by Deborah Kelly
Now available made-to-order from DCDK.Jewelry
Materials Needed
22 inches of 14 gauge round wire
10 feet 24 gauge wire (can be in 2 or three pieces)
20-40 beads 2-4mm
Tools need
Round nose pliers
Flat or Chain nose pliers
Wire Cutters
6 step bail making pliers or 9mm bail making pliers or dowel
Instructions
Step 1
Cut a bit of 14 gauge wire 11 inches long. Take the wire and bend in the middle.
This is best done by bringing the ends of the wire together, continue the bend in the wire til a teardrop shaped loop in middle of the wire about 3/8ths of an inch tall.
Step 2
Use your fingers to shape the wires above the tear drop into a V shape.
Grasp the end of one side of the wire with round nose pliers and begin swirling the end inward.
Step 3
Do the same on the other end.
Swirling the wire inward creates a bend which mimics the shape of the heart.
Swirl the ends of the wire till a nice heart shape is achieved and both ends looks about the same.
If needed cut a little off either end of the wire to make them look similar.
Set aside.
Step 4
Cut a piece of 14 gauge wire 4 inches long.
Grasp one end with round nose pliers and swirl loosely for about 1 to 1 ½ inches of the wire.
Step 5
Flip the wire over and swirl the other end in the opposite direction creating an S shape.
Swirl the 2nd end about as much as the first end.
Step 6
Bring the heart shape back to to the table.
Fit the S shape into the heart.
One swirl sitting between the wires just above the tear drop shape, make sure it touches both sides of the heart.
On the other side of the S situate it between the swirl that makes up one side of the top of the heart and the wire that makes up the outside edge of the arch making up the top of the heart.
The S shape must touch the heart wires in 4 places to be secure latter on.
Step 7
Wrap the 24 gauge wire 3 times around the side of the heart the bottom swirl of the S meets, not the side the swirl goes up (I suggest cutting the wire at 5 feet to make it easier to work with) wrap towards the teardrop loop at the bottom of the heart.
Cut the short tail of the wire off and smooth with pliers.
Step 8
Position the S back into the heart.
Wrap the weaving wire around both the heart and the S shape where they touch, about 6 times.
Step 9
With the weaving wire on the front side of the pendant put a bead on the weaving wire.
Take the weaving wire to the other side of the V above the teardrop right below where the S meets that side of the V of the heart.
Take the weaving wire and wrap around the heart and the S were they touch two or three times.
The bead should sit in an open space between the edges of the heart and under the S shape.
Step 10
Take the wire to the little loop making up part of the S shape and wrap around once.
If the weaving wire is coming up from the bottom of the wire that was just wrapped take it to the top of the outside curve of the S.
If the wire is coming off the top of the wire just wrapped around take to the back side of the wire on the outside curve of the S.
Wrap around twice to make one full wrap on the curve.
Take the weaving wire to the opposite side of the wire in the loop that starts the S shaped.
This is a figure 8 weave.
Step 11
After a couple figure 8 weaves instead of going to the loop that started the S shape go to the outside of the heart.
Weave the figure 8 weave up the side of the heart till the top of the S touches the outside of the heart.
Step 12
Wrap the weaving wire around both the heart frame and the S curve till they no longer touch and there is a space between them for one of the beads to sit in it.
Put a bead on the weaving wire.
Take the weaving wire around the back of the heart to the outside edge and wrap around the heart frame 3 to 5 times.
If the wire is coming from the bottom and inside of the frame bring the wire up to the front of the frame and put the bead on wrap weaving wire around the outside frame of the heart.
Step 13
Put another bead on and wrap the weaving wire back to the out side frame of the heart.
Wrap around the heart 5-7 times.
The more curvature the out side edge has the more wraps are needed between beads.
Put enough beads on the weaving wire to fill the empty space between the top curve of the S and the top curve of the heart.
Continue the beaded weave till the S meets the curve of the heart.
Wrap the wire around the S and the heart frame to secure the last point in the S curve. If the wire is running out end wire by wrapping it around a thicker wire 3 times and cut.
Step 14
Do another row or two depending on bead size of the weave to fill the rest of the space.
Wrap the weaving wire down the center V at the top of the heart to where the loop of that side meets the outer edge.
Step 15
Wrap the weaving wire up around both sides of the heart middle 2 or three times, going towards the top of the heart.
Step 16
Wrap other side of heart (the one with no weaving on it) 3-5 times.
Put bead on the wrapping wire.
Position the bead on the inside of the heart and wrap weaving wire around frame 3 or 4 times.
Repeat this weave till reaching the bottom of the heart.
Step 17
If the wire runs out wrap the end of the weaving wire around the frame twice cut and smooth the end and start new weaving wire by wrapping around frame twice right next to the ended wire, cut the tail off and smooth with pliers.
Once at the bottom of the heart end the weaving wire by cutting close to the frame and smoothing with either flat nose or chain nose pliers.
Set aside.
Step 18
Take the last piece of 14 gauge round wire, it should be about 7 inches long.
Bend it in half using round nose pliers or the smallest step on the 6 step bail making pliers.
Make the bend a little sharper by squeezing together a little more with chain or flat nose pliers.
Step 19
This will be the bail of the pendant.
Pull a part some to make a nice shape for the bail.
Keep it narrow by the point.
Step 20
Take the last bit of weaving wire and wrap it three times in the point of the bent wire.
Start the figure 8 weave done on the heart.
Step 21
Do the figure 8 weave for about 1 ½ inches.
If the weave is getting much wider then ½ inch bend the base wires back towards each other slightly.
Step 22
Bend the base wires at the edge of the weave sharply towards each other at a 90 degree angle.
Bend the base wires up at a 90 degree angle just to the side of middle so they are parallel to each other.
Step 23
Wrap weaving wire around one of the wires going away from the weave 3 times.
Wrap weaving wire around both parallel wires twice.
Wrap weaving wire around the first base wire three times again.
Repeat 3 more times so there is 3 patterns.
After last wrap cut wire close to base wire and smooth with pliers.
Step 24
Wrap the widest part of the bail around the largest step of the 6 step bail making pliers of 9 mm pliers or dowel.
In this step go for the basic shape of a bail, use pliers to tweak bail into a nice shape.
Step 25
Bend the wires coming out of the bail away from each other.
Step 26
Open the bail a little bit.
Slip bail over the top V in the heart to align the spread wires of the bail with the loops made on the heart swirls used to make the curves of the heart.
Step 27
Bend the ends of the bail to the front of the bail where the ends match where the loops of the heart swirl is.
Step 28
Thread the bent ends of the bail wires thru the loops on the heart from the back side of the pendant.
Bend over to the back.
Step 29
Cut the ends of the bail wires off just long enough to wrap around the wires on the heart.
Use pliers to wrap the ends of the bail making pliers.
Bend the front of the bail into place where it looks good.
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