How to Make a Large Wire Heart Sculpture
Working with wire to create fine to large sculpture projects involves various types of wire and techniques. While some wire artists combine solder and wire, others use use wire to develop a design without the use of solder. Also, the wire used for a project can be a combination of colors, types and sizes.
Things You'll Need
- 40-inch-wide roll of shipping paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- 4-foot-by-4-foot wood square
- Sandpaper
- 12-gauge copper wire
- 10-gauge copper wire
- Wire cutters
- Copper nails
- Hammer
Instructions
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1
Sand then remove any dust from the wood.
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2
Measure and cut out a piece of shipping paper that is 3-foot-by-3-foot. Place the piece of brown shipping paper on a flat surface. Draw the outline of a heart. For a symmetrical heart, fold the paper in half lengthwise and draw half a heart starting on the side with the fold. Cut this out and unfold the paper and you have a whole heart.
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3
Lay the paper heart on a flat surface. Form the outline of the wire heart with 12-gauge copper wire by laying it over the paper heart and shaping it along the heart's outside edge. Start by setting one tip of the wire three inches below the bottom point of the heart. When you reach the bottom point again, measure down three inches and clip the wire.
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4
Form partial loops on both ends of the wire by bending the ends back on themselves and hook the loops together. Close the loops completely.
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5
Cut off 4 inches from the paper pattern all around the outside edge.
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6
Form the outline of another heart with the 12-gauge copper wire. Start by setting one tip of the wire three inches below the bottom point of the heart. When you reach the bottom point again, measure down three inches and clip the wire.
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7
Form partial loops on both ends of the wire by bending the ends back on themselves, and hook the loops together. Close the loops completely.
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8
Cut off another 4 inches from the paper pattern all around the outside edge.
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9
Form the outline of a third heart with the 12-gauge copper wire. Start by setting one tip of the wire three inches below the bottom point of the heart. When you reach the bottom point again, measure down three inches and clip the wire.
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10
Form partial loops on both ends of the wire by bending the ends back on themselves, and hook the loops together. Close the loops completely.
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11
Lay the wooden square on a flat surface.
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12
Lay all three hearts on the wooden square. The largest will be on the outside, medium in the middle and smallest in the middle. Place them so that there is equal distance between each.
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13
Hammer 10 copper nails around the inside of each heart.
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14
Use the 10-gauge copper wire and wrap one end around the top nail in the large heart and move to the top nail in the medium heart and wrap the wire around this nail. Move to the top nail in the small heart and wrap the wire around the nail. Move to the next nail to the right of the top nail in the middle heart then to the nail to the right of the top nail in the large heart. Continue working around to the right connecting the three hearts. When you reach the last nail, wrap the wire around the nail and cut the end with the wire cutter.
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Tips & Warnings
The wire heart sculpture can be mounted on a wall or set outside in a garden to weather naturally.
Sand the cut wire ends for a smooth finish.
Be careful working with the wire, as it can flip around and the sharp ends can cause injury.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
