DIY Network

Wire Wrapping and a Rosary Technique Visit DIY's Craft Lab to learn how to wrap wire and a rosary jewelry-making technique. From "Craft Lab" episode DCLB-205

Guest Maya Brenner joins host Jennifer Perkins and demonstrates a wire wrapping technique, and she shares a rosary technique that make creating jewelry a craft anyone can tackle.

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	Guest Maya Brenner reveals the key to creating the perfect rosary loop.
	Figure A
	Figure B
	This is what your wire will look like if wrapped properly.

Materials for Wire Wrapping:

metal wire of silver or gold-fill beads
flat nose pliers
round nose pliers
wire cutters

Materials for the Rosary Technique:

one 2" head pin
two 1" eye pins
one 4mm spacer bead
four 8mm beads
needle nose chain pliers
rosary pliers or round nose pliers and wire cutter

1. For the wire wrapping, slide your beads onto a head pin. You need at least 2" of wire above the beads in order to have enough wire to complete the wrap.

2. Grab the head pin just above your beads with the tips of your rosary pliers. Be gentle when your pliers are up against the beads. The hardness of the tool can damage a crystal or gemstone.

3. Use your finger to bend the wire over the top of the pliers to make a 90-degree angle (figure A).

4. Rotate your pliers a one fourth turn up, which lands your pliers tips grabbling above and below the wire.

5. With your hand, pull the tail of wire over and down the other side of the pliers.

6. Rotate the pliers a turn up and pull the wire under and across to form a complete circle (figure B).

7. Before you complete the wire wrap now is the time to hook on the ear wire, link of chain, component ring or another wire wrapped bead unit.

8. Grip the wire loop with needle nose pliers. Grab the end of the tail with bent chain nose pliers.

9. Pull the wire around the head pin making two to three complete circles until you are very close to the bead.

10. Cut the excess wire with your wire cutters.

11. Press the bent chain nose pliers against the wire wrap in the direction you were wrapping to tuck the end in.

12. For the rosary technique, slide beads onto a head or eye pin.

13. Using your finger, bend the wire at a right angle on top of the bead.

14. Using the cutting portion of the rosary pliers, remove excess wire leaving about 3/8".

15. Find the place on your plier's tips that are approximately 1/4" from the end.

16. Using your rosary pliers, approximately 1/4" from the tip, grab the very end of the wire.

17. Using your wrist, curl the wire toward yourself, slide the pliers back into their original position and curl the wire again.

18. Continue to curl until the wire forms a complete circle. Double check to make sure the rosary loop is closed.

19. To open or close a rosary loop, lift the loop out of its plane. Do not pull the loop open sideways or you will distort its round shape.

20. Insert another rosary loop or an ear wire. Close the loop using your needle nose chain pliers. Make sure the tip of the wire fits snuggly against the bead to form a secure loop.

10 Things You Need for Making Jewelry

1. Round nosed pliers — used to make loops.
   
2. Flat nosed pliers — used for closing up the jump rings and connecting crimp beads and more vital tasks.
   
3. Craft drill.
   
4. Jump rings — used for hooking things together.
   
5. Ear hooks.
   
6. Crimp beads.
   
7. Jewelry wire.
   
8. Clasps.
   
9. Head pin — a thin piece of wire with a stopper at the end to keep beads from falling off.
   
10. Eye pin — a piece of wire with a loop at the end.

RESOURCES :

Luxe Jewels
Website: www.luxejewels.com

GUESTS :

Maya Brenner
Website: www.mayabrenner.com