Woven Wire Pendant

2- 8” pieces of 18 gauge soft wire 1- Large flat bead (I used a Kazuri bead)
6’ piece of 26 gauge soft wire
3-10” pieces 26 gauge soft wire

1. We will be weaving 2. Add the second 18 3. Pass the working wire

from the center out to the gauge wire on top of the behind the two 18 gauge
ends. Start in the middle first. Wrap once around wires.
of the 18 gauge wire. it with the 26 gauge wire.
Fold the 26 gauge wire in
half and wrap it once
around the 18 gauge
wire. The working end of
the wire in on the right
and pointing up.

4. Wrap the thin wire 5. Wrap once around the 6. To make the loop for
once around the bottom top thick wire. Repeats the dangle, add a short
thick wire ending with the 3, 4 and 5 to continue piece of scrap wire or a
thin wire pointing up and weaving. Push the wraps corsage pin to the bottom
crossing the two thick close together with your wire before doing Steps 4
wires. fingernails as you work. and 5 and wrap around
both the scrap wire and
the bottom wire.

To weave the other side, flip the piece from end to end and continue with Steps
3, 4 and 5.
7. To determine how 8. Continue weaving an 9. Shape the frame
much to weave, wrap a equal amount on both around your bead. Put a
piece of tape about ¾ of sides of the loop for the corsage pin through the
the way around the bead. dangle until it is the bead hole and make
Remove tape and stick to length of your tape. Then Sharpie marks on the
your ruler. continue coiling the top frame lining up with the
wires only for 1 ½ to 1 holes.
¾”.

10. Use the corsage pin 11. Center the bead on a 12. Pass each wire end
to make an opening in 10” piece of 26 gauge back through the bead.
the weave large enough wire and pass the ends
to pass a thin wire from the back to the front
through. through the spaces in the
weave you just made.

13. Pull the ends firmly 14. Trim the center two 15. With round nose
through without kinking wires to a length of 2” pliers begin to make a
the wire and wrap each from where the weaving spiral on the two outer
wire around itself 3 or 4 ends. Trim the outer wires.
times. Trim in the back. wires to 1 ½”.

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16. Switch to flat nose 17. Spiral the two inner 18. Use flat nose pliers
pliers and continue to wires in the same to turn the two outer
form the wire into a loose manner. These two spirals toward the bead.
spiral. spirals should meet in the This prevents the bead
center. from spinning.

19. To attach the bail 20. Add the jump ring to 21. Pass the wire back
begin by wrapping twice the wire and wrap around through the jump ring and
around the two center the left spiral. wrap once around the
spirals with a 10” length right spiral. Go back and
of 26 gauge wire. forth through the jump
ring four times. …

22. ….and finish off by 23. To attach a briolette, 24. Make a 90 degree
wrapping the wire around center the stone on a 10” bend at the tip of the
the jump ring in the back piece of 26 gauge wire. stone.
3 or 4 times. Trim the Pinch the wires together
wire ends and press at the point of the stone.
down with pliers.

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 You can use a hard
boiled egg to oxidize your
pendant. Boil the egg
and, while still hot,
roughly chop it into a few
pieces. Place the egg
and the pendant into an
airtight container such as
a Baggie or a small
Tupperware container.
25. Make a loop around 26. Feed the wire ends They don’t need to be
your round nose pliers. into the loop in your touching. The sulfur
frame and wrap the wires gasses from the egg will
around the tip of the darken the copper.
briolette. End the wires When the copper is dark,
by angling them up and remove it and rinse with
wrapping once around cold water. Buff with
just under the loop. 0000 steel wool or a
Scotchbrite pad to
remove the patina from
the high points.

Copyright 2009 Nancy Wickman