Jewellery 101 - DIY Wire Bead Cage

Today's post is the first in what we hope will be an ongoing series here at Eight & Sixteen - 101s!  In these posts we plan to share basic techniques, tips and tricks for crafts such as jewellery making and sewing.

For today's instalment of Jewellery 101 I'm going to show you how to make your own wire bead cage. You only need a few basic supplies and they are perfect for pendants and earrings! Here's how it's done...



You will need: jewellery wire, a bead, round & flat nosed pliers, wire cutters



1. Cut a length of wire and create a loop at one end using your round-nosed pliers



2. Clamp the loop and hold it in place using your flat-nosed pliers. Begin wrapping the length of wire around the central loop creating a spiral



3. Once you have wrapped a small spiral, or have reached halfway along the length of wire, place your bead onto the spiral to make sure it is the correct size



4. Take the other end of the wire and repeat the steps but this time roll the spiral in the opposite direction so that when you reach the centre you are left with an S shape



5. Slowly start to pull apart the rings of one spiral to create the spherical shape. You can do this using pliers if you want to, however you may find it easier to use your fingers



6. Place your bead inside the wire every now and again as you adjust the spiral to check how the shape is looking. Once you are happy with the first half, repeat the process for the second spiral



7. Bring the two spirals together around the bead to create the cage. Continue adjusting the wire until you are happy with the final shape



8. Finally, take your pliers and bend out the loop/s you created at the beginning of each spiral (depending on how you want to hang the cage/what it will be used for) - these will act as the hanging loops to attach the wire cage onto your necklace or earring hook



We'd love to hear from you if you try out this DIY project - use the hashtag #eightandsixteen to share your photos with us!

Erin

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