It’s SO EASY to make beautiful wire wrapped rings! All you need is 5 minutes of your time and a few simple supplies to make your own handcrafted jewelry!
Just grab a bit of wrapping wire and a bead and use this simple wire wrapping technique to make a unique and pretty wire wrap ring. You’ll be amazed at how quickly and effortlessly you can create stunning rings that will have people asking “where did you get that?!”.
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How to Make Wire Wrapped Rings
Materials:
- 20 gauge Wire (or 24 gauge)
- Round stone bead(s) (6 to 8mm)
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Form the band of the ring
- Cut a 20 inch long piece of 20 gauge wire.(Cut a longer piece of wire if you want to make a ring larger than size 8 or if you want to make a lot of wraps around the band.)
- Thread a bead onto the wire. Carefully bring the ends of the wire together, letting the bead fall to the middle.Don’t fully crease or fold the wire.
- Place the center of the wire and the bead on the ring mandrel, positioning it 1 size larger than the ring size you want to make.For example, if you need a size 7 ring, place at the size 8 mark. As you wrap the wire around itself it will reduce in size by about 1 size.
- Wrap the right part of the wire around the mandrel 2 times. Make these wraps above the bead.
- Repeat, wrapping the left side below the bead 2 times.
- Use your fingers, or a pair of pliers, to push the 5 layers of wire close together (in towards the bead).
Step 3: Make the first wraps to secure the band
- Wrap the top wire around the bead in a clockwise direction until it’s back in its original position.
- Repeat with the bottom wire. (Wrap it once clockwise around the bead.)
- Bring the top wire down and then up through the ring band. Use pliers to pull the wire all the way through and then bend it back down so the end of the wire is at the bottom right.Make sure your wrap is tight enough to hold the layers of the ring band together neatly.
- Repeat on the left side.This time bring the wire up and back down under the band.
Step 4: Continue wire wrapping
- Remove the ring from the mandrel.
- Continue wrapping the wire around the ring band, keeping your wraps snug and close together.Make only a few wraps, or do as many as your wire length allows.
- Repeat on the other side. Wrap in the opposite direction and be sure to make the same number of wraps so the 2 sides match.
Step 5: Finish off the ring
- Use wire cutters to trim off any extra wire.The end of the wire should be at the side or top of the ring, so it doesn’t dig into your finger.
- Use pliers to press down the end of the wires into the ring band.
- Pinch down the wraps around the bead with your pliers, eliminating the gaps.
- Your wire wrapped ring is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Choose a bead colour to match an outfit or to reflect your personality. You can even use a crystal bead to match your birthstone!
- If you prefer gold jewelry you can buy gold plated wire for jewelry making.
What wire is best for making wire wrapped rings?
We suggest using wrapping wire that’s between 20 to 24 gauge. It’s just the right thickness, making it easy to work with but strong enough to hold its shape well.
If you use the thinner 24 gauge wire you may want to wrap the wire around the mandrel an extra time to give the ring more structure and stability.
We also highly recommend a non-tarnishing (or tarnish resistant) wire, like sterling silver, to avoid having the ring turn your finger green.
Do I have to use a ring mandrel to make wire wrapped rings?
You can buy an inexpensive ring mandrel on Amazon, and we do highly recommend using one. It helps to make the rings the exact size you need and keep them consistent.
If you don’t have a mandrel, use a dowel or other round object to wrap the wire around. Make sure the diameter is a bit larger than the ring size you need.
What type of bead is best for making a wire wrapped ring?
We mostly used smooth stone beads to make our wire wrapped rings, but we also made a couple with faceted beads. You can add a few smaller beads in a row, or use a single larger (6 to 8 mm) bead.
Keep in mind that the side of the bead will be the front of the ring, so the length (or height) of the bead is what will show across the ring.
We love the elegant look of the round polished beads, but you can also create a more natural vibe with crystal chip beads.
It’s so easy to transform simple materials into a stunning piece of wearable art! Use your crafting skills to make one of these gorgeous wire wrapped rings, either for yourself or to give as a homemade gift.
Here’s even more DIY jewelry ideas:
How to Make Polymer Clay Earrings
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada
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