Woven Shell Donut Pendant

Cut the 18-gauge wire and cut it into two 14" lengths. Take the 24-gauge wire (will refer to it as the weaving wire from now on) and wrap it around one of the 18 gauge wires (base wires) three times, 6 ½ inches from one end of the base wire.

Place the 2nd base wire next to the ones with the weaving wire wrapped around it. Wrap the weaving wire around both base wires two times.
Repeat by wrapping the weaving wire around the first base wire three times. Then around both wires twice.

Continue this weave until it is 1 ¼ inches long. Wrap the weaving wire around the first base wire three times.

Wrap the weaving around the largest step of the 6-step bail making pliers.
When wrapping around the pliers, keep the weave flat, and wrap with the base wire that is fully wrapped into the center.

Hold the pendant so the weaving wire is on the side away from you. Take the weaving wire over to the next wire on the other side of the circle and bring up to the front, then wrap once around that one wire.

Take the weaving wire behind the last two wires, wrap around the end base wire once. Bring the weaving wire across the first two wires on the top of the pendant.

Wrap the weaving wire once around the 2nd wire you just went over. Wrap over the next two wires, wrapping once around the 2nd wire.

Repeat with the next two wires. To go back the other way to invert the weave. Go over two wires on the back side of the pendant then wrap around the 2nd wire once. Repeat going over two wires and wrapping every second wire till reaching the other side. Switch to going over 2 wires on the top with wrapping every 2nd one. This weave looks the same on both sides.

Do this weave for about ½ an inch.

Bend the base wires into a V shape, 2 wires on each side. Bring your weaving wire to the center of the weave.
No matter what way you are wrapping when starting the bail you want to take the wire from the front side of one of the middle 2 wires to the back side of the other middle wire. You may need to continue your weave to the other side of your piece and back to the center to get the wire going the right way.

Take the weaving wire all the way around the two base wires, then wrap once around the middle base wire on that side.
Then bring the weaving wire across to the back side of the base wires on the other side of the middle.
Wrap all the way around those two base wires and when the weaving wire gets back to the middle wrap around the base wire in the middle of that side.
Repeat.

When the bail gets as wide as desired, bend the wires parallel to each other to maintain a nice distance. Continue weaving.

About ¾ of an inch of weaving, bend the base wires back toward each other. Continue the weave being careful to keep the weave tight while the weave gets narrower. I use my thumb nail to keep the weave compressed.

Continue weaving till middle base wires touch. The bail should be about 1 to 1 ¼ inches long

Take the weaving wire to an outside base wire and wrap around the outside base wire three times.bThen wrap around the two base wires on that side.
Repeat this three/two weave (three times around one wire and twice around the two wires)

Continue the three/two weave for 2 ½ inches. End the weave with the three wraps on one wire. Cut the weaving wire with cutters and smooth with pliers.

Start the three/two weave on other two base wires up by the bail. To start the three two weave follow step 1 and 2. Do this weave for the same length as the side done in step 16. Cut off weaving wire after a three wrap and smooth with pliers.

At the start of the bail above the circle bend the wire to the front side of the bail slightly. Using the 6-step bail making pliers bend the bail around the largest step.

Bend the two wire ends towards the front. Slip the donut onto the two wires. Put the 2 ends of the weave thru the circle of wire. Carefully manipulate the wire and donut till the front is in place with the circle over the hole in the donut. Pull the woven ends through. Once in place, wrap the woven wire to the back side of the donut and bring them thru the center hole again. A light squeeze with the pliers will help snug the wire to the shell.

Once the woven wires are on the front of the pendant cut off any extra wire about ½ inch from the end of the weave. Swirl the ends of the base wires and curve what is left of the weave in an attractive manner.