Spiral Chandelier Jewelry Wire Earrings with Beads Jewelry Making Project

(FOR FULL INSTRUCTIONS PAIRED WITH PHOTOS CLICK HERE)

We have four wire components to make for these earrings. The top wire component will be called simply the top wire component and will connect the ear wire finding to both sides of the top spiral. The top spiral (the smaller spiral) will be connected on both sides to the bottom spiral by two wire connectors. We will begin by making the top wire component, then the two connectors and finally the two spirals.
Step 1: Cut a segment of 18 or 20 gauge wire 2 3/4" long and two segments 1 1/4" long. If you have 1/2 hard wire, it will be easier to make these components in 1/2 hard wire.

Step 2: Make a loop in the end of these wire segments with your Step Jaw Pliers (if you have them) or with your round nose pliers. The loop should be just large enough to fit over one of the regular metal pegs from your jig.

Step 3: Hold this loop and using your nylon jaw pliers straighten the wire segments by repeatedly pulling the wire through the jaws of the pliers.

Step 4: Position pegs 1, and 2 on your jig as shown at left. Place your initial loop from the longer wire segment on peg 1 and wrap the wire around peg 2 until, with no pressure applied, the wire will rest adjacent to the empty hole for peg 3. Now add peg 3 and wrap the wire around peg 3.

Step 5: Position pegs 4 and 5 in your jig as shown above- left. Place your initial loop from your shorter wire segment on peg 4 and wrap the wire around peg 5 as shown. Make two of these components.

Step 6: Remove both wire components from your jig and cut the excess wire remembering to orientate the flush side of your cutter toward the finished wire component. Close the final loops on both wire components with your bent chain nose pliers.

Step 7: Now we need to convert both loops on the connector wire component into "eye loops". This is done by grasping each loop in turn with the tips of your round nose pliers and bending the wire so that the loop is centered on the wire segment. The picture above-right show where to grip the wire component and the picture at left shows what the component looks like after the loop is twisted in your pliers to form the eye loop. The picture at right shows how the finished connector should look.
Step 8: After we convert both loops on both connector components, we need to do the same thing on the top wire component. See the figure at left for how the top wire component should appear after both loops are converted.

Step 9: The final step in making the top wire component is that we need to rotate both end loops by 90 degrees. This will allow the loops to connect with the top spiral component. This is accomplished by grasping the loop in your bent chain nose pliers as shown at right while holding the loop made on peg 2 with the thumb and fore-finger of your non-dominant hand, then twisting the pliers 90 degrees with your dominant hand. In the picture above-right, one loop has been twisted 90 degrees and one hasn't. When both loops have been twisted, set the top wire component and both connectors aside. We are ready to begin making the spirals.

Step 10: We starting making the smaller spiral by cutting a segment of soft wire 5 3/4" long. Straighten this wire with your nylon jaw pliers and grasp the wire 1 1/2" from the end of the wire with your bent chain nose pliers and bend the wire 90 degrees as shown at left.

Step 11: In order to make the center of the spiral perfectly round, we need to start the round bend in this wire segment. We do this by grasping the wire on the long segment of the wire, but as near the 90 degree bend as possible. Grasp the wire with the tips of your round nose pliers pointed in the same direction as the end of the 1 1/2" wire segment. Now make a 180 degree bend at this point. When you are done, your wire should appear as shown at right.

Step 12. Place the 1 1/2" wire segment into one of the holes on your Spiral Maker and position the 180 degree bend in the wire against the peg in the Spiral Maker. See the picture at right for the correct position of the wire. Now insert the peg in your Spiral Maker into one of the holes in your jig. Turn the jig over, while holding the Spiral Maker tightly against the jig. Looking through the jig wrap the wire around the center of the Spiral Maker. Move the wire is a series of small movements of about 30 degrees each. Continue building your spiral until you have about 1 3/4 inches of wire left. See the picture at right.
Step 13. Remove the wire from the Spiral Maker. At this point your wire should appear as shown at right. Now we need to bend the beginning and ending wires on the spiral so that they become loops. The following steps describe how we do that.

Step 14: Grasp the spiral in your bent chain nose pliers as shown at left. Hold the spiral firmly so that it does not distort and bend the end wire up so that it is vertical and ultimately parallel with the beginning wire segment.

Step 15: Continue to hold the spiral in your bent chain nose pliers and bend the ending wire segment down flat against the spiral. At this point the spiral should appear as shown below-right.

Step 16: Now we need to bend the vertical, initial wire segment straight down. In the picture at right, this wire segment would end up pointing to the bottom of the page, on top of the ending wire segment, and as flat against the spiral as possible.

Step 17: At this point we need to bend the ending wire segment at right angles. When this is accomplished the goal is that the wire on the back side of the spiral would appear as shown at right, with both the beginning and ending wire segments pointed away from each other.

Step 18: Now we are ready to begin forming the loops on either end of the spirals. One at a time, using your bent chain nose pliers, grasp the beginning and ending wires near the spiral, as shown below-left, and bend the wire 90 degrees.

Step 18 After Step 18

Step 19: Using your round nose pliers, grasp the wire on the horizontal wire segments, but near the 90 degree bend we completed in step 18 and make a loop. This is a two step process for each loop, as you will first need to bend the wire in a 180 degree bend and then re-grip the wire in your pliers so that you can complete a full 360 degree loop. When you have completed both sides, the wire component should appear as shown at right.
Step 20: To preserve the round shape of these loops, we use our bent chain nose pliers to grasp the loop and hold it firmly while we wrap the wire tail around. Hold your bent chain nose pliers in your non-dominant hand and using the thumb of your dominant hand push the wire so that it wraps around the wire segment between the loop and the spiral. Complete two full wraps on both ends of the spiral.

Step 21: Cut the excess wire with your flush cutter and again, grasp the loop in one pair of chain nose pliers, while you squeeze the cut end of the wire flat with the other pair of chain nose or bent chain nose pliers. When you have completed the spiral it should appear as shown above-right. This completes the small spiral wire component.

Step 22: Using the same steps and a 7 3/4" piece of soft wire, make your large spiral wire component. This will complete the four wire components necessary to make one of these earrings. Instructions for how to assemble these earrings begin on the following page.

Step 23: The first step in assembling the components for this earring is to connect both sides of the top wire component to both sides of the small spiral wire component. This is done by using your bent chain nose pliers to grasp one half of the loop while you hold the top wire component with the fingers of your non-dominant hand, then twisting the pliers to open the loop. With the loop in a horizontal plane, you twist your pliers so that the opening of the loop moves up. Open both loops on the top wire component and connect the opened loops to the loops in the small spiral. Once they are connected, use your bent chain nose pliers to twist the loop so that the opening of the loop moves down, thereby closing the loop. Do this on both sides. This will connect the top wire component to the small spiral.
Step 24: Now we need to use the two connectors that we made to connect the small spiral to the large spiral. We open the loops on these connectors the same was as we did above, using our bent chain nose pliers and then insert the loops into one of the loops in the small spiral. After the connection is made use your pliers to close the loops in the connectors at the small spiral. Be sure that the two connectors hang straight down and do not interfere with the connector for the top wire component.

Step 25: With both connectors connected to the small spiral, we now need to connect both connectors to the loops in the larger spiral. This is done in exactly the same manner using your bent chain nose pliers. These earrings have a front and a back. Make sure that the front side of both spirals will naturally hang facing in the same direction.

Step 26: We are now ready to add a bead dangle to each side of the larger spiral. These two beads help to hold the larger spiral in the appropriate orientation and are therefore recommended. Use 8mm beads, each on their own head pin and add one to each side. Instructions for making a bead dangle can be found here.

Step 27: The final step in making these earrings is to attach the ear wire finding to the top of the top wire component. This is done by opening the loop on the ear wire finding and connecting it to the loop at the top of the top wire component. Make the second earring following the same steps.