Designs to Make Wire Earrings
Wire earrings are a great way to get started in making jewelry. In most cases, simple small pliers are all that is required. Ear wires (looped bows of wire that attach earrings to pierced ears) are easy to buy or make. When starting out, the best metal to work with is sterling silver wire. It is less expensive than gold and very easy to work with.
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Wire-Only Earrings
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The most basic wire earring design is to take a straight piece of silver or gold wire and hammer most of it flat while leaving enough at the top to make a loop to attach the earring to an ear wire. Gold and silver can be hammered into flat, thin shapes. You can then trim the hammered metal into similar shapes to make a pair of earrings. Another method for making simple wire earrings is to make wire coils to attach to ear wires. A single coil can make an earring or a series of coils can be attached together to make a longer earring. These coils can be circular, triangular, square or any other shape you like. Hammer the coils to varying thicknesses for some fun variations on basic coil earrings.
Wires and Beads
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After making a few wire-only earrings, try adding some beads. Simple glass beads at various points of a wire curve or coil are beautiful. Some shops sell semiprecious and precious stone beads, and some antique African beads are still available. If you are hammering around a bead, take care not to break the bead with the hammer. You can make simple bead earrings by making a wire loop at the end of a piece of wire. This loop should be wider than the hole in a particular bead. Slide the bead over the wire and make a loop at the top to attach the earring to the ear wire. Loops and coils can also be used above or below this beaded component.
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Wire-Wrapping
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Wire-wrapping is a technique of using silver or gold wire to wrap an object. The wrap acts as a setting or basket. Stone and glass are often ideal for wire-wrapping. Objects that have protrusions are easier to wrap than smooth shapes such as orbs or teardrops. Wire-wrapping requires some inexpensive specialized tools to assist with wire-bending and clipping. Wire-wrapped components can be used in conjunction with wire-only forms and wires with beads. Your two main limitations are imagination and weight.
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