By Sharon Herr
• Flush cutters
• Flat nose or chain nose pliers
• Bead dangle or pendant
Photo of (inhhed piece by Jim Lawiom, all other pfrofos courtesy of (he author
This "faux" filigree necklace was inspired by soldered filigree, but was made without all the equipment needed for soldering. It's fancy enough for an evening out, but would be just as at home with a pair of jeans using a lampwork heart. The wire could be twisted to give a more sparkly appeal or oxidized to give an antique look. Once you make this necklace you'll want to wear it all the time. Tape the pieces at the outer edges if you have difficulty holding all the pieces together while wrapping.
A Straighten the wire, and clean * with 0000 steel wool. Cut a 6V2" piece of 20g square wire, and bend it into a wide V shape for the large frame. Make a simple loop to the inside on each end
O Cut a 5" piece of 20g square ^ wire, and bend into a V at the center. The angle should be approximately the same as the V in Step 1. Curl the ends of the wire toward the center with round nose pliers until half of a loop is formed on each side.
O Continue to curl inward with ** flat nose or chain nose pliers to make large loose spirals. Spiral until the two meet and the wire looks like a heart.
A Cut a 4" piece of 20g square ~ wire, and bend it into another similar-angled V. With round nose pliers, bend both ends downward into half loops. Continue to curl the loops inward using flat or chain nose pliers, forming a loose spiral at each end of wire.
C Place the V frame in the middle, ^ the heart form from Step 3 above it, and the piece from Step 4 below it.
C Cut two 4" pieces of 20g square u wire, and bend them into opposite spirals forming an S shape. The pieces should be mirror images of each other. You can bend both at the same time to keep the pieces identical. One spiral should be a little larger; as those will be placed toward the center of the piece.
y Position the pieces made in Step
6 on both sides of the heart shape. Adjust the pieces as needed.
O Using pieces from the 24" of 20g half round wire, wrap both of first two pieces to the V frame with one wrap. Leave a Va " tail, turned toward the side to hold onto white starting the wraps. Place 10 wraps to show on each side. Start from the center of the V and work outward. Squeeze the wrapping wire firmly after each wrap. Leave a space in the center of the V of the frame, to hang the pendant. Make sure all wrapping wires end on the back of the piece.
Q Wrap the remaining two pieces ^ to the frame using three wraps to show for each connection. Each piece has two connections to the frame. Squeeze the wire after each wrap. Use a 2" piece of half round wire to wrap outermost scrolls to frame. This will make it easier to thread the wire through the loop without kinking.
Sharon Hen-
finds her wire wrapping passion to be relaxing and meditative. She is often found stopped on the side of the road, neaT her home, trying to capture the inspiration for her next project with a camera. She can be contacted through the Web site of her upstate New York bead store lotusbeads.com, where she teaches classes in wire wrapping and other jewelry making techniques.
H A Wrap the two pieces just
^ secured to frame to the spirals of the heart with small pieces of half round wire three times to show. Cut the chain into 6" pieces.
■I 4 Attach the chains to the loops of frame with 4mm jump rings. Attach 6mm jump rings to the ends of both chains, and add the clasp to one side. Attach the bead dangle pendant to the center of the V frame using the bail or wrapped loop. Remove any scratches with 0000 steel wool, and polish.
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