One thing I love about wire working is that you can make a beautiful piece with just a few inches of wire.
If you love sparkle, it’s easy to wire on beads and crystals.
- How to choose the right wire for your project
- Steps for shaping graceful curves and loops for your heart charm
- Hammering techniques to harden and add dimension to your piece
- How to wire on beads, crystals or pearl accents
- Two different ways to finish the bottom of your heart
- A way to wire wrap small dangles at the bottom of your heart
- How to form spirals and squiggles to fill the interior of your charm
- Steps for wiring your filler pieces onto the hearts
Need more info about working with wire? Here are some helpful videos:
- What Do Dead Soft, Half Hard and Full Hard Mean? All About Wire Hardness
- How to Give Your Jewelry an Antique Oxidized Look with Liver of Sulfur Patina
- What is Wire Gauge? What Size Wire To Use In Jewelry and Wire Wrapping
- Silver plated vs. silver filled wire
Tools & Materials:
- Bare copper wire, 16 and 26 gauge
- Sterling silver filled wire, 16 and 26 or 28 gauge
- Bail making pliers
- Round nose pliers
- Flat nose pliers
- Chain nose pliers
- Bent chain nose pliers
- Nylon jaw pliers
- Wire cutters
- Bench block
- Leather sandbag
- Chasing hammer
- Hybrid chain/round nose pliers
- File or cup burr
Notes about wire:
- If you want to add a patina to your wire work, do NOT buy wire that has a coating or says non-tarnish.
- You can purchase wire from Amazon, but for the silver filled you’ll likely get better prices from RioGrande.com or FireMountainGems.com
Beads used:
- 1x2mm crystal rondelle, Opaque Turquoise
- 2mm Czech glass pearl, Purple Velvet Rainbow
- 3.4mm drop fringe seed bead, Seafoam Green Matte Picasso
Watch the Cute Beaded Wire Heart Charms video on YouTube.
