Wire Amulet Sticks

by Judy Freyer Thompson

Category: Contemporary
Technique(s): Hole Punching, Texturing
Skill Level: Beginner

When is the last time you took a tour of your local home improvement store? I am lucky to have one directly down the road from me, so when inspiration hits, I need not travel far. Among many other items available there, look in the concrete construction aisle and get a package of Iron Wire Twister wires. You'll get 100 pieces of 6" long wire for less than $3.00! If you are not familiar with them, wire twisters are pre-bent lengths of iron wire that are used to tie re-bar grids together. These are the reinforcement bars which are laid prior to concrete being poured.

A little cutting and bending and you'll have the perfect foundation to make your own Wire Amulet Sticks.

Since they are coated in tool oil to keep them from rusting, you'll want to remove the oil.

Embellish them as you desire, maybe you have some beads, fabric scraps, etc. that have a fancy for, but don't quite know how to display them. These Wire Amulet Sticks are a perfect way to display them and keep them close by.

Materials

Iron wire twisters

Lesson Quantity: 7.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 7.00 each

25mm heavy jump ring

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Beads to fit the wire, ribbon, embroidery floss, fiber, etc. for embellishing the sticks.

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Could use Large gauge wire in place of Iron Wire Twisters

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Tools

Heavy Duty Wire Shear

PLR-460.00

PLR-460.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $44.95
Gold Club Price: $33.71

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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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Wire Jewelry Cushion Clamp - Pack of 1

G10-1

G10-1
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $7.95
Gold Club Price: $5.96

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Euro Punch Pliers--Round - Small--1.25mm

PLR-133.60

PLR-133.60
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $14.97
Gold Club Price: $11.23

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V-Slot Bench Pin

BPN-105.10

BPN-105.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $5.97
Gold Club Price: $4.48

Out of Stock

Steel Bench Block 4x4 Inch - Pack of 1

G17-10

G17-10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $21.95
Gold Club Price: $16.46

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Chasing Hammer - Flat Faced with Polished Wooden Handle - Pack of 1

G3-13

G3-13
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $11.97
Gold Club Price: $8.98

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6PC File Set

FIL-912.10

FIL-912.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $39.97
Gold Club Price: $29.98

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Instructions

Step 1

Trim the wires randomly, making the longest one the center wire. You will find that wires have an eye started. Use the cushion clamp to hold the eye end, and complete the wire wrap using the flat nose pliers.

Judy Freyer Thompson's Wire Amulet Sticks - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Texturing, wire sticks

Judy Freyer Thompson's Wire Amulet Sticks - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Texturing, make a wrapped loop

Step 2

Clean the wires using dish soap, rinse with water and dry completely. Use a sealant such as Renaissance wax or even a clear coat spray.
Choose a selection of embellishments for your wires. As you can see from my collection, I have some fur, leather, fabric, shells, antler, bone beads, sandcast glass beads, trade beads, and spacer beads.

Judy Freyer Thompson's Wire Amulet Sticks - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Texturing, amulets

Step 3

Arrange the wires on the large jump ring to judge if you like the lengths of the wires. I like to have the longest one in the center with the shorter ones gradually arranged to each side. If you need to trim them, do it at this point. Once you're happy with the arrangement, remove them all from the jump ring.

Judy Freyer Thompson's Wire Amulet Sticks - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Texturing, arrange on the jump ring

Step 4

If you are using fabric or leather, use the punch pliers to make a hole to make sliding the pieces on the wire easier.

Judy Freyer Thompson's Wire Amulet Sticks - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Texturing, punch hole

Step 5

Now the fun begins! Start sliding the embellishments you have chosen on to the wires you have prepared. When you have finished one stick, make sure the last bead has a slightly snug fit. Lay the end of the finished wire on the steel bench block and hammer the end into a paddle shape to secure the stack of embellishment.

Judy Freyer Thompson's Wire Amulet Sticks - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Texturing, hammer the ends

Step 6

Rest the Wire Amulet on the bench pin and file the end smooth with the flat file. Continue with the rest of the wires.

Judy Freyer Thompson's Wire Amulet Sticks - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Texturing, file smooth the ends

Step 7

Slide the completed sticks back on the jump ring and close the jump ring securely. Suspend your Wire Amulet Stick pendant from ribbon or leather cord.

Judy Freyer Thompson's Wire Amulet Sticks - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Texturing, slide the sticks back on the jump ring

Reviews

Judy Freyer Thompson

Judy Freyer Thompson has been creating since 2006 and is mostly self-taught. She is an artist with a diverse background ranging from farming to mechanical manufacturing to aerospace. Her jewelry and small sculpture reflect both her experience and fascination with materials that are earthy. More often than not she loves to 'think outside the box'. She loves to incorporate found objects and objects such as bones, teeth, fur in her work. These desires feeds her desire to design and create one of a kind pieces of art to wear. Her work has been in various galleries as well as being featured in magazines and books. Along with Kalmbach Publishing , she released Simple Metalwork Jewelry in October 2016. She is a freelance designer and writes projects for Wire Jewelry and other on line publications. By day, she is the Assistant Director of a School Readiness Program. She lives in CT with her husband Mel, daughter Madison, and kitties Truman, Binky and Layla