Tools:

Supplies:

Since this project is for July I thought this simple red, white and blue pendant would be perfect.

Editor's note:  This column reached me in time for publication by the first of July.  Due to personal reasons, I was unable to publish until July 15th.  To be fair to our featured artists, the July article will run through August.  In my humble opinion, there's never a bad time to be patriotic.

 Tools

• Flush cutter
• Chain nose pliers
• Flat nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Bur cup or metal file
• Ruler (not shown)
• Fine tip marker (not shown)

 Supplies

• 12” of 18ga silver wire
• 2’ of 24ga silver wire*
• 8 – 8mm red beads
• 8 – 8mm white beads
• 8 – 8mm blue beads

Finished size is 1 ½” wide by 2 ½” long including the bail.

Notice the wraps here have a little space between them.  You can make these closer together and make more wraps (coiling) but you’ll need a longer piece of 24ga wire.  I would suggest an extra 6” to 8” to be on the safe side and doubling the number of wraps.  Just make sure the beaded strands lay neatly against one another coming straight from the top/bottom wires.  To make sure, after making your wraps string on a couple of beads and see if they push out or if there’s too much space between the rows.  Adjust your number of wraps accordingly. 

Step 1:  

Take your 18ga wire and measure out 1 ½” and make a bend.  You can use a tool or like I did, your fingernail

Step 2:  

From the first bend, measure 2” and make another bend, measure 1 ½” make the third bend, measure 2” and make your forth bend.

Step 3:  

You will now have a piece that looks like this.  Make a mark on the top wires ¾ from each side

Step 4:  

Using those marks bend the longer side upward and make a partial loop on the other side

Step 5:  

Hook that around the longer wire and tighten with your flat nose pliers

Step 6:  

Now take your 24ga wire and lay it over the bottom of your piece leaving a short tail.  Take that tail and wrap it around the bottom wire going towards the outside.  Make 5 to 6 wraps.

Step 7:  

Now, string four red beads and two blue beads on the wire, pull snug and wrap the end around the upper wire about 8 times or so. 

Step 8:  

Now bring the end up through your piece and add two blue beads and four white beads...

Step 9:  

Make about 8 wraps with the wire end, add four red beads and two blue beads.  Again, make 8 wraps with the wire tail...

Step 10:  

Add your last row of two blue and four white beads.  Wrap the wire tail several times as before.  Clip off any excess wire on the back side.

Step 11:  

Take your round nose pliers and form a loop with the long upper wire.  Make sure you leave enough space to wrap the wire tale a few times for security.

Step 12:  

I find holding the loop with my flat nose pliers makes this step easier.  Take your wire end and wrap it several times until you meet the top of the pendant.  You can hold that wire with your fingers or chain nose pliers.

Step 13:  

Clip your wire on the back side of your piece and using your chain nose pliers snug the end in flush with your bindings.  You can see that here just above where the side wire loops around the bail wire.

Step 14:  

Your finished bail should look nice and neat like this one.

You can use your fingers to do any reshaping necessary to make your pendant look great.  Add a chain or a cord and you’re ready for the holiday!

This is a great pendant for the month of July in celebration of America’s Independence and also for anytime you want to show your true colors!