Wire Jewelry Instructions for Name Writing

Use craft wire to make personalize jewelry.

Many women and girls like name jewelry because it seems more personal than a simple pendant or beaded necklace. Some women purchase necklaces with their own names on them while others prefer jewelry that spells the name of a romantic partner or loved one. Unfortunately, those with rare names or names with unusual spelling often have trouble finding jewelry of this nature. Though some jewelry artists make custom items, some of them can be very expensive or take a long time to ship through the mail. Making your own wire name jewelry is relatively quick and very inexpensive.

Things You'll Need

• 20 gauge craft wire
• Wire snips
• Jewelry pliers

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of wire about four times as long as you want your end product to be. For instance, if you want to write a name that is 3 inches long when finished, cut a 12-inch piece of wire.

2. Use a cursive font for your wire name. It is the easiest font to form with a single piece of wire since most of its letters are meant to connect to each other. Its curves and flourishes also make it easier to form all of the letters.

3. Write down the name you want to form before bending the wire. Write slowly and clearly in cursive, making the letters about the same size that you want to make them in wire. Pay attention to how you form the letters; you will form most of them with the same method in wire.

4. Bend one end of your wire up at a 90-degree angle and use your jewelry pliers to curl the very tip into a loop for a cord or chain to pass through later. Start your first letter about 1/4 inch away from the 90-degree angle.

5. Bend the wire up to form the upsweep of your first letter. Most cursive capital letters begin with an upsweep, excluding only Q and Z. Begin these by bending the wire up and making a loop at the top of the bend. Make capital I's backwards by starting with sharp end flourish and then bending the wire up and around in the main loop.

6. Use the tapered teeth on the end of your pliers to form curves in your letters. Hold one side of the wire in your non-dominant hand and press the wire around a tooth and down with the other hand.

7. Backtrack to form certain letters. For lowercase A's, C's and other letters, you will have to form the front curve of the letter then bend the wire backward and press it against the curve you just made to finish making the letter.

8. End the name by making a bend in the wire with a loop in the top. Try to make the loops as even in height as possible so that the name hangs straight.

References

• Beading Gem: Wire Name Writing Tutorial
• Wire Name: Wire Jewelry Artisan
• Smart Flix: Bend Your Own Wire Names