Have you ever wanted to create your own jewellery? But felt you didn't have the time and money to invest in another skill? Now is the time to begin: Wire Jewellery Making just involves three basic tools (two pliers and one set of snips) plus some beads and coils of wire ... the rest is enthusiasm and the determination to try! (Be careful ... you can become hooked!!)

WHAT YOU NEED TO BEGIN
Most craft and hobby shops have the basic materials and equipment required for simple wire work. If you can' find what you need locally there are plenty of suppliers on the internet.

TOOLS
You will need three basic tools to begin, these are: ROUND NOSE AND FLAT NOSE PLIERS and WIRE SNIPS (or cutters)

As you become more proficient, you might want to increase your range of tools to incorporate: SNIPE NOSED PLIERS (these are similar to flat nosed pliers with tapered ends that are useful for delicate work), HAMMER (this is useful for work hardening, texturing, flattening and spreading) and should be used with a STEEL BLOCK (to keep wire smooth and flat when hammered).

WIRE
Wire is obtainable in varying gauges and colours. For most basic projects, I recommend using 0.8mm wire, which isn't too flimsy and delicate. The thinner wires, such as 0.4mm and 0.6mm, are suitable for binding, wrapping and twisting together, whilst the thicker gauges, 1mm, 1.2mm and 1.5mm are harder to manipulate but look very attractive for bolder, chunkier designs. If you are just a beginner, I would suggest experimenting with 0.8mm copper wire, as it is so soft and flexible and will enable you to get used to the tools and basic techniques.


If you would like to have a go at creating your first piece of jewellery then print or save the following files. All wirejewellery.co.uk factsheets are in .pdf format. To download the latest viewer please click here: