My wife’s birthday was this week, and we made her some necklaces. The kids made bead necklaces, and I wanted try something with wire. It worked pretty well. I just bent sterling silver wire with pliers, and then gently pounded it flat, using a slightly rounded hammer. I took less than 15 minutes total. I need to practice a bit more, but it sure is fun. I’d definitely welcome any tips from those of you who make jewelry.
No suggestions. Just wanted to say that I think it’s lovely. I’m sure your wife loved it. Happy birthday to her.
Wow, thats so beautiful !
So adorable…where is a good source for the sterling silver wire?
Jana
Thanks! Yeah, she really likes the necklace, so that’s good.
Jana – I just got the wire at a local bead store. But I’m sure you could find it online too.
Beautiful and simple, just lovely :D happy birthday to your wife.
No suggestions here either. I love the necklace! Maybe you should be teaching us on the subject.
It looks great!
it’s even more fun if you use a planishing hammer and an anvil or steel block. or if you want to keep wire cross-section round, a rawhide hammer should work-harden the metal.
Hi Joel,
Just found your site from a friend on Facebook – fantastique! I bend the wire for my rosary work and have had great luck at http://www.riogrande.com or http://www.monsterslayer.com. Argentium is a wonderful sterling alloy that doesn’t tarnish much at all (though a bit more spendy).
Can’t wait to see your next wire creation. Peut-être le tour Eiffel?
I love!
I just love it! your wife is a lucky girl! just wish you would share with the rest of us on how to make it,, love love love…
ooh, so cute! I have a ton of jewelry-ish wire I bought on a whim years ago… I may just have to make a gaggle of birds. :) Think how cute they would be as Christmas Tree Ornaments too!!!!!! Hello easy Christmas gift!
Thanks everyone!
Chrystal – Ooh, good idea on the ornaments! Brilliant!
Along the ornament train of thought — you can also make your own pretty wire hangers. Use 18 – 20 gauge wire and curl into an loopy S-shape. You can even add a bead to the middle to make it “blingy.” You can use household items to wrap around to make the swirls the same for each hook. Try sharpies, pens, RX bottles, batteries, or whatever else you find. Just don’t forget to file the ends of your wire down…those little burs can hurt!
I love your ideas, keep ’em coming. :)
One trick that you might use if you don’t want to bend the wire over itself so much is to use a higher-gauge wire to wrap at the areas where you want the wire to stay together, but don’t necessarily want the thickness of wrapping the bigger wire around itself. This Etsy seller uses that technique a lot, and I think it looks great.:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62574630/silver-swirl-sterling-silver-earrings
Lovely! Good job, sir!
Please, please, please share how to make this!
Or….what would it cost me to order a dozen or more?
ha, thans Ashely. Yeah, maybe I could make a video tutorial sometime. You could definitely make one of these.
Fantastic.
I’ve made a bird out of a giant paperclip in the absence of silver wire (http://kingbillyprojects.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/paperclip-bird/) but i know what might be a stocking filler this christmas…
Joel, tumbling your finished work in a bit of water with dish soap and stainless steel balls will harden silver wire so it doesn’t lose its shape. I got a tumbler pretty cheaply online through a hardware dealer.
Ooh, that’s a really good tip. Thanks! I’ll definitely keep my eye out for a small tumbler like that. Nice!
hi,
that looks cool i love it
i think i might try it too.
(: thank you for another
great craft.
[…] sit the kids down and have them design some cool shapes on a thin sheet of metal. Then, hammer out a beautiful necklace she can wear all year […]