How to Wire a Fused Glass Cabochon

Wire wrap glass cabochons to make pendants.

Fused glass cabochons feature whorls of colors and patterns fused together by heating different pieces of glass so they meld together. The cabochons themselves come in many sizes, are usually oval, and usually have a flat back with a convex face.



Drilling cabochons for jewelry can be difficult to nearly impossible without shattering them. An easier solution involves wire-wrapping these art pieces. The effect is quite striking and showcases the colored glass nicely.

Things You'll Need

• Glass cabochon
• Measuring tape
• 22 gauge square wire
• Wire nips
• Masking tape
• Round-nosed pliers

Instructions

1. Measure around the edge of your cabochon with a measuring tape. Add 4 inches to the resulting measurement and cut four pieces of wire to this length. For a cabochon measuring 6 inches around, you'll need four pieces of wire 10 inches long.

2. Cut three more pieces of wire about 3 inches long. Lay the 10-inch wires right next to each other, lining them up exactly. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the ends of the wires, securing them together.

3. Slide a 3-inch wire under the center of your longer wires. Wrap the wire in a tight, flat coil around the longer wires. Press the ends against the longer wires with your round-nosed pliers. Repeat with the other two 3-inch pieces, spacing the pieces 2 inches apart in this case. Space the flat coils 1/3 of the measurement around the cabochon without the extra 4 inches.

4. Place the bottom edge of the cabochon against the center flat coil of your wire set. Bend the wires up around the cabochon until you get to the top edge. Squeeze the two sides of your wire set together with your pliers. The set should be very snug around the cabochon.

5. Grip the top wire of your set with your pliers, starting at the upper left quarter of your cabochon. Tug the wire into a point over the front of the cabochon. Repeat with the other quarters of the cabochon, continuing on the back. This creates brackets to keep the glass in place.

6. Remove the tape from the ends of your wire set. Bend the two front and two back wires down at a 90-degree angle. Wrap the front wires once around the back and the back wires once around the front. This creates a base for your pendant's loop. Nip away excess wire.

7. Grip all four remaining wires from your wire set. They should be sticking straight up. Bend them down toward the back of the cabochon with your round-nosed pliers, creating a loop. Squeeze the loop closed just above the coiled wires at the top of the cabochon. Nip away excess wire to finish the loop.

References

• Glass Fusing Made Easy: Wire Wrapping
• Shoozles Wear Your Art: Wire Wrapping Glass Cabochon
• Clay and Glass Blog: Making Fused Glass Cabochons