Wire Pendant

Lately I've been playing around and experimenting with wire. I find it fun and rewarding to twist some wire into wearable art. I saw this photo on Pinterest and wanted to recreate it the best I could. 

Inspiration

 anikosandor 

Supplies

• 16 gauge wire
• 28 gauge wire
• Bead
• Wire cutters
• Round needle nose pliers

First, take your 16 gauge wire and shape it into a tear drop shape. I shaped mine before I cut it so I could make it a size I liked. I left some extra to loop it around itself and to also make a loop for a necklace chain.

Next, make a smaller tear drop shape to fit inside the first one. Leave some extra to loop the two ends around.

Then, cut a piece of the 28 gauge wire to wrap around the bottom of both tear drops. I wrapped mine off centered. 

Next, I cut another piece of 16 gauge wire and made the center. I twisted the ends using my rounded needle nose pliers. Then, I added my bead with 28 gauge wire. The wire with the bead is wrapped a couple of times around the center wire and then is used to hold the center wired to the inside tear drop.

Use more 28 gauge wire to attach the bottom of the center wire to the inside and outside tear drops.

Then,  cut another piece of 28 gauge wire and attach the other end of the center wire to the inside tear drop.

Here's a close up of the center of the pendant. 

Now you have a handcrafted wire pendant!

It doesn't look exactly like the inspiration photo but I'm happy with it. I'll keep practicing and hopefully get better at my wire shaping skills!

Tree of Life Pendant

I found this Tree of Life Pendant on Pinterest a few months ago. I made a couple of these for Christmas presents. They are super fun to make. I made this one last night for my sister. She just made 1st chair for Bass Clarinet in All-State Band. For those of you not familiar with high school band stuff, this is a BIG deal! So, she requested this pendant in black a little while ago and now I made one for her as a congratulatory gift! 

Inspiration

Melok's Place

Supplies

• 18 gauge Artist Wire
• 26 gauge wire
• Beads
• Necklace Chain
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Rounded Needle Nose Pliers
• Wire cutters

First, you'll need a cylindrical object that is about 2 inches in diameter. I used a season salt jar. 

Next, wrap your 18 gauge wire around the object to make a perfect circle. It usually takes about 7 inches of wire or so to get around the jar and to leave extra to make the loop for the chain and some to connect the circle. Make the loop by using your rounded needle nose pliers. Then take about 4 inches of the 26 gauge wire and wrap it around the area where the two sides of the circle meet to connect them.

Now, cut 7 pieces of the 18 gauge wire 7 inches in length each. 

Next, bend each piece of cut wire in half. 

 Then, wrap each wire around the circle and twist. I used my needle nose pliers to make the twist tight.

Continue to add each wire. I added three pieces to one side of the circle and four pieces to the other.

Then start adding your beads. I did a pattern of 9, 10, 9, 10, 9, 10, 9. You can make your own pattern by the size of beads you use and how full you want your tree to be.

After you add your beads to one wire, twist the wire until you reach the bottom of the circle.

Continue to add beads and twist the wires to the bottom of the circle.

Take the middle two wires with beads and twist them together.

Then, take the side two wires and twist them together. After that, twist the side and the middle wires together. Do the same thing with the other side. There should be one last wire on the end. Just twist that one into the tree too.

Here's the tree.

Next, wrap the roots around the bottom of the circle. Use the needle nose pliers to wrap tightly and to smooth the pointy ends of the wire. 

Then, take the needle nose pliers and ad some twists to the tree branches. Add your chain and you're done!

These are super fun to make! I love trees!