Beaded Coil Trim

When creating an ornament using wire, try to plan your design before bending the wire. If you bend the wire too much or incorrectly, it may break.

 

Add color and shimmer to your tree.

• Armature wire or lead-free solder
• Wire cutter
• Needle-nose pliers
• Silver beading wire
• Four large beads in desired colors
• Five 18mm silver beads
• 1/2-inch-wide silver ribbon

1. Cut armature wire or solder, and coil one end. Cut a 36-inch piece of armature wire or solder using a wire cutter. Beginning at one end, use needle-nose pliers to make a tiny circle. Continue wrapping the wire until the coil is about the size of a dime. This will be the ornament top.

2. Coil center ovals. Bring the wire down to form an oval that is about 3 inches high. Continue forming the wire into smaller ovals; keep the wires close at the top and about 1/4 inch apart at the bottom. Using the photograph as a guide, bend the end of the wire over the oval at the lower right side. Cut the end of the wire, if necessary. Use the pliers to form the end of the wire into another tiny circle.

3. Cut beading wire and attach. Cut a 6-inch piece of beading wire. Leaving a 1-inch tail, wrap the beading wire three times around the top of the oval loops.

4. Add beads. Starting with a silver bead, thread all the beads onto the beading wire, alternating the colored beads with the silver beads. You will end with a silver bead. Push the wire back into the row of beads from the bottom, starting with the colored bead above the last silver bead you threaded on the wire. Wrap the remaining beading wire around the top of the oval loops. Twist the beading wire ends together to secure.

5. Add hanging loop. Thread a length of silver ribbon through the top loop to hang.

• Look for armature wire, usually used for sculpting, in art stores. Solder can be purchased in home improvement, discount, and hardware stores.
• Gold and silver beading wire is available in crafts and discount stores or from jewelry suppliers.
• Purchase metal studs and eyelets in crafts, fabric, and discount stores.