How to Make a Wire Spiral

Curl Wire for Embellishments

Skill LevelBeginner

TechniqueWire-Working

Time1-3 Hours

This tutorial will teach you how to create wire spirals to add to your designs as embellishments or create pendants out of beads. author signature

Wire work is simple once you know a few basics. The wire spiral is great for turning large beads into pendants, or embellishing the base of an earring. You can use this technique for a variety of things in your designs.

Step-by-Step Instructions Expand All Steps

Cut a piece of sterling silver wire. For this project, we used a five inch piece of 22-gauge half hard wire. The length you use will depend on how many rings you want in your spiral. You may need to experiment a bit to get your length just right. With round-nose pliers, make a simple loop by wrapping the wire once around the pliers.

Making a Wire Spiral Step 1

Hold the loop firmly in the middle of your chain nose pliers and with your finger, push the wire upward to wrap it around the first loop. Do this until you have the desired size. You will need to adjust the pliers as you go. Be careful not to scratch the wire.

Making a Wire Spiral Step 2

When you have all the loops you need, make a 90 degree bend in the wire.

Making a Wire Spiral Step 3

For a charm, finish by making a simple loop. For a headpin, attach the beads you want and finish with either a simple loop or a wrapped loop.

Making a Wire Spiral Step 4

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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!