Festival Sunnies

Wire-Wrapped Sunglasses with Laser-Etched Dagger Beads

Skill LevelBeginner

TechniqueWire-Working

Time1-3 Hours

These sunglasses are delightfully wild! author signature

A fun project for summer is to make a pair of sunglasses your own with beads and other jewelry-making components This pair features fun and easy wire wraps coiled around the frames. Becky also added Czech glass laser-etched dagger beads for a fun feathered texture. These glasses are perfect for festivals or just a day out in the sun.

Step-by-Step Instructions Expand All Steps

Cut a length of 18 gauge Rose Gold Artbeads Designer Wire approximately two feet long. Coil one end around one arm of your sunglasses (close to the lens, so it doesn't interfere with the arm opening and closing). Coil about six or seven times.

Bring your wire toward the top front of the lens and loop back around toward the edge again. Then loop back toward the center and up to form a loop. Make another loop toward the top of the sunglasses. Then loop to the back top edge of the glasses. Loop up toward the top again. For your next loop, bend and curve it toward the frame of the glasses so that it grips the frame. Then, bend and curve the wire to the back of the top of the frame. Trim your wire to the back of the glasses and tuck it close to the other wire loops at the back of the frame.

Cut a length of 18 gauge wire approximately two feet long. Coil one end around the other arm of your sunglasses. Coil about six or seven times.

Bring your wire toward the bottom front of the lens and loop toward the center and back in on itself to form the first loop. Then, follow the bottom edge of the frames down with your wire for about an inch. Loop the wire in on itself and then loop it in on itself again. Repeat until you have an almost four-leaf clover shape with your wire. Then, bend and curve your wire toward the bottom of the frame. Bend the wire behind the frame. Follow the bottom of the frame for about an inch and bend your wire back to the front of the frame Make another loop to grip the glasses here, bring the wire back behind the frame. Trim your wire to the back of the lens and tuck it close to the other wire loops at the back of the frame.

At this point, use nylon jaw pliers or your fingers to squeeze your wire where it grips the glasses, to ensure a good hold.

Now you will add Czech glass laser-etched ivory with rainbow finish medium dagger leaf design beads to your wire wraps. Cut a length of 24 gauge Rose Gold Artbeads Designer Wire approximately one foot long. Start coiling the wire around one of the loops at the top of your glasses that you made in step 2. Coil around the loop until your wire is positioned between two loops. Then, add three daggers to the wire. Coil the end of your wire tightly to the next loop to keep your daggers in place, making a couple of coils. Then, reinforce the daggers by going back and wrapping the wire between each dagger. You will also want to pass the wire behind the base of each dagger bead after every coil. This will help to keep the daggers facing out and from not swinging back too far. Trim and tuck the wire to the back of the glasses.

Cut a length of 24 gauge wire two feet long. Start coiling the wire around the first loop you made at the bottom of the glasses in step 3. Coil around the wire two times and then add three dagger beads. Coil the end of your wire to the bottom right loop of your four-leaf clover shape. Then, reinforce the daggers by going back and coiling between each dagger as you did before. Trim and tuck the wire to the back of the glasses.

List of Components
Artbeads Designer Wire - Rose Gold Non-Tarnish 18 Gauge (14 ft. spool) (ADW0018, qty 1)
Artbeads Designer Wire - Rose Gold Non-Tarnish 24 Gauge (36 ft. spool) (ADW0055, qty 1)
Czech Glass Laser-Etched Ivory with Rainbow Finish Medium Dagger Leaf Design Bead Strand by Raven's Journey (BEADS7123, qty 1) (Or, try BEADS-3726)

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Nice choice! All or most of the products needed for this project are shown below with quantities. Sometimes we sell out of components and aren’t able to order more from the manufacturer (we know, it is very disappointing to us, too). Use the opportunity to mix up the design and make it yours by substituting similar products or altering the entire color scheme—it’s up to you!