Woven Heart-framed Pendant

by Deborah Kelly

Category: Weaving
Technique(s): Weaving
Skill Level: Intermediate

This heart-shaped cabochon is the star in this pendant. Weave a wire frame to showcase it.

Materials

18 Gauge Round Half Hard Copper Wire

H11-18H

Lesson Quantity: 18.00 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
Price: $3.38
Gold Club Price: $2.53

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24 Gauge Round Dead Soft Copper Wire

H11-24D

Lesson Quantity: 9.00 feet
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 10FT
Price: $1.78
Gold Club Price: $1.33

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1" heart-shaped stone

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

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Tools

WireJewelry - Ultimate Wire-Pliers Jewelry Pliers with Case, Set of 5

G15-20

G15-20
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $170.72
Gold Club Price: $128.04

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Instructions

Step 1

Cut the 18g wire into three 12" pieces. And cut the 24g wire in half. Find the middle of one piece of 18 gauge wire. Use round-nose pliers to make a tight bend in middle of the wire.

Deborah Kelly's Woven Heart-framed Pendant - , Wire Weaving, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, woven heart-framed pendant

Step 2

Use the chain or flat nose pliers and pinch together the bend in the wire till the two wires are right next to each other.

Step 3

Grasp the folded wire in a pair of pliers so the top edge of the pliers jaws are about ¼ inch from the folded end of the wire. Pull the wires apart forming a V above where the pliers are.

Step 4

Take the wire out of the pliers and pull apart a little more. Put wire aside.

Step 5

Find the center of the second piece of 18 gauge wire. Bend and crimp like the first wire but when separating have the top of the pliers jaws less then ¼ inch from the fold in the wire. Put aside for later.

Step 6

Take the last piece of 18 gauge wire. Put a bend in the wire using the largest part of round-nose pliers.

Step 7

Lay out the 3 bent wires in the opposite order then they were bent in. Have the last bent wire on the inside when laying them out.

Step 8

Take once piece of the 24 gauge wire and wrap three times around the last 18 gauge wire bent (we will call this base wire 1) right at the bend in the wire.

Step 9

Place the second 18 gauge wire which you bent (base wire 2) below the wire just wrapped, so the curve of base wire 1 is sitting right above the bend in base wire 2.
Wrap 24 gauge wire around both base wires twice. Make sure to leave a small space just big enough for the 24 gauge wire to go thru between the base wires.

Step 10

Place the last wire base wire (base wire 3) below the two already wrapped together, putting the point of base wire 2 right in the V of base wire 3.
Wrap around all three base wires twice.
Make sure to leave a little space between base wires (about big enough for the wrapping wire)

Step 11

Wrap the weaving wire around base wires 1 and 2 twice. Then wrap the weaving wire around base wire 1 four times.
Repeat this pattern by wrapping base wires 1 and 2 twice then all three base wires twice, then base wires 1 and 2 twice again, then the first base wire four times again.
Repeat this pattern about 8 times.

Step 12

Repeat on the other side of the V point.

Step 13

Shape the weave around the stone. The weave should be sitting slightly on the stone and going over the edge of the stone. If the weaving is not long enough add another pattern to each side. If the weave is too, long take out a pattern.

Step 14

Bend the wires closes to the front (base wire 1) down and over the front of the pendant (keep them right next to each other). Bend both ends of base wire 2 up at a 90 degree angle from the weave. And the last base wires to the back of the pendant.

Step 15

Take the weaving wire on the left side of the pendant take it up to base wire 2 right above the wire it is wrapped on. And wrap around base wire 2 twice.

Step 16

Cross the weaving wire between the two wires (the ends of base wire 2) to the other wire making the bail. Wrap the weaving wire around 2 times before crossing between the wires to the first side. Repeat once or twice more, every time you go from one side of the bail to the other remember to cross between the base wires making the bail.

Step 17

Bend the base wires being worked on 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 between pattern. When the bail gets to about ¼ inch wide, bend the base wires parallel to each other so there is no more widening of the bail.

Step 18

When the bail is about an 1 1/4 inches long, bend the bail wires sharply back toward each other.

Step 19

Bend the bail wires parallel to each other, about at the center of the bail. Continue to weave to where the wires are next to each other. Wrap the weaving wire around one of the bail wires 3 times. Next wrap it around both bail wires twice. Repeat this wrapping around one bail wire 3 times (make sure it is the same wire every time) and around both wires 3 or 4 times.

Step 20

Next go back to the base wires in front of the pendant, wrap the weaving wire still attached in the front around both wires bent over the front of the pendant twice. Then wrap around the first wire three times, then both wires twice. Repeat this weave a for about 1 inch. Remember when doing the 3 wraps always wrap them on the same wire.

Step 21

Fold the weaving being worked on up to sit on the bail already woven. Continue the weave until it is as long as the rest of the bail.

Step 22

Slightly bend both pieces of the bail toward the front of the pendant.

Step 23

Take the bail making pliers and bend the bail around them to the back of the pendant.

Step 24

Separate the tail ends of the two parts of the bail. Align one tail wire from each bail part next to each other. Use the weaving wire to do a 3-2 weave around them (a 3-2 weave is wrapping the weaving wire around one base wire 3 times then around both twice) a few times.
Use one of the weaving wires still attached to the two parts of the bail to do this with.

Step 25

Repeat with the other two tail wires of the bail. The length you weave does not have to be the same length on both sides. Once the weaves are the length desired, cut off the weaving wire and smooth the ends. Put the cut off ends aside to use later.

Step 26

Put the stone in place. Bend the two weaves on the back of the stone some. Cut off the end of the wires sticking out of the two weaves on the back of the pendant leaving enough room to spiral the wires ends, and with a part of at least one spiraled end of each weave to touch the weave going around the heart.

Step 27

The heart can be taken out to make your spirals. Arrange the weaves on the back attractively, making sure each spiral meets the edge of the weave going around the heart. If the bottom two spirals meet in the middle it will stabilize the stone in the setting more.

Step 28

Put the stone back into place. Use the left over weaving wire to secure the spirals to the edge of the weave, and to each other where they meet.

Step 29

Cross the remaining 2 base wire ends over each other between the front and back of the bail.

Step 30

Bring them to the front side of the bail (one from each side) and wrap attractively around the front part of the bail.

Step 31

Cut the ends of the wires off just long enough to bend into the middle of the bail (between the front and the back of the bail). Crimp the ends over so they do not catch on anything.

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.