairly close to where we live. So once again another trip to Michael's. Having this store nearby is not good for my budget. But I now have a better variety of wires and guages of wire. More on this in another blog.

 

Sometimes you will get ahold of  some wire that you don't know the guage of.  So it is advisable that you get a tool to help you (bottom center). If you are going to make rings then you will need a ring mandrel, that long conical silver stick, and a ring sizer.

For flattening and shaping pieces in your project you will need to get a hammer and an anvil or metal block to do this with. This is a chading hammer. I plan on buying another one that has a more rounded head so it won't leave marks on a flattened piece. For now I don't mind it as I am only practicing and want to see what kind of texture I can make with this flatter head.

 

 

This is my last project to date.  I saw a picture of a braclet while I was browsing and couldn't get it out of my head. This is what I came up. I still need to put a clasp on it as the guage of wire is not quite big enough to hold the shape as much as I want it to. 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how my work progresses and I welcome any comment or suggestions you may have. My hope is that other new wire wrappers will find their way to this site and take the journey with me.