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| Wire earring project from Beading Daily |
 | Cut the 18 gauge wire into two 9 inch pieces, and set one aside. Using either the Wubbers looping pliers or your favorite combination pliers, make a simple loop at the bottom of the wire. If desired, use your bench block and chasing hammer to flatten the loop. (If you want a flat loop, do it now, before you slide your crystal bead onto the wire!) | ||
 | Slide one crystal oval bead onto the wire, and using your chain nose or combination pliers, make a small 1/8" bend in the wire at the top of the crystal. Wrap the remaining wire around the largest jaw of the Wubbers Extra-large Circle mandrel pliers 2 1/2 times. If you want to tighten up or firm up your wire circles, use your chasing hammer to give a gentle tap to the wire around the jaw of the Wubbers. | ||
 | Make another 90 degree bend at the top of the circle, with the crystal bead hanging down below. This is, admittedly, the hardest part of the earring making project. If you're a perfectionist, you can get a ruler and measure exactly where the bend should be so that you get a perfectly symmetrical earring. Or, you can do what I did, and just make your best guess and enjoy the results! | ||
 | Now for the fun part! Cut 5 feet of the 26 gauge wire and just start wrapping your huge circle wire shapes! Your wraps can be neat and clean, if you like, or you can just go at it and let the wire fall where it may. (I prefer the latter option.) Because 5 feet of 26 gauge wire is a whole lot to handle on each and every wrap, I cut that piece into smaller pieces and just wrapped my little heart out. It went much faster, the wire didn't kink up, and I got that "messy chic" look that I was after. To finish the ends of your wire, you can wrap them under your working wire, or just wrap them, trim the edge as close as you can with your flush cutters, and use your chain nose or flat nose pliers to smush the ends into your wraps. |