Seaglassing & Wire Wrapping

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TUTORIAL – wire wrapped sea glass pendant

September 26th 2013 Posted at Wire Wrapping
2 Comments

Hi Beach and seaglass fans! It is time to wire wrap your own pendant if you haven’t already.
 If you have and you are stopping by for a visit for the first time to Scrap’N Wrap, then welcome – pull up a chair.  

 

Today on my tutorial I’m going to pick a piece of seaglass out of the treasure chest that we keep in the ISLAND MADE gift shop.  I recently picked some lovely rounded pieces off the shores of Prince Edward Island and I offer a few wire wrapped pieces on my Etsy Shop at ScrapNWrap and we sell bags of sea glass in the gift shop and on Etsy. I’m working on a pendant today so lets get started.

Supplies Needed to Make The Pendant:


 
Pick your piece of seaglass you want to wire wrap
 
Flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, and cutter pliers

About 12″ of wire, I use a copper coated non tarnishing wire  and 20 gauge wire to wrap.

At this point you want to make a loop to hang your pendant.
To do this:
Use your flat nose pliers and bend the wire at about 45 degrees.

Next make your loop by using the round nose pliers and wrap the wire around the pliers then around the wire a couple of times.

My photo didn’t turn out as the battery was low so I included a link here to how to wrap around the pliers.

After you wrap underneath the loop and around  making sure to have one end about 3″ long and the other end with all the length.


Now you are ready to position your seaglass on top of the wire with the loop at the top and the long wire at the bottom of the seaglass. 

Taking the wire from the bottom of your pendant you want to start wire wrapping it around the seaglass so make a cage to hold it in.  Be creative and wrap anywhere around the bottom.
 
 

Continue making spirals holding the wire down with your thumb and using your free hand bend the wire slowly until it loops around. I call this free hand wrapping.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After making a spiral return your wire back to the top of the pendant and wrap the wire around the bail once more.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Still working with the longest piece of wire start a spiral on the opposite side holding in the right side of the seaglass pendant.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Again being creative and wrapping the wire and looping it as you go, then pass the wire around the back and back up to the top and wrap around the bail once more.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Taking the end of the short piece of wire and the round nose pliers make a coil in the end.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Then using your flat nose pliers grab the end of the loop and coil the loop up towards the bail.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At this point I cut myself another short length of wire approximately 8″ in length and attach it by wrapping it around the bail a couple of times over the already wrapped wire.

 
I cut off one end as it is too long and I’d like the coils to be different sizes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I then start with the short wire and use the round nose pliers and bend a loop, then coil it up with the flat nose pliers.
I continue doing this until all the wire ends are coiled up to the bail.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sometimes I’ll need to turn the piece of seaglass over and over to get it into the position I can work with it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I press the rounded coils against the seaglass making it appear as though there is a flower at the top, while it hides the wire I wrapped around the bail.
 
 
Well that’s it, another piece wire wrapped! Let me tell you it can be addictive. You get one piece finished and look for the next piece of seaglass to start wrapping.  I’ve been wire wrapping for years now and I love it! I started wire wrapping with beads then a few years ago started with the seaglass.  I’ve made a number of pieces and some of them are for sale in my Etsy Shop, ScrapNWrap.
 
I hope this tutorial was a little helpful and has inspired you to visit my  ScrapNWrap Etsy shop to purchase some beautiful seaglass!
 Thank you Prince Edward Island, shipwrecks and for the seaglass.
 
Happy wire wrapping,
Cindy
 
 

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