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Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant, Contemporary Wire Jewelry. Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry. This beautiful pendant looks way more complicated than it is.

Bulava Pendant

by Albina Manning
  • Category: Contemporary
  • Technique(s): Coiling, Making Loops, Wrapping
  • Skill Level: Beginner
This beautiful pendant looks way more complicated than it is. It's basically coiling and stringing! Switch it up with all different beads for dozens of different looks.
Special Instructions: - Amount of wire depends on the size of the pendant.

- You can use any size of the round bead, make sure that diameter of your cylindrical device is at least the same as bead's size.

Materials

16 Gauge Round Half Hard .925 Sterling Silver Wire
H8-16H
  • Lesson Quantity: 6.00 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
  • Price: $8.32
  • Gold Club Price: $6.24
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26 Gauge Round Dead Soft .925 Sterling Silver Wire
H8-26D
  • Lesson Quantity: 42.00 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $4.08
  • Gold Club Price: $3.06
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Green Goldstone 12mm Round Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-177
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $10.57
  • Gold Club Price: $7.93
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Sterling Silver Beads Bright 4mm - Pack of 20
K9-142
  • Lesson Quantity: 7.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Price: $5.56
  • Gold Club Price: $4.17
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Tools

C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches
PLR-487.00
  • PLR-487.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $16.97
  • Gold Club Price: $12.73
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6 1/2 Inch Bail Making Pliers
G2-18
  • G2-18
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $12.78
  • Gold Club Price: $9.58
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Flat Nose Wire Pliers
G2-506
  • G2-506
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
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Instructions
Step 1
Straighten, clean, and then cut 6" piece of round, half hard wire. Place the cylindrical object in the middle of the wire and wrap the wire around once forming a circle, so both ends lay on one line as shown.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Forming a circle with round half hard wire.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Forming a circle with round half hard wire.
Step 2
Using flat nose pliers grab one wire end just by the "intersection" and bend at an 90 degree angle
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Flat nose pliers bending 90 degree angle.
Step 3
Repeat step 2 with the other end of the wire, but make a bend 4mm (1/6") away from the bend.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Repeating step, bending at a 90 degree angle.
Step 4
Make sure that both ends run parallel and they are the same length (if not, just cut the longest end to even both ends). Note: the metal bead has to fit between two parallel wires as shown.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding metal bead to the parallel wires.
Step 5
Fold a piece of 26ga round dead soft wire in half. Place it in the center of the circle's bottom and start coiling.
Pro Tip: You can mark the round frame on 3 and 9 o'clock (pink mark on the photo), but mine were quickly rubbed off.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, 26-gauge round dead soft wire placed in thecircle to start coiling.
Step 6
Coil the left side to the 9 o'clock mark and the right side to 3 o'clock. Notice that on the left the wire comes over the frame, and the right- under the frame.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Coiling the wire.
Step 7
Slide a 12mm bead on one end of 26ga wire, pass the second wire through the bead, so the both wires are on the opposite sides.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding the 12mm bead to the 26-gauge wire.
Step 8
Tighten the wires. On the left I brought the wire inside the frame and under the frame, on the right the wire goes over the frame.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Tightening the wires.
Step 9
Continue coiling until you cover whole circle frame and plus 4-5 coils on the straight wires.
Step 10
String a 4mm metal bead in the same manner as 12mm bead (steps 7, 8).
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Stringing a 4mm bead.
Step 11
Make about 6-7 coils on both sides of the frame. Amount of coils depends on the size of the metal bead. The length of this coiled part has to be equal the bead's size.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding more coils to the circle.
Step 12
Add the second metal bead. After adding the bead, tighten the wire ends.
Step 13
Make 6-7 coils on both sides of the frame.
Step 14
Continue adding the beads and coiling until you have 1" (25mm) of the frame wires left. Make sure that you finish with 6-7 coils, not just a bead.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding beads and coiling more.
Step 15
Using bail making pliers, roll both frame wire ends to form a bail. It has to have "P" shape.
If you like "P" shape of the bail, leave it like it is.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Form a bail with bail making pliers.
Step 16
If you want to have the loops of the bail centered, use flat nose pliers and bend the wire to center. (They use this method to make a simple loop).
Pro Tip: You probably noticed that on this photo the bail does not have closed loops. This may happened when you have not enough bare frame wire left for the bail. To fix this problem, use round nose pliers to close the loops one by one.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Flat nose pliers bending wire towards center.
Step 17
If necessary, add more coils. Trim the wire, tack the wire ends with chain nose pliers if they are sticking out.
Albina Manning's Bulava Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Coiling, Coiling Wire, Wire Coiling, Loops, Wire Loop, Wrapped Wire Loop, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding more coils and trimming wire for the finished piece.

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