Two Tips for Making Pendant Bails with Craft Wire

by Judy Larson

Working with craft wire can present challenges not faced when using sterling, argentium or gold wire. Craft wire is much softer, making it easier to work with, but at the same time, making it difficult to keep wire ends not tucked into the project in place.

This is especially true when wire wrapping a bail using half round craft wire. My solution is to double wrap the bail and tuck the wrap wire end in, which also creates a smooth surface to the bail. Doing this means that your wrap wire ends will never pull away from your project.

Instructions

Tip 1:

Step 1: Using painters tape, secure all the wire ends together. Temporarily secure the cabochon in the bezel with painters tape. This will keep your bezel wires from distorting while you work on the bail. It will also keep you bezel from becoming too small.

Step 2: Make a hook about 1″ from the end of the half round wire. The bend should be wide enough to accommodate two thicknesses of square wire. Position the hook at the base of the straight wires with the cut end toward the back and the bend on the front of the assembly. Going UP the bail, wrap tightly around the square wires, using a soft jaw pliers to set the half round wire in place after each wrap, until there are 5 wraps showing in the front. Try not to overlap the wraps but have them nestle tightly side by side. DO NOT CUT THE WRAP WIRE OFF!

Judy Larson's Two Tips for Making Pendant Bails with Craft Wire - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Design, Using Half Round Craft Wire

Step 3: Remove the tape from the bail wires. Pull the back two (or however many you need to) wires slightly away from the bundle.

Judy Larson's Two Tips for Making Pendant Bails with Craft Wire - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Design, Craft Wire Bail

Step 4: Using the largest section of a 3-step pliers, grasp the two separated wires about ½" up from the last wrap. Bend the wires around the plier barrel as shown until they touch the back of the cabochon.

Step 5: Make a 30° bend in the bail wires about 1/8″ up from the last wrap. You will need to hold the assembly up at eye level and "eyeball" where to place your pliers for the bend.

Judy Larson's Two Tips for Making Pendant Bails with Craft Wire - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Design, Side view of craft wire bail

Step 6: Make sure that the wrap wires are underneath the bent bail wires on the back of the assembly (see above photo). Hold the bail wires tightly against the cabochon. Using the long wrap wire, wrap going DOWN the bail toward the cabochon. Wrap tightly over the bail wires and previously wrapped section, securing the bail wires tightly to the assembly. Use a soft jaw pliers to set the half round wire in place after each wrap. Try not to overlap the wraps but to have them nestle tightly side by side. Trim the lower wrap wire off close to the bail wires after three wraps down the bail have been made. You will over up this cut end with your final wraps down the bail.

Judy Larson's Two Tips for Making Pendant Bails with Craft Wire - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Design, Wrapping with half round craft wire

Step 7: Trim the bail wires off below and flush with the last wrap. (Below, find out how to avoid the bail wires pulling out of the wrap.)

Judy Larson's Two Tips for Making Pendant Bails with Craft Wire - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Design, Backside of craft wire bail

Step 8: Slip the wrap wire tail between the cabochon and bezel just under the last wrap, going from the back to the front of the bezel. Pull the wire tightly to the front. Trim the half round wrap wire even with or slightly inside the outer edge of the bezel wires. When you remove the tape holding the cabochon in place, push the half round wire wire up into the wrapped bail between the sandwiched square wires.

Judy Larson's Two Tips for Making Pendant Bails with Craft Wire - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Design, Tucking end of bail wire

Judy Larson's Two Tips for Making Pendant Bails with Craft Wire - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Design, Pulling end of craft wire tail tight

Tip 2:

Softer craft wire bail wires can sometimes pull out of the bail wrap, especially if the bail wrap is not tight enough. This problem can be solved with a decorative curl made on the cut bail wire ends.

Trim the two square wire tails to 1/4-3/8″ below the last bail wrap. Using the tips of round nose pliers, tightly curl the wire tails up over the bail shank wrap wires. Trim the tail of the headpin off even with the last bail shank wrap.

Materials

Craft wire

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Category: Classic
Technique(s): Wrapping, Design

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!