# Anyone else make jewelry?



## SoapyQueenBee (Oct 14, 2014)

I've made glass bead jewelry for years, and love how relaxing it is. I took a break from it, while I was learning cp and taking my aromatherapy certification, but am back in the swing of things.  I've always done bracelets, but decided to give earrings a go, and while they're both simple and quick, I've run into a bit of an issue.  Hopefully someone here has experience with this craft, and can either send me to a good tutorial or lend some help!  
I'd really like to include jewelry in my holiday gifts, this year, but Twisting the wire around the hook is an absolute bear, for me and is getting me very discouraged!  I either get it too loose, or it looks like a disaster.. any help would be greatly appreciated, as always!

Example #1 - too loose




Example #2 - messy bend


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## Ellacho (Oct 14, 2014)

Oh wow~they are beautiful!  I am a total newbie in jewelry making.  I signed up a jewelry making class during summer. It's once a month class for 10 commitments. I originally wanted to take a bead jewelry making class (something like yours) but accidentally, signed up a wire making jewelry class instead!  Later I found out that they did not offer such class in fall/winter, so I ended up staying in the class. It's not easy(quite frustrating too )  but it's a lot of fun.  I mostly made bracelets and rings using wires and a little bit of beads.


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## SoapyQueenBee (Oct 14, 2014)

Thank you.  
I love that feeling of making something that pleases others, even if at times it makes me want to pull out my hair lol.  
I looked into a wire class, years ago, and just couldn't shape things properly.  I admire anyone with that ability - I'd likely go crazy, from frustration, myself!


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## Ellacho (Oct 14, 2014)

SoapyQueenBee said:


> Thank you.
> I love that feeling of making something that pleases others, even if at times it makes me want to pull out my hair lol.
> I looked into a wire class, years ago, and just couldn't shape things properly.  I admire anyone with that ability - I'd likely go crazy, from frustration, myself!



The more I go to my wire class, the more I realize that I am a better soaper than a jewelry maker .  No, my handmade jewelry looks horrible  but it's a bit sentiment to me only because I made it.


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## navigator9 (Oct 15, 2014)

I used to make and sell jewelry before I started selling soap. Wire work takes lots and lots of practice. I would suggest buying some cheap wire and practicing until you're happy with the results. I can't tell from your pictures the exact problem you're describing. Can you maybe take a closer pic of the problem? I'll be happy to help if I can.


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## SoapyQueenBee (Oct 16, 2014)

I'll get a closer pic, today.  I found a tut that makes it a lot simpler to get a nice loop, but it's still giving me fits with the twist.  DH says I'm looking too critically at it, but I'm a perfectionist, so that isn't going to change anytime soon lol.  It just doesn't look 'clean' enough, to me.  ::twitch::


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## SoapyQueenBee (Oct 21, 2014)

Here's that closeup; what a crazy few days around here!
I do press the end in to as flush with the loop as I can, but it's the overall loop and wrap that gives me perfectionist fits.


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## navigator9 (Oct 21, 2014)

Great pic, now I can see what you're talking about. I hope these pics will help. I should have used a tripod, but I hope you get the idea. 

First of all, you need to grab just above the bead with your chain nose pliers. Grab towards the tip, where they aren't so wide, like this.... (I didn't have any beads handy, so used some charms and a piece of wire that I had around)

one.jpg

Now bend the wire at a 90 degree angle. (again, sorry for the fuzzy pic)

two.jpg

Now take your round nose pliers and grab the wire right at the bend, (even fuzzier pic) 
three.jpg
Then take the piece of wire in your hand and bend it around the top of the plier, then remove the plier, and grasp the wire with the pliers from the top of the curve this time so that you can bend it into a perfect circle. Then insert the round nose plier into this circle, and you'll have the wire sticking out to the side. Take that wire in your hand, or in your chain nose pliers and wind it tightly around the neck of the wire, next to the circle, and cut off the end, so that it looks like this.

four.jpg

I sure hope this helps, fuzzy pics and all. One of these days I'll figure out how to do a video, and that would have made things much easier. Let me know if you have any questions.

Actually, look what I found on YouTube.....I should have known. This is almost identical to the way I do it. You can really get a good idea of how it's done here. http://youtu.be/ETL-dbncs68


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## SoapyQueenBee (Oct 21, 2014)

Thank you so much for taking the time to show me!  I do pretty much the same as that, only I don't continue the wraparound.  I appreciate your help, so much!!
Let me repay you in soap...::wigglybrow giggles::


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