Do it yourself from copper wire. Wire jewelry: how to weave correctly. Copper wire horse

Wire is a thin metal thread. Wires for electrical appliances are made from it. But craftsmen have also found use for this wonderful material. In mastering the technique of weaving wire with your own hands, patterns play an important role. This article will provide several master classes, accompanied by weaving patterns and a detailed description with photos.

Types of wire

Making hand-made items requires a lot of concentration from needlewomen. It is not without reason that they say that the master puts part of his soul into the created product. This means that any handmade item can be considered a talisman for the person for whom it is intended.

The first jewelry made of metal wire was worn by Egyptian women. And this material was made by drawing, that is, dragged between two heavy flat surfaces. This made the wire smooth.

The original purpose of the wire is to participate in electrical appliances as a conductor. Craftswomen saw many advantages in this rough material, for example, its flexibility.

The following types of wire are best for making jewelry:

• Copper;
• Brass;
• Aluminum;
• Made of galvanized iron.

Copper wire is most often used; it can be coated with various paints, which will help make your decoration very original. The advantage of copper is that it does not undergo oxidation; the product will serve you for a long time in its original form. And by combining this rough material with stones or beads, you can get an elegant and beautiful decoration.

Wireworking

Wireworking Literally translated from English as the art of wire winding. This is precisely the technique of making jewelry using this method.

Let's look at creating wire jewelry using the wireworking technique using the example of a ring and pendant.

small ring

To make a ring you will need:

• Copper wire;
• Large bead;
• Pliers;
• Round nose pliers with curved ends;
• A cylindrical object with a diameter equal to your finger.

In the photo for the master class, a special jewelry tool is used that allows you to make rings of a certain size. To begin, bite off a piece of wire 15-20 cm in length. Place the bead in its central part. Wind the wire onto the cylinder in three turns so that its tails stick out in different directions. Grasp the tail and, pulling the wire tightly, make three circular turns around the bead. Each subsequent row should be located slightly lower than the previous one.

Pull the wire tightly and make turns on each side of the ring. Using pliers, flatten the tip of the wire and press it tightly against the ring.

This should only be done from the top side, otherwise the decoration may injure your finger.

Press the loops as tightly together as possible. The elegant ring is ready.

By twisting different pieces of wire together and combining them with stones or beads, you can get products that are not much different from jewelry.

Elegant pendant

This step-by-step instruction is perfect for beginners.

To make jewelry you will need:

• 30 cm of copper wire with a cross section of 2 mm;
• 60 cm of copper wire with a cross section of 0.7 mm;
• 12 small beads;
• Pliers;
• Hammer;
• Round nose pliers;
• Ruler.

Use pliers to grab the thick wire by the very tip. Wind it in a spiral in increments of 2-3 mm, the width of the last turn is 5 mm. Bend the end of the wire into a loop. Flatten the resulting spiral using a hammer. Be careful not to damage the special coating applied to the surface of the wire. Attach a thin wire to the loop and apply turns with beads in the center of each on the last row of the spiral. Bite off the tip of the wire and flatten it with round nose pliers, press tightly to the product. A beautiful wire pendant is ready.

Wireworking techniques can also be used to make earrings and bracelets.

Beautiful combinations

Wire combined with beads and beads can make stunning pieces. A thin metal thread is used in beading technique. Products created with its help keep their shape well.

For example, these beaded trees are made using the needle technique. It consists of putting several beads on a piece of wire, and then the wire passes through the entire chain, bypassing the top bead. It is shown in detail in this diagram.

Flowers made from beads and wire look very realistic.

They are woven using various techniques. Most often this is a French technique in which products are made in small semicircular sectors.

Or using the parallel weaving technique, which is shown in the diagram.

We invite you to watch a detailed video tutorial on how to make a rose from beads.

Video on the topic of the article

In this collection of videos you can see various master classes on creating crafts and jewelry woven from wire.

Nothing decorates a woman's suit more than unusual jewelry, chosen with taste and in the right place. Meet the Wire Wrap style, wire jewelry. Yes, yes, from wire, albeit jewelry wire: copper, aluminum, brass, silver-plated, gold-plated. Unique handicrafts are created in a single copy. Any other jeweler is unable to reproduce exactly the original piece of jewelry; it will be just a copy.

Quite often, a craftsman working in the Wire Wrap technique is asked the same question: “Why was a metal such as copper chosen? Brass alloy? Handmade masterpieces are created from the simplest materials; something completely different is important in the finished product: the original essence of the jewelry, its energy, positivity, which helps the owner move through life, attracting the attention of others. The direct translation of the Wire Wrap technique means “wire wrapping,” but the ultimate goal of creating a unique product is rarity and originality.

To make a bracelet, ring, necklace or earrings, the author needs to have such serious skills in working with metal as firing, soldering, blackening, patination, and so on. The creator of jewelry works not with a needle, like an embroiderer, or with knitting needles, like a knitter, but with wire cutters, pliers, and a hammer. Serious preparation for the process “produces” such rare products.

In terms of their beauty, jewelry in the Wire Wrap style can easily compete with other representatives of fine hand made jewelry - items made of beads, felt, and stone.

It all started with the idea of ​​a sculptor, artist, engraver and handicrafts master, American Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976), who hails from the city of Lawnton, Pennsylvania (USA). During his life, the author created one thousand eight hundred jewelry in the Wire Wrap style, inserting pieces of ceramics, wood, glass, and leather into copper and brass wire. At first, Alexander gave jewelry to his friends and family. Much later, he became a famous sculptor and created his unique Cirque Calder collection of wire and fabric, which now adorns the halls of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

His Wire Wrap style jewelry was worn by many celebrities with pleasure, and with his mobile sculptures, “mobiles” that easily changed poses when shown to viewers, he entered art history forever.

The wire design of Wire Wrap is a real find for daring fashionistas, since no other piece of jewelry gives such scope for imagination and self-expression. Unusual forms of jewelry and their bulkiness emphasize courage, sometimes a challenge to society, shockingness. Metal wire in contact with the skin has a beneficial effect: since ancient times, the properties of copper to increase immunity by affecting the endocrine glands have been known. Humanity has been informed about the benefits of gold and silver for a very long time: these precious metals prevent blockage of veins and enhance blood microcirculation, and have bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties. That is why wire jewelry is not only beautiful, but also healing.

Handmade products in the style of Wire Wrap is not just a tribute to capricious fashion, which quickly changes its vector. Jewelry made of metal wire, created by the founder of a new direction in the art of creating style, Alexander Calder, for his beloved wife Louise, today costs millions of dollars at auctions and adorns expensive private collections.

The article was prepared by Zhanna Pyatirikova.

Today, hand-made is a fairly popular creative direction. And indeed, is it really possible to compare mass-produced costume jewelry with those works of art that are made from ordinary materials. In addition, when making any pendant, you put part of your soul into it, which means that it will also be a talisman capable of protecting you and your loved ones from all kinds of evil. And today we will talk about ways to make jewelry from ordinary or jewelry wire.

Is this material for women?

The opinion that wire is not an elegant enough material for making small and neat women's jewelry is wrong. But if you think about it, with the right approach and the presence of a good scheme, even from this seemingly rough material you can get quite elegant things.

Also, do not forget that modern advances in technology provide an excellent opportunity to produce wire of any diameter and from any material.

In addition, thanks to its flexibility, it can be used to make absolutely amazing weaving, which can become part of not only jewelry, but also interior elements.

As for jewelry made from jewelry wire, they first appeared in Ancient Egypt. At that time, rich ladies used it to style their hair. And then this material was made as follows: thin strips cut from a metal sheet were first twisted and then pierced between two flat surfaces.

Thus, all the irregularities in the material were smoothed out, and the product no longer clung to hair or fabric.

Types of wire: what can you make a decoration from?

Today, when making jewelry, it is not at all necessary to limit yourself to only copper or iron.

Fortunately, you can create an interesting little thing using wire from the following materials:

• Brass. This material is very resistant to corrosion, quite elastic and bends well, so there should be no problems with shaping your product;
• Aluminum. The characteristics of this metal, in principle, coincide with brass. The only difference is the color. Aluminum alloy has a bluish-gray tint, so jewelry made from this metal can be combined with silver;
• Thin steel cable. This material consists of thin strips of galvanized metal twisted together. It is for this reason that when working with such a cable, you need to be very careful, since if the structure is damaged, the sharp edges can cause a fairly deep cut. And another disadvantage of such material is that it will not make an elegant product;
• Wire mesh. Yes, yes, this particular material, which is often used to make animal enclosures, can also become the basis for your products. The main thing is to decide on the diameter of the wire and create!

And, of course, you can use copper to make jewelry from wire. In addition, it is worth remembering that copper material can be coated with multi-colored paint, which means you will not be limited in the choice of shades for your future material.

Another advantage of this material is that it does not shine, so you don’t have to worry that you will make your earrings or pendant too large and look like a magpie.

Also, copper practically does not oxidize, so you can avoid the appearance of an unpleasant greenish or dark coating, which will definitely not add attractiveness to your image.

Please note: wire can be used not only as the main material for the manufacture of various items, but also as a finishing material. With its help, you can beautifully decorate semi-precious stones or make small pendants using wood or beads. The main thing is to use your imagination!

Wire jewelry: pendant

Copper or silver wire jewelry: ring

From this material you can make not only pendants, but also rings. But don’t think that only children can wear products of this type. Not at all, it all depends on which model you decide to implement.

Most people first encounter crafts in childhood, when they need to bring something they made with their own hands to a craft class. You can learn to embroider, knit, sew, weave from threads, beads, and ribbons. What can be made from copper wire? Soft metal makes very successful figures of animals, insects, fish, candlesticks and lampshades, flowers, coasters, money trees, Christmas tree decorations made of copper wire, as well as an endless number of women's accessories - bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, chains, belts. The simplicity of working with wire and the unusual beauty of the resulting decorative elements deserve to be discussed in more detail.

Wire working techniques and tools.

Wire for making jewelry is made from copper, silver, and aluminum. It comes in different shades and diameters from 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm. The most popular size for weaving beaded jewelry is up to 0.6 mm, and thicker wire makes a good braid for beads, shaped elements for making chains and openwork details of earrings or bracelets. The thickest wire is used to make bases, frames and frames. For beginning craftsmen, copper wire is most suitable, as it is easy to use and not so expensive. There are many techniques for weaving copper wire (for example, wire wrap, chainmail, French), most craftsmen usually use mixed or original techniques.

The set of tools for working with wire is quite standard: regular pliers, round nose pliers with a smooth conical surface, side cutters, a hammer and anvil, and a set of special pins. Wire can be purchased at craft stores; it is advisable to take several spools of different sizes of wire at once. Round nose pliers are used to create all kinds of bends in the wire, twisting it into spirals and springs.

Crafts made from copper wire can be made even with children, starting from the age of five, when the baby’s fingers have become stronger and perseverance has developed. Children usually take great pleasure in creating all kinds of animal figures, trees, and flowers.

Master class: jewelry made of copper wire for hand.

Once upon a time in childhood, it was very common to put rings and bracelets on hands from soft multi-colored wire. They wove braids, chains, and plaits. At a more mature age comes the desire to decorate your hands with something original, even better in an ethnic style. After all, deep down in their souls, everyone dreams of becoming a creator. Jewelry made from copper wire, which you can make yourself, is perfect for this. Below you can get acquainted with the technology of weaving a men's bracelet and a “Scandinavian” ring, which is suitable for both men and women.

Armor bracelet "Chainmail".

The most popular homemade jewelry is without a doubt the bracelet. Such products made from copper wire will always look stylish and beautiful; they can be decorated with beads, stones, or created in the form of chains of original weaving.

In this master class we will talk about a men's bracelet made of thick copper wire with a diameter of 2 mm. Armored weaving was chosen as the base weave. Each link is made in the form of a figure eight. Type of processing of links - forging. The links are assembled into rings, and the bracelet is closed with an original double hook clasp. The diameter of the future bracelet should be 1.5 centimeters larger than the volume of the hand.

To understand how many links are needed, draw a line of the appropriate length on a piece of paper, onto which we will lay out the finished links.

Before we start working on the bracelet, let's prepare the materials and tools that we will need for our work:

• a coil of copper wire (depending on the manufacturer: diameter 2 mm or gauge 12);
• hammer and anvil,
• pliers, round nose pliers and wire cutters;
• nail-weave.

First of all, blanks for future links are cut from the wire - these are pieces of copper 5 cm long. Using pliers, we make a figure eight from each piece: for this, one end of the wire is wrapped in a ring in one direction, and the other in the opposite direction. We repeat this with each piece. As a result, we will get the required number of links.

The next operation is forging. Each link, placed on the anvil, must be carefully flattened with a hammer so that the surface of the “eight” becomes flat like foil. We forge every detail. After forging, the wire changes its shape and the ends of the rings can move away from the middle. You need to use pliers to close them so that the ends of the rings tightly “lock” the figure eight.

The next stage of work is cutting the connecting links. To do this, the wire needs to be wound around a nail, tightly pressing the coil to the coil. You should get a spiral with identical rings. To cut a spiral into rings, you need to use wire cutters to bite off each turn in the place where the end of the wire is located. The ends of the rings should point in different directions and there should be a gap between them so that the chain links can be threaded through.

Now let's start collecting. We take two “figure eights” and thread a connecting ring through their centers, then close its ends and clamp them with pliers. The next “eight” is connected with a ring to the previous one and secured again. Thus, all the links are assembled.

The final touch is the clasp for the bracelet. To make it, you need a 7 cm piece of wire, which is bent in the middle so that you get two parallel straight lines. One end of the hook is bent with an inflection, and each of the wires from the other is twisted into a half ring, the “eight” is inserted into its half and wrapped around them, making several turns. The remaining ends are curled into a snail. The bracelet is ready!

"Scandinavian ring".

One of the jewelry that can make a person stand out from the crowd is an unusual ring - after all, our hands are always in sight. Step-by-step instructions are provided on how to make a ring from copper wire in an ethnic style.

The tools and materials that will be needed to make it can be found in your husband’s garage; in extreme cases, you can buy it at a hardware store.

To make a “Scandinavian ring” you will need:

• wire of several sizes (40 cm - d1.2 mm, 25 cm - d0.7 mm and 60 cm - d0.5 mm);
• used AA battery and adhesive bandage;
• vice, pliers, side cutters, hammer and file.

We will need a used battery and adhesive tape (it’s better to take it on a reel) to create a template. We use a thread to measure the volume of the finger on which we will wear the ring, then wrap the battery with adhesive tape until the desired size is obtained.

The ring is an assembly of one braid, two strands and four wire rings. Two more pieces of wire will be needed to forge the mounting plates.

For the braid you will need three equal pieces of 0.7 mm wire. For example, for a ring size 18, the length of the segment will be 6.5-7 cm (about 5 mm will be used as allowances). We clamp one side of the wire in a vice and braid it. The wire needs to be pulled tight to make the weave tight.

For two bundles you will need 8 equal pieces of 0.5 mm wire. We divide them into 4 pieces, fix one end in a vice and twist the tourniquet. The wire is also stretched with each twist.

Cut 4 pieces along the length of the 1.2 mm wire template. We cut the wire to assemble the ring along the length of the template. From two 4 cm pieces we make holder clips that will hold our parts together and hide the sharp wire ends. To do this, on the flat part of the vice, they need to be carefully flattened with a hammer to the state of a flat strip.

We assemble the ring: wire-bundle-wire-pigtail-wire-bundle-wire and secure it vertically in a vice.

The fastening strip is applied at a distance of three to five millimeters from the edge of the ring and bent inward on both sides. The joint should be approximately in the middle of the ring; excess metal can be cut off with wire cutters. Too sharp ends can be filed off. The workpiece is turned over with the other end up and the whole operation is repeated. We use wire cutters to align all the protruding parts and process them with a file so that they do not get scratched.

The blank is placed on a template (battery) and given a round shape. The beauty of this decoration is that if it becomes too small for you, you can bend it a little.

You can make interesting crafts from wire (flowers, trees, bracelets, brooches, beads, etc.), which will serve as an excellent decoration for the interior. Even a preschool child can make simple wire products.

For home handicrafts and crafts with children, copper wire is used, which is very soft and flexible. Candlesticks, vases, brooches, etc. can also be made from this type of wire.

Handicrafts help develop children's attention and fine motor skills, as well as distract and calm the nervous system. The child receives a lot of positive emotions in the process of creative activity.

Craft wire can be purchased at a craft store or online.

Tools

To make wire products you will need the following tools:

• tongs that have round ends;
• wire cutters;
• copper wire;
• materials for decorative finishing (beads, all kinds of stones for decoration).

It is very popular to make crafts from fluffy wire, which is a flexible wire wrapped in lint. You can make a lot of different crafts from it. The products turn out beautiful.

You can purchase this type of wire online or in any bookstore. Products made from fluffy wire can be of two types:

• flat products;
• volumetric products.

Chenille (fluffy) wire was invented for cleaning smoking pipes.

Christmas tree

To make a Christmas tree you need to take a shaggy green wire and twist it into a cone, in the direction of the spiral. It is necessary to gradually reduce the size of the circle.

Using a similar pattern (in the form of a spiral), you can also make a caterpillar, snake, snail and other animals.

This is an excellent option, for example, for crafts for kindergarten, since it does not require special skills and time for busy mothers.

Spider

Another wonderful wire craft is, for example, a fluffy spider. To make it, you need to twist four wires of the same color and the same size into the shape of an insect and decorate it with beads.

Egg

You can make an original Easter egg from wire. To do this, you need to take a wooden blank for an Easter egg and spread glue around the perimeter. After which you must immediately very carefully wrap the wire around the egg in one layer so that there are no gaps.

Little children love to make animals and people from fluffy wire, which will later become their favorite toy.

Regular office glue is suitable for gluing parts made of shaggy wire.

Crafts made from copper wire

In addition to fluffy wire, copper wire is also used for crafts, with which the frame of the product is made, and beads, beads, etc. are strung.

Crafts made from wire and beads are very popular. The production of such crafts takes place in several stages:

• Making the frame of the product from wire (the diameter of the wire must correspond to the diameter of the bead hole);
• Beads are strung onto the frame of the craft. (The beads must be the same in color and shape. The beads can be collected by hand or using a spinner);
• Using wire scraps, all parts of the product are connected.

Beads add originality and unusualness to any product. Czech beads are considered the best beads for crafts. Using beads and wire, you can make various costume jewelry, “money trees,” interior flowers, etc.

It is believed that the “money tree” serves as a talisman to attract wealth and well-being in the home. Therefore, it is very popular in people's interiors.

To make a tree you will need a small pot, beads and thin flexible wire (for example, copper).

It is necessary to cut the wire to the same length and thickness. Then you need to intertwine the wire parts together, leaving some for the branches. You need to apply beads to the branches of the tree. Secure the lower part of the money tree using some kind of base, or using a small flower pot.

Candlesticks, vases, brooches, etc. are also made from copper wire.

On the Internet there are a large number of different diagrams and photos of wire crafts that will greatly help beginning needlewomen.

In order to make crafts from wire, as in any type of needlework, you need to have patience and endurance. Only in this case will the products reward their creator with beauty and attractiveness, originality and uniqueness.

The soul of a person is put into every handmade product.

Photos of wire crafts