Free Pattern: Cabochon Woven Wire Pendant by Dianna Biehl Mooses

by Judy Ellis, Wirejewelry.com

Wire Jewelry Pattern for May 18th, 2017

Cabochon Woven Wire Pendant

by Dianna Biehl Mooses

Dianna Says:

My cabochon is quite small, at just 2″ around, but you can alter this pattern to fit any size cab. Just make sure you have enough wire for both the frame and weaving. You’ll need more of both gauges for anything larger.

Materials:

• 28 Gauge Round Dead Soft .925 Sterling Silver Wire (Pattern Quantity – 7 Feet, Product ID: H8-28D)
• 20 Gauge Round Half Hard .925 Sterling Silver Wire (Pattern Quantity – 7 Inches, Product ID: H8-20H)
• 30x22MM Assorted Oval Cabochon Mix PK20 (Pattern Quantity – 1 Piece, Product ID: E1-367)

Tools:

• Chain Nose Wire Plier (Pattern Quantity – 1 Piece, Product ID: G2-508)
• Round Nose Wire Plier (Pattern Quantity – 1 Piece, Product ID: G2-507)
• Premium Nylon Jaw Pliers (Pattern Quantity – 1 Piece, Product ID: G2-35)
• Small Rubber Head 3 Inch Quick Clamp – Pack of 1 (Pattern Quantity – 1 Piece, Product ID: G10-1)
• 6 1/2 Inch Bail Making Pliers (Pattern Quantity – 1 Piece, Product ID: G2-18)

Directions:

Step 1: Use painter’s tape, or a tape measure to find the circumference of your stone. Mine measures 2″. [You can use a larger stone but you will need more wire of both gauges.]
Cut 3 pieces of 20g wire – 2 at 8″ in length and 1 at 12″ in length. Use nylon jaw pliers to straighten all three wires. Mark the center point of each of these three wires. For mine, that’s at 4 inches and 6 inches. Since my stone has a circumference of 2 inches I will start my weaving about 1 inch to the left of the center, so I’ve made marks there as well. If your stone is larger, you may have to adjust where you start your weaving. Hold the three base wires (20g) in the small clamp, lining them up at the marks you made. Be sure to keep the longest base wire at the bottom of the stack.

Step 2: Take the 28g and wrap it around the bottom base wire twice. Leave a tail of weaving wire about 2″ in length. We will use this wire later.

Step 3: Bring your weaving wire up over your first base wire and then up over and around the second base wire twice. You are wrapping around both wires at this time. Your weaving wire, should be in the back of the base wires at this point. Bring the weaving wire from the back and in-between the first and second base wires.

Next, bring your weaving wire up and over the second base wire and up over the third base wire. Wrap around the second and third base wires together twice.

Again your weaving wire should be behind the base wires. This will complete a single rotation of this weave. Bring your weaving wire down behind the top base wire and come up around the first and second base wires. Wrap around base wires 1 and 2. Then up and over wires 3 and 4. Keep pinching your weaving wires together to make a nice clean even look.

Step 4: The wrapping that we are doing at this point will be the back plate for the cab. Repeat this pattern until you reach the bottom, or half way point of your cab. Check this measurement against your cab to make sure that you are at the bottom. Shape the wire around half of the stone. You want to make sure that these 3 wires stay on the inside of the circumference of your stone. This will hold your cab in place in the back of the pendant. Make sure when you reach the mid-point or bottom of your cab that you finish your weaving on the top two wires (#3 and 4) Leave your weaving wire attached.

At this point you will pull that bottom wire so all the ends on the left are even with each other. You’ll have extra wire now that extends past the weaving you’ve done.

Bend your wire at the middle mark on the lower wire that you made before. Then bring up the other side of the wire, making a tight “U” shape in this wire. Wrap the weaving wire around the inner two base wires until you can resume weaving on all three.

Step 5: Now, bring your weaving wire back behind the bottom base wire and bring it up and around the bottom and second base wires. Next, bring the weaving wire up and around the second and third base wires. Your weaving wire will be in the back at this point. Bring the weaving wire down behind all three base wires. Wrap around the first and second base wires. Continue this pattern until you have the same number of weaves on each side. Shape your wires to sit on the inside of the cab. Finish off by wrapping your weaving wire around the bottom (or outside base wire) Trim your weaving wire.

Step 6: Now grab that extra wire 28g wire we cut in the beginning. We are going to use this wire to wrap together the two inside bail wires. Bring this wire behind the outside base wire and wrap it up and around the middle wire. Now your wire should be in the back again. Bring the wire under the two middle wires of your bail wires. Wrap around these two wires three times. You can now trim off that wire.

Step 7: We will now start on the bail. Bend the two outside wires out of the way for now. Grab what is left of the weaving wire that you have. We will be working on the two wires on the right at this point. Wrap around the inner most wire 5 times and then wrap around the two wires twice. Next wrap 5 times around the bottom wire 5 times. Continue this pattern 10 times. (shorter is you want a smaller bail) End with 5 wraps on the outside wire. Trim off your weaving wire. What is left we will use for the two bail wires on the left.

Step 8: Starting on the left two bail wires make sure that you mirror the pattern that you did on the right. Leave a small tail and wrap around the inner most wire 5 times and then wrap around the two wires twice. Next wrap 5 times around the top wire 5 times. Continue this pattern 10 times. (Shorter if you want a smaller bail.) End with 5 wraps on the outside wire. Trim off the weaving wire where you started. Leave the end of your weaving wire attached. We will be using this wire to weave the four bail wires together.

Step 9: Bend your 4 bail wires to the front at about a 90 degree angle. Using a bailing pliers or a sharpie pen or even a crochet hook bend your wires around towards the back. A good idea in keeping your bail wire from becoming misshaped is to keep a crochet hook in the bail wires while working. Tugging on wires can cause your bail to become out of shape.

Step 10: With the attached weaving wire we are going to connect the four base bail wires together. Wrap around the two bail wires twice, come under and then over the other two bail wires and wrap around those twice. Go under the top two wire and wrap around twice. Then under and over the bottom two base wires twice. End with three single wraps around the bottom wire only. This should hold these wires together nicely.

Step 11: Place your pendant on the front of your frame. Make sure that your frame extends out further than the cab. Use a small amount of painter’s tape or quilter’s tape to secure your cab to the frame. Starting on either side of your pendant grab two of the ends of the bail wires and bring them around from the back to the front. I find it easiest to firmly hold the cab to the frame with my thumb and index finger. This next part may test your patience but hang in there. Go slowly begin to form small spirals, one inside the other that will serve as prongs to hold the stone. Trim the wires shorter to make it easier to work them, and make small movements as you go along. You can slightly adjust the spirals in the wire as you go but try not to make sharp bends. You can use a round nose pliers or just your hands to make a spiral with these wire that will sit on the sides on the front of your frame. Trim and excess when you’ve got them the way you want them.

Step 12: Remember that “U” shaped length of wire at the bottom of your pendant? Cut the bend off at the bottom, leaving two separate wires. We will use each of these wires to make another spiral on each side of the pendant. Make sure that you trim the ends of your wires. Since you aren’t working on the bail at this time you can remove the crochet hook if you would like.

Step 13: With what is left of your weaving wire, weave a figure 8 weave around these two wires just under the stone, then with the same wire, coil up one single wire, keeping the coils snugly together. Coil enough to form a small circle as a prong against the stone. Continue with the base wire to make a spiral and trim all the wires. Repeat on the other side.

Step 14: Take the remaining bail wires and cross them each over the front of the bail, and then around back. Trim and tuck in the ends.

 

Happy Wrapping!

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One Comment

1. 

   Rose Mary Harris

   May 18, 2017 at 8:39 am

   That is so beautiful” Thanks for sharing”