Beading: Wild Wire Bracelet
accentuate these fun designs.
- 18-gauge metallic or plastic-covered wire in blue, red, yellow, green, and purple
- Wire cutters
- Hand drill
- Cup hooks
- Tape
- Needle-nose pliers
- Round pencil
- 5--3/8-inch O rings (available in hardware and home supply stores); round toothpick
1. To make a blue S bead, cut a 12-inch piece of wire; fold it in half. Place the cup hook in the drill as a bit. Place the wire loop over the hook. Tape wire ends to a work surface; crank the drill handle as shown in Photo A. Use pliers to shape ends into coils that form an S.
2. To make a red loop bead, cut a 5-inch length of wire. Wrap the center of the wire around a round pencil three times; remove from pencil. Gently pull loops slightly apart and flatten. Form wire ends into open loops.
3. To make a twisted yellow bead, cut a 12-inch piece of wire. Fold it in half. Place the fold of the wire in the drill; turn to twist. Wrap the center of the wire around a round pencil five times; remove. Gently pull loops apart. Use pliers to tuck wire ends into bead center.
4. To make a green bead, cut a 4-inch length of wire. Wrap around a toothpick to shape.
5. To make a purple spiral bead, cut a 10-inch length of wire. Wrap the wire around a pencil three times as shown in Photo B. Use pliers to shape the ends into loops as in Photo C.
6. Cut short pieces of red wire to attach the beads to the O rings. NOTE: For the yellow, green, and purple beads, the red wire is threaded through the bead before the end loops are shaped. To attach the S bead, shape red wire into O shapes. Pinch the wire end loops closed with pliers.
