Making Jewellery - August 2016

makingjewellery.com 41

PROJECT

MATERIALS & TOOLS

● (^) 0.8mm silver-plated wire
● (^) 0.25mm silver-plated wire
● (^) 2mm aquamarine beads
● (^) 2mm Swarovski xilions AB
● (^) 3mm Swarovski xilions AB
● (^) 4mm Swarovski xilions AB
● (^) 5mm Swarovski xilions AB x1
● (^) 0.8mm Sterling silver wire, soft
● (^) 0.3mm Sterling silver wire, soft
● (^) 5mm jumprings
● (^) Sterling silver rope chain
● (^) Beading thread
● (^) Crimp beads
● (^) Turquoise chips
● (^) 4–5mm white pearls
● (^) Drilled seashell beads
● (^) Wire cutters
● (^) Nylon jaw pliers
● (^) Chain or needle nose pliers
● (^) Round nose pliers
● (^) Mandrel
HOW TO MAKE
1
Plain woven pendant

1. For the plain woven pendant, fi rst cut a 25cm
   length of 0.8mm wire. Find the middle point
   and bend the wire in half. Carefully but fi rmly
   squash the bend with your nylon jaw pliers to
   make a sharp and crisp ‘V’. This is the base of
   your seashell shape. Cut a length of 0.25mm
   wire and attach it to the 0.8mm frame, as close
   to the bend as possible.


2. Keeping the frame wire in a very gradual ‘V’
   shape (going from the point to around a 6mm
   gap at the far end), weave the 0.25mm wire in
   an hourglass motion around the frame. Take
   the weaving wire from the top of one frame
   wire, under the opposite frame wire, then all
   the way around to secure. Now take it from the
   top of that wire, keeping going in the under and
   over motion. Secure each time with a full wrap,
   until you are 4cm from the end.


3. Take a jumpring and sit it in the gap between
   the two frame wires. Now take your weaving
   wire and wrap around one frame wire until
   you reach the bottom of the jumpring. Secure
   the jumpring to that frame wire, either with

2 3

4 5 6

the hourglass weave, or just a simple round and

round wrap. Stop at the edge of the jumpring.

4. Gently bend the bottom frame wire in a
   loop shape so it sits parallel to the edge of
   the jumpring and closes the gap in the frame.
   It should now lie across the top frame wire.
   Where this wire meets the top of the jumpring,
   make a 45-degree bend upwards using your
   thumb. Place your round nose pliers at the bend
   and make a small loop.


5. Gently take the remaining frame wire and
   bend it round so it sits just behind the top wire.
   Trim at the edge of the curve. Now take your
   weaving wire and wrap round and round and
   round, binding those wires together and hiding
   the fact there are two, while strengthening the
   frame. Trim your weaving wire.


6. Take the pointed end gently in your round
   nose pliers. Make sure that the loop you created
   at the other end of your piece is on the top of
   the frame. Now carefully start to bend the
   frame in a spiral around your pliers. Make sure
   the very start of the spiral is nice and tight,
   then make the spiral slightly bigger.

PHOTOGR APHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, SAMMI FLETCHER

W

MJ96_P40-43_Summer Seashells SHSF.indd 41 23/06/2016 11:01