Instructions for the Herringbone Wire Wrap

The herringbone wire wrap, or herringbone weave, is a V-shaped weaving pattern that looks like the bones of a herring fish. This type of pattern can be made with bead, threads, and jewelry wire. When made with jewelry wire, the herringbone wrap creates a diamond-shaped pattern around a bead. Make wire-wrapped beads with the distinctive style of the herringbone pattern to create eye-catching pendants, wire-wrapped bracelets and earrings.

Things You'll Need

• 20 gauge jewelry wire
• Wire cutters
• Round nose pliers
• Chain nose pliers
• 3/4-inch round bead
• 26 gauge wire

Instructions

1. Cut a 6-inch piece of the 20 gauge jewelry wire with wire cutters.

2. Hold onto the wire, 3 inches down from the end with round nose pliers. Position the round nose pliers jaws so that they are horizontal to your workspace. Bend the wire over one of the jaws in a 90-degree angle. Bend the wire up over the top jaw of the pliers to create a loop. Move the end of the wire behind the downward facing section of the wire.

3. Hold onto the loop with chain nose pliers. Wrap the short end of the wire around the straight length of the wire, six times, in a tight wraps. Trim the excess wire down with wire cutters.

4. Slide your bead onto the straight end of the wire. Make a loop with the other end of the wire as before, then wrap the short end of the wire six times around the long end. Trim off the excess wire with wire cutters.

5. Cut a 2.5-feet piece of 26 gauge wire. Place one end of the 26 gauge wire behind the base of the wire-wrapped loop, just above the top of the bead. Position the end of the 26 gauge wire 1 inch above the bead, at the back of the wire wrapped loop base, then wrap the end of the 26 gauge wire around the wire-wrapped loop base two turns. Trim off the excess wire from the short end with wire cutters.

6. Move the longer end of the 26 gauge wire down the side of the bead, to the bottom wire-wrapped loop. Wrap the wire once around the coil of the wire-wrapped loop, near the bottom of the bead.

7. Move the wire up the other side of the bead to the top wire-wrapped loop and wrap it around the wire-wrapped loop, above the first wrap you made with the 26 guage wire, one time.

8. Continue wrapping the 26 guage wire around the wrapped wire loop bases at the top and bottom of the bead, alternating between the left and right side of the bead to create the diamond-shaped herringbone pattern. Once the herringbone pattern is the desired width, about four to five complete wrappings around the bead, trim the excess wire with wire cutters.