On the Sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me..... a Golden, Wire Wrapped Tree!
These shimmering gold trees look fabulous with their silver accents - gold and silver always look so good together!
This wire wrapping technique is very simple to execute although it's a little tough on your hands. If you find the going hard with 26g wire, then try it with 28g - you'll need to do more wraps but it will be even easier to work.
So, here's what you'll need to make these earrings:
- Artistic Wire 26-Gauge Tarnish Resistant Gold Wire
- 2 gold triangular chandelier frames
- 2 x 11mm embossed silver star beads
- 2 x 6x8mm flat topped silver cones
- 2 x 6mm silver bead caps
- 2 x clear silicone earring stoppers
- 2 silver eye pins
- 2 gold head pins
- 2 gold earring wires
Leave a tail of approximately 2.5cm (1") and wrap the wire twice around the left hand arm of the triangle, just below the top loop.
Bring the wire to the back of the left hand arm of the triangle and up through the middle. Wrap it twice around the right hand arm, keeping the wire taut. Bring the wire back up through the middle and across to the left.
Continue wrapping the wire twice around each side and bringing the wire back up through the middle. To avoid kinks, instead of feeding the tail of the wire through the triangle first, push the wire near the wrap through first and keep pulling it until the tail comes through.
Run the wire through the nylon jaw pliers after every second wrap to keep it smooth and kink-free.
When you've finished wrapping the wire across the triangle, wrap it two or three times around the bottom of the frame to secure it. Trim away the excess.
Trim away the excess wire at the top of the triangle as close to the frame as you can.
Trim away the ridges of the silicone earring stopper.
Test it to see that it fits snugly inside the flat top cone. Make further adjustments if necessary.
String the 6mm bead cap (upside down) and the earring stopper onto the head pin.
String the flat top cone over the earring stopper, narrow end first.
Use chain nose pliers to bend the head pin at a 45° angle close to the earring stopper. It's a bit tricky to get right down into the cone, but bending the head pin as close as possible to the silicone will stop the tree base from wobbling around on the head pin.
Create three quarters of a simple loop......
...... and hook on the wire wrapped tree. Complete the loop, making sure it is securely closed and as close to the silicone earring stopper as possible.
String the star on the eye pin. Turn a simple loop perpendicular to the eye loop.
Hook on the top loop of the wire tree. Attach the top loop of the star to the earring wire and make a second earring to match.
Oh, my goodness! This brings us to the halfway mark of the Twelve Days of Christmas Earrings Extravaganza for 2014. And as always happens, Christmas is sneaking up on us. I hope you've found a pair of earrings that you just have to have amongst the first 6 pairs, but if not, then keep checking back every couple of days to see what I come up with next.
'Til next time.....
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