This month I’m going to show you how to create this beautiful Sculpted Wire Bead Pendant.  I used a lamp work bead here but you may also use a Polymer Clay bead or any bead that has a hole large enough to accept three 22 gauge square wires.

MATERIALS:

Three 22 gauge Gold Fill or Sterling wires 10 inches long

One 14mm bead with a 2mm hole.  Polymer clay beads can be drilled out to size easily.

TOOLS:

Flush wire cutter

Flat nose pliers with smooth jaw

Mandrel to make your bail.  I used a #9 knitting needle

1/8” quilters tape

OPTIONAL:  Pin vice or locking pliers for twisting those outer wires.

Step 1

Straighten your wires and tape together at one end.  Slide your bead onto the wires to about 4” from the taped end.

Step 2

Take hold of your wires below the bead with your thumb and forefinger and bend the wires to the side at a 45 degree angle.

Step 3

Continue to curve your wires upward as shown here

Step 4

Bring the ends over and across just below the bead.

Step 5

Continue curving your wire until you have a complete curl and wires are back to the beginning.  Don’t worry about your bead moving a bit at this point.  This will be taken care of later.

Step 6

Now curve your wires up, around and cross over the top of your bead.

Step 7

Bend your around to the back of the top wires.  Make sure you leave a little space below the bottom of the bead as shown here. 

Step 8

Squeeze the wires snugly to the upper wires using your flat nose pliers.

Step 9

Now bring those wire ends back over the front of your piece.  Again snug with your flat nose pliers.

Step 10

Now make a curl.  Just bring the wire up and around and back down on the other side.  You may want to place the thumb of your holding hand in the center of the curl while making it to hold the wires flat. 

Curve the wires down towards the bottom

Step 11

Bring your curved wires so they cross over the bottom. Curve up so they cross that little space below the bead and clip off the excess wire leaving about a quarter of an inch extra length.

Step 12

Now bend these wires around and fold under the main wires.

Step 13

Turn your piece over and clip the excess wire so the ends won’t show from the front.  Press snugly with your flat nose pliers. 

Step 14

At this point your pendant should look like this.  Now your ready to work with those top wires.

Step 15

For this step you’ll need your mandrel to make the bail.  I simply used a #9 knitting needle.  If you’re lucky enough to have a small bench vice you can clamp your mandrel in it and this step will be a bit easier.

You can also lay your work down on your work space with the back facing you.  Bend the top wires over the mandrel about ¾” up from your previous work and bring the ends outward as shown.

Step 16

Take a piece of your tape and tape around the bail.  This will simply hold your wires in place while you finish your pendant.

Step 17

Now hold that taped bail and bring the ends of the wires out to the side and up at a 45 degree angle.

Step 18

Now wrap those wires around the front.

Step 19

Bring those wires around and back across the front.

If you want these wires to be twisted in the final step, do this now.

Step 19b

To twist these wires slightly separate them at the bottom and chuck the end of one of the wires into your pin vice and tighten.  While holding your pendant with the opposite hand simply twist this wire until the pattern pleases you.  Do this with each of the other two wires.

Step 20

Now curve these wires down towards the very bottom.  You’ll be attaching them into the very bottom curve just as we did in the earlier step.

As you can see here the wires are not twisted.  That’s because after I took this photo I decided to twist them.  You can leave them plain and the pendant is just as pretty.

Step 21

Connect the outer wires to the bottom in the same manor as you did in steps 12 and 13.  Remove the tape. polish your piece, add your chain or cord and you’re ready to go.