Tree of Life Pendant

by Deborah Kelly

Category: Contemporary
Technique(s): Weaving, Twisting
Skill Level: Beginner

Try your hand at making this iconic tree of life pendant. Add your favorite bead or stone chips to change it up. The bail is a pretty woven pattern, and the tree is simply lots of twisting wires that form the beautiful trunk and branches.

Materials

18 Gauge Half Round Half Hard Copper Wire

H11-18HRH

Lesson Quantity: 12.00 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
Price: $0.63
Gold Club Price: $0.47

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24 Gauge Round Half Hard Copper Wire

H11-24H

Lesson Quantity: 8.00 feet
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 10FT
Price: $1.81
Gold Club Price: $1.36

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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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Chain Nose Wire Pliers

G2-508

G2-508
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

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Wubbers Large Bail Making Pliers

G2-1303

G2-1303
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $27.97
Gold Club Price: $20.98

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Instructions

Step 1

Take the 16-gauge wire and wrap it around the pill bottle, or whatever round mandrel you're using, to form a circle. Wrap it so it is centered on the wire.

Bend the ends of the wire horizontally out from the circle. These ends will become the bail.

Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life

Step 2:

Making the bail

With a 3 foot length of 24g wire, wrap one end of it 3 times around the right hand bail wire, right at the base where it bends away from the circle.This will be your weaving wire.

Step 3

Take the weaving wire to the back side of the other bail wire, going from the front of the one bail wire to the back of the other weaving the wire in a cross over pattern.

Wrap the weaving wire around the other bail wire one full wrap.

Bring the weaving wire to the back side of the first bail wire and wrap around once.

Step 4

Bend the bail wires to form a V to make a nice widening of the bail as you weave up it. Continue the weave up the bail wires in the cross over pattern.

If the bail is getting wide, close it to ½ inch, bend the wires in some to make them parallel and continue the weave.

Step 5

Once the bail is almost long enough, about an inch long, bend the bail wires sharply back to each other and then bend the bail wires parallel to each other again.

Continue the weave to where the bail wires meet each other.

Then wrap the weaving wire around one of the bail wires 3 times.

Step 6

Bend bail slightly to the front using bail making pliers or round nose pliers.

Then bend the bail around the bail making pliers to the back of the pendent.

Step 7

Take the end of the bail wires and thread them thru the circle of the pendent and wrap around right next to the bail.

Cut off the extra wire and use pliers to smooth and tighten the end of the wire.

Step 8:

Starting the tree

Cut six 10" pieces of 24 gauge wire. Take one piece and fold the wire in half.

Wrap the wire at the fold around the bottom of the pendent circle four times.

Step 9

Twist the two ends of the wire together four or five times.

Pro Tip: To make a nice twist, form wires into a V shape and twist at the base of the V.

Step 10

Repeat step 9 with the other 5 wires.

Do not wrap the wires too tight around the base circle. The small wires should move along the circle.

Step 11

Twist all the 24-gauge wires together on the front side of the frame for about ½ inch.

This twist should happen right after the individual twists in the 24-gauge wires.

Step 12

Separate out a couple the wires, 2 to 5, on one side of the bundle of wires.

If more then 2 wires are pulled off, twist the wires together for 2 or 3 twists, then separate into smaller bundles, continue twisting a couple times then separate into smaller bundles again.

Continue till all the bundles are separated into single wires. Single wires should start ½ to ¾ inches from the outside of the frame.

Step 13

Twist the remaining wires in the main trunk together a few times, then pull off a couple more wires. Repeat Step 12 with the next bundle of wires pulled off main bundle.

Repeat until you're out of wires. Shape into a tree.

Step 14

Working one wire at a time, string a single wire with chips right to the edge of the frame.

Going over the top of the wire frame, wrap the end of the wire around the frame 3 times.

Step 15

Repeat step 14 on the rest of the wires.

Cut off the wires close to the frame.

Step 16

Use round nose pliers to kink up the trunk, branches, and roots of the tree to give it a more natural tree look.

Step 17

Smooth the ends of the wires around the frame with pliers.

Step 18

Hang your pendant on a chain or ribbon and enjoy your finished product.

Reviews

Deborah Kelly

Deborah got into wire work about 4 years ago and is now a snow bird who spends the winter in Quartzsite, Arizona. She does volunteer work while there and teaches 'Creative Wire Wrap' at the "Quartzsite Roadrunners, Gem & Mineral Club." In the summer she travels the Western US with her family and they make and give away free jewelry with their own private philanthropic endeavor that they call The Free Jewelry Project.