Since this is May and the month for Mother’s day I thought we’d do something kind of special.  I must admit I’m not the best at creating letters out of wire as I am just learning.

This lesson will show you how to create this special heart pendant with the word mom spelled out in the center.  I also added a Swarovski Crystal dangle in my birth month color which is Garnet.

I have included a birthstone chart for your connivance.

Tools and Supplies

• 1 foot 18ga copper wire
• 4” 20 ga copper wire or 1 head pin
• Flush cutter
• Chain nose pliers
• Flat nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Fine point marking pen
• 1 Swarovski Crystal bicone bead in your mother’s birthstone color

Birthstones Photo

Step 1:  

Take your 18ga wire and straighten as much as possible.  Make a mark about 4” from one end.  Using your round nose pliers bend the wire around the jaw until both ends are perpendicular to one another.      

Step 2:  

Using your fingers make a gentle curve on the longest part of the wire.  This will be the first hump of the letter M.  Make a mark on the shorter wire about one half inch down from the top of the hump.

Step 3:  

Take your flat nose pliers and place just above the mark you just made.  Bend the end of your wire upward.  It should look like this

Step 4:  

...now take your round nose pliers and take hold of that wire and gently roll over.  Push the end down so your piece looks like this.  You may need to work with this a bit so both tops of the M are even or the second hump is slightly lower that the first.  Either is fine.

Step 5:  

With your fingers pull side to side on the humps so your M looks like this.  now make another mark that’s about even with the bottom of the center of your M

Step 6:  

Repeat step three here

Step 7:  

With your flat nose pliers take hold of the wire going from front to back

Step 8:  

Bend the wire out straight and make a mark one fourth inch away.

Step 9:  

Using your round nose pliers make your O by placing the jaws centred on top of that mark.  Now bring the wire end down and around.  You will have to adjust the placement of the pliers as you make your circle.

Step 10:  

...and bring that wire end around and over the top of the pliers jaw.

Step 11:  

When step 10 is completed your piece will look like this.

Step 12:  

Again, using your flat nose pliers grab the wire coming from the O just as close to it as possible and bend the end down.

Step 13:  

Take hold of this wire end... 

Step 14:  

...and again make an upward turn.

Step 15:  

Now with your round nose pliers grab that “bend” from the back and bend the wire tail over the outer pliers jaw

Step 16:  

...repeat step 14 then step 15 and you now have the lower case letter m

Step 17:  

Depending on how long the wire is on the end of that second m you may wish to shorten it or not.  To finish that end just make a simple curl using the tips of your round nose pliers.

Step 18:  

Now taking that long wire at the beginning, gently curve it towards the center of your piece.  Using your round nose pliers grab hold of it right below the O in the word Mom.  Bend the other end gently upward

Step 19:  

Gently curve this wire up and around the end of the word then curve down making the right hand top of the heart.  Again, using the O as your guide, bend the wire straight up using your flat or round nose pliers.

Step 20:  

Here we’re going to make a simple hangman’s noose type bail.

Grab your wire with the round nose pliers about even with the top of the heart you just made.  Bend the end of the wire around the pliers jaw crossing over the upward part.

Step 21:  

...and wrap the end around it two or three times.  Remember to clip the excess or the end is on the backside of the pendant.

Step 22:  

Now we’re going to make the paddle pin for the crystal.  If you wish you may simply want to use a head pin here. 

Take your 4” of 20ga wire and place one end on a very hard surface and pound with a steel hammer.  The amount of flattened wire you want will depend on how much you want to be on the underside of the bead.  Mine is only about 1/8”.

Step 23:  

Thread your bead on this wire and about 18” up from the points of your round nose pliers grab the wire and bend to the side.

Step 24:  

Bring the tail over and around...

Step 25:  

...crossing over the main wire

Step 26:  

Before going further clip this over the O in the word Mother then complete the wrapping as you did in step 21.

Use your fingers to do any final shaping and you’re done.   You can add a chain, ribbon or cording to finish.  I know your Mom will love it because you made it just for her.

Remember, you do not have to use copper.  You can use Sterling, Gold Filled, or colored craft wire.  By making slight adjustments in some of the spacing you can vary the look.  You may wish to make the first hump of the first M taller than the second.  Just make that first mark further down on the wire.

Hey, just have fun!

Happy Mother’s day to all the Mothers out there!