Getting Rid of the Tail

by Rhonda Chase

We've asked our instructors to give us a few quick tips that we could share with all of you. Today I wanted to feature a tip sent to us from Rhonda Chase. Rhonda is teaching several classes in Wire Wrapping. Her tip is on how to "Get rid of the Tail" when wrapping wires. Take a look below!

Instructions

Getting Rid of the "Tail"

When making wrapped loops and you have that annoying little "tail" left sticking out at the end of the last loop, get out your crimping pliers. Rhonda demonstrates her tip on her pendant from her Wire Wrapped Bead Pendant class.

Wrapped loops before the ends are trimmed and shaped.

Rhonda Chase's Getting Rid of the Tail - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Copper wire wrapped pendant

Use the rounding part in the front of the pliers to wrap the tiny bit of wire with rest of the loops into a perfect circle.

Dangles with wrapped loops on an antique glass bead pendant.

Rhonda Chase's Getting Rid of the Tail - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Crimping pliers used to finish copper wire pendant

Use the round tip of the crimping pliers to gently shape the wrap ends just like you would shape a crimp.

This is especially helpful with heavy wires. Your wrapped loops will look great and no more scratchy bits!

Rhonda Chase's Getting Rid of the Tail - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Using crimping pliers on copper wire

Materials

Wire

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Beads

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Tools

Mighty Crimper

PLR-584.00

PLR-584.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $14.97
Gold Club Price: $11.23

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Original Bead Crimper

PLR-585.00

PLR-585.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.97
Gold Club Price: $9.73

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Category: Classic
Technique(s): Wrapping

Reviews

Rhonda Chase

Rhonda Chase will be coming to Tucson to share her style of wire jewelry from her home in Northern California. Classically trained, Rhonda has always had an artistic side to her: from showing her drawings in a New York gallery at age 15 to working in a New York ad agency, which led to book illustrations, medical illustration, and her own graphic design business.

All that art - which ultimately translated to time on the computer, not using her hands to create her art directly with her fingers - led her to jewelry design and wire jewelry. At the time, she was making porcelain pendants and needed a way to hang them that was more interesting than a basic cord. Now wire jewelry is her medium of choice! Rhonda believes in first practicing and perfecting the basic skills and techniques, and then branching out into the creative opportunities.

I love how she breaks the rules in her classes: her "No Measuring" cabochon pendant class and Floating Teardrop classes will be a lot of fun. And who doesn't love those popular wire bird's nests?