Lightweight wire products. Intricate jewelry: DIY wire jewelry. Wire products

Today, a large number of people use a wide variety of items to decorate their garden, including wire and various metals.

Such materials are well suited for creating garden sculptures, welded objects and structures. In this article we will consider the main material for creating sculptures and decorative items for the garden - wire.

This material is not difficult to purchase; wire sales are always in great demand. Most summer residents make their choice in favor of wire not simply out of their preferences.

This is explained by the fact that the wire can be given almost any shape; using this material, you can make parts without big size, demonstrate movement, and also give free rein to your fantasies.

What kind of wire crafts can you make?

In order to give exclusivity to the decoration of your garden plot, it is necessary to make crafts in a single copy. The originality of your wire sculpture will be betrayed by the fact that you made it yourself.

These garden decoration details will give your site a kind of fabulous look and uniqueness; wire crafts are also used in the interior of premises.

A large number of people who decorate their gardens with wire crafts say that right choice The decorative element serves as an interesting and attractive feature of the garden.

The main point is that you need to understand when making your own products from wire for your personal garden plot, that the product should not be a separate object that does not fit into the overall atmosphere and appearance of the garden.

For example, to decorate your garden, you can make a topiary, or, in other words, an original garden sculpture. To ensure that the sculpture fits well into your garden, you need to consider landscape conditions your garden.

Only in this case will they become an indicator of the individuality of the garden plot and convey the exclusivity of the landscape composition.

Unusual wire crafts

Here are some examples unusual crafts made of wire that will serve as a decoration for your garden plot:

• A unique stand for a decorative lamp, flowerpot or flower stand.
• An original grill that can be made in the shape of any animal.
• Crafts made from wire of a wide variety of types can resemble the shape of a bird or animal, a character from a cartoon or fairy tale, you can also make a wire emblem or sign.
• A gazebo or arch will serve as an independent functional item in your garden.
• A wire frame, which in the future can be overgrown with some kind of plant and trimmed using artistic skills.

In order for your wire crafts to be as stable as possible, you need to make a steel base, which can also be equipped with a stand on wheels, this will give you the opportunity to move the craft without much difficulty.

To give the figure a finished look and also to ensure its safety for a long time, the product should be treated with anti-corrosion substances and painted.

This detail is very important to consider if the sculpture is in a publicly accessible place.

Also, to decorate the garden, you can make a wide variety of animals from wire yourself, which will always delight you with their presence. Using an example, we will describe the manufacturing technology of some of them.

How to make crafts from wire

In order to make a kitten you will need a small section of aluminum or copper wire. First of all, it is necessary to cut two elements of thin copper or aluminum wire measuring 150 mm, as well as an additional piece of 180 mm.

To make kitten paws, small wire elements are bent into an arc. A long piece will act as the body and tail of our pet.

Then these parts should be wrapped with thin wire with a colored sheath. The head is made from plasticine, but the ears, nose, eyes and mustache are made using colored paper or cardboard, and some parts can also be made from wire.

Let us note one more animal that relates to our topic. A decorative horse will give your garden a very attractive look. In order to make such a miracle, you will need thick wire made of aluminum or copper and also small-section wire in a sheath.

At the beginning of the manufacturing process, you need to prepare two pieces of thick wire measuring 150 mm and also one piece of 220 mm. To make the horse's legs, a short wire must be bent at an angle.

For the body and head we will use a long piece that is bent to a certain shape of the horse. Next, our parts need to be secured together and wrapped with thin wire with a colored sheath.

The mane will be a wire bent into large rings, and the tail will have several ends. To make hooves, you need to wind the wire several times.

Wire jewelry was made by ancient craftsmen. Initially, ancient Russian blacksmiths forged jewelry, chain mail, and weapons, and from the twelfth century they switched to the drawing method. This made it possible to simplify the process of manufacturing thin, even wire, as well as reduce prices for products made from it. The time of wire chain mail has passed, but craftsmen continue to amaze with wire products: hair jewelry, earrings, bracelets, rings, pendants, souvenirs, key rings, three-dimensional objects.

Information for beginners

Although they have been found since ancient times different nations, however, the names of the craftsmen have not survived to this day. Decoration from wrap like the new kind needlework, went down in history with the name of Alexander Calder. He had a penchant for weaving wire jewelry and souvenirs since childhood, when he made earrings and bracelets for his sister, and gave his parents brass animals for Christmas.

He devoted all his activities to making jewelry, toys, and sculptures. He rarely soldered metal parts and more often used the stitching method. This method allows even novice craftsmen to create jewelry. Used for work different types wires (brass, silver, copper, nickel, titanium, aluminum, zinc).

Thick wire is used for the base of the product, as it holds its shape, and thin wire is used to braid wire decorations. Various stones, beads, seed beads, and glass beads can be added to the weaving. When the wire is wrapped with thread, it is already a type of needlework called ganutel.

What do you need for work?

Often, novice craftsmen make products from wire using mixed techniques, using knowledge from such areas as wire wrap, ganutel, beading, quilling, and isothread. First, a sketch is drawn, then it is disassembled into individual elements, patterns, and only then proceeds to practical production. What will a novice wireworker (that’s what a master working in the wire wrap technique is called) need:

• tool,
• all types of wire,
• decorative beads, seed beads, stones.

Weaving wire jewelry is impossible without round-nose pliers, pliers with a pointed, curved, rectangular, nylon “tip,” wire cutters, a needle file (can be replaced with sandpaper at first), anvil (flaheisen), sperak, hammer, wiggic, drawing board, crossbar.

If you are working with copper wire, you can bend it with your fingers or use pliers or other hard objects. To make a pattern from thick material or a more complex design, you need a wiggeek and a crossbar. The first tool looks like a board with many holes and pegs. Place the pegs in the desired order and wrap them with wire, creating an unusual pattern. A crossbar (a metal cone with a thickness of 9-40 mm) will be needed to create bracelets, rings, and chains. At first, the connecting parts can be made with round nose pliers.

To make your home-made wire jewelry look like store-bought ones, purchase sulfur liver. This material is used to pattern copper, bronze, silver, and brass wire products to give a touch of antiquity.

Main elements: pin and spiral

A pin is a wire with a tip, somewhat similar to a pinning needle. To make it, pinch the wire with round pliers, retreating a third from the edge (as much as is left, this will be the diameter of the ring). Rotate the wire 90 degrees. And they begin to wrap the half of the tip of the pliers, forming a ring. Then, near the base, the excess edge of the wire is bitten off, and the ring is leveled using pliers.

The spiral is a simple circle with a ring. This pattern is great for making wire and bead jewelry. Use pliers to pinch the tip of the wire, making a tight circle around the tip. Next, the resulting ring is pinched between the tips and the spiral is carefully wound. The diameter of the pattern depends on the number of turns. At the last stage, pliers pinch the wire from the resulting spiral, and with the free end of the wire they form a ring, as when making a pin. Excess material is cut off with nippers.

Main elements: spring, rings, balls

The spring is used to braid the wire. Wind the wire of the required length tightly onto the crossbar. It can be used to create some individual elements, or put on a pin, creating a voluminous edging, or from braided pins to make an unusual chain for men.

Rings are used as connecting elements, especially if you weave jewelry from beads and wire. The wire is wound around the crossbar (the diameter of the rings depends on its thickness) with a tight twist, like a spring. Then it is removed and cut in the middle with wire cutters. If the space is large, use pliers or fingers to close the ring.

Balls on the edges of the wire are created by heating on a burner (some craftsmen use a regular gas burner). To obtain them, you need high burner power and “unclean” wire, as well as borax, which creates such droplets perfectly even. You can blacken the wire using liver of sulfur and ammonia. The parts are flattened with a hammer, creating new elements.

Wire jewelry: master class for beginners

If you have never tried weaving wire, then you should try your hand at simple examples. To make a bracelet you will need thick and thin copper wire, pliers, wire cutters and a torch (if you are working with a whole coil of wire).

Make rings of the required diameter from thick wire. To do this, find a cylindrical template of the required diameter (pipe). Wrap the skeins with thick wire, connect them in several places with temporary staples (bend the wire to the width of the bracelet rings, cut it, put it on them and pinch the ends).

If you don’t have thick wire, you can buy ready-made cheap bracelet rings, connect them in several places for strength and start braiding. The braiding method involves twisting each bracelet ring from bottom to top and top to bottom using thin copper wire.

The weaving should go one after another; if the wire has moved away, then use pliers to move it closer. If you work with long wire, then during the weaving process it becomes stiff. Therefore, it is heated with a burner (looks like a hair dryer with a flame), and weaving continues. Since copper turns black after heating, the finished product is then processed citric acid(heat water, add powder, cook the product for several minutes, then rinse in an aqueous solution).

You can braid the entire bracelet with wire or attach other wire decorations in the foreground (wire wrap allows connection with stones, beads, flattened wire elements).

Make earrings for the copper bracelet. To make them you will need wire, ready-made clasps for earrings, connecting rings, decorative elements (stones, beads). Please note that the color of the jewelry should be in harmony with the clasps and wire. If so, gilded clasps with an amber stone. If the fasteners are silver, then take light-colored wire.

So, from thick wire you need to make a large and small ring. Make blanks for the second earring in a mirror image at once, placing the parts next to each other. Now, with a thin wire, loosely braid the inner and outer rings. If you want to get a more voluminous look, then braid each ring with a spring (or put a spring on the ring), and then braid the products with thin wire over the spring (in this case the braid will be very even).

Next, attach the clasp to outer ring. Place the beads and stone on the wire and attach them to the inner ring using a connecting ring. You can make the connecting elements yourself. To make it look antique, copper is blackened and varnished. They are obtained as jewelry from jewelry wire.

How to braid a stone for a pendant

It’s good when there is a bead with a hole where you can stick a wire, but if the decoration is made of stone or coin, then what to do? For such cases it is used special way braids. You will need round-nose pliers, thin-nose pliers, side cutters without a chamfer, wire (thickness 0.3 and 0.8 mm), stone (cabochon).

Weaving wire jewelry begins with making a frame. Wrap the cabochon with thick wire. Using thin-nose pliers, lift the wire tails up so that the angle is 90 degrees. Leave about four centimeters and cut off the excess material. From this wire you prepare many connecting rings with a diameter of 4 mm.

Cut off 1.3 meters of thin wire, leaving 50 cm, and begin to wind connecting rings to the frame. First, wrap it around the frame with 4 turns, then wrap the ring to the frame with five turns. Next, without breaking the wire, go to the ring and wrap the adjacent element with three turns, smoothly exiting onto the frame.

This is how you attach all the rings. Periodically apply the frame to the stone, if it is convex, and shape the position of the rings. Perhaps, when climbing, you will need to increase the rings further. Connect the last ring with the first five turns, and cut the wire from the wrong side. You twist the ends of the thick wire into a spiral (you can make completely different curls), bend the sides of the resulting pattern, forming a rhombus, and wrap it with the thin wire that you left initially.

Wrong side of the pendant

The front side of the wire decoration is ready, now make the back side. To do this, make the same circle from thick wire, but smaller in size. Bend the ends of the wire into a tight ring. You need to make sure that both curls fit tightly to each other. The lower part of the product can be flattened with a hammer. Just tap it slowly, slowly - hit one place, see if it’s level, then move on. Otherwise, notches will form.

Now you connect the outer frame, stone and back into a single whole. Secure several places with temporary wire so that the parts fit tightly and do not move. Thin wire now needs to be wrapped around the outer and inner frame where there are voids (between the connecting rings on the outer part).

The last step is to make a pendant loop from a braided ponytail with curls. To do this, using a steel knitting needle, carefully and slowly bend it so that the curls are located on the connecting rings of the product. Now thread the lace or ribbon. As you can see, decorations from copper wire no worse than jewelry.

Please note that the stone on the jewelry is held in place by external patterns (connecting rings, curls), which are secured to each other with coils. If the wire lies loose, the cabochon will fly out.

Wire hair jewelry

You can easily make bobby pins, hairpins, and combs from wire. The simplest option is to string a bead on a wire, make a flower shape with a curl and attach it to the base. A more interesting pattern will be made from flattened wire. Then leave the end for the bead, and slowly flatten the rest of the wire, at the same time giving shape. In this example, you wrap the wire around the bead, then move on to the petals, ending with a spiral curl. Put the bead on, make sure the wires fit snugly together, and solder it to the base.

Let's take a closer look at how to make jewelry from wire, beads, and seed beads. On a piece of paper, draw a diagram of the hairpin, starting from the curl and moving to the outer circle, the end of which goes into another spiral, located above the first. It turns out to be a circle with two internal antennae. This element is done continuously. Then, at the point where the two curls touch, use a thin wire to braid them with several turns.

• there are six turns between the beads;
• there are eight turns between the small beads;
• There are ten turns between the large beads.

The distance is determined by the diameter of the decorative material. The weaving begins and ends with small beads, and in the middle there are large beads. The curls are braided only with beads. Next, make a hairpin. Fold the wire in half so that one end is a couple of centimeters longer. Attach it to the hairpin; the hairpin on each edge should be 5-7 centimeters larger. Excess material is cut off. Twist the hairpin from the middle and twist the ends into a spiral.

To make jewelry made of copper wire harmonize with the frame, thread beads into the curls (one piece at one end, braid the other with 3 beads, 5 beads). There is no need to braid the entire hairpin to prevent your hair from getting tangled. Only individual antennae and a distance of 0.6 -1 cm between them, forming a triangle.

Simple ideas for original products

Handicraft stores offer a huge range of different decorative elements for making jewelry. Buy a few, it will save your time and enrich your knowledge (now you will know exactly how to make connecting rings, fasteners, clamps). Such DIY prefabricated wire decorations are no different from store-bought ones (except at an affordable price).

Here is an example of how to make ethnic decoration from square elements with round voids. From thick wire, bend a square (the corners should be straight) and a smaller circle. Place a square, a circle inside it, and braid the shapes with thin wire. Another option is to put a spring on the wire before connecting each figure, and then braid them. You will get massive decorations.

To match the necklace with earrings and bracelet, repeat the same pattern. In the example with square earrings, the necklace will be a simple one made of beads, and attach a pattern of squares in the middle. Another example of an original wire decoration (master class for a two-color bracelet):

• Divide the wire into equal pieces;
• using sewing wires, connect the light ready-made half-arcs and the dark wire in turn;
• attach fasteners to the edges;
• form the resulting line into a bracelet of several rings.

Bracelets can be made without clasps; they are simply put on your hand. The shape of a snake or arrow is most suitable for such a wire decoration (photo of a hand with bracelets).

Brief conclusions

It is better to train your hand and dexterity on copper wire when making simple hairpins, rings, and barrettes. If you don’t have specialized equipment and tools, don’t despair. Use your imagination. Instead of a burner, use a gas stove to create droplets (and you can’t do without borax, it creates a perfectly flat surface). Replace Wigjik with sleight of hand, pliers and paper diagram. The crossbar can be replaced at the initial stages by knitting needles of different diameters.

To avoid patination of wire jewelry, use non-oxidizing wire. You can coat the decoration with varnish for durability. If you need to create a patina, wash the wire well in a lemon solution. Then place it in warm water, apply a thin layer of sulfur ointment (pharmacies sell it) on your fingers, and wash the material under water. Without removing it from the water, you wash off the sulfur by usual means for dishes, wipe dry.

Or you heat the wire over a fire, and then lubricate the warm wire with baby cream and rub until desired result, then wash off with soap. Again, patina is an acquired taste and is created through trial and error. You can do without the antique color. Some people just paint it gold or silver acrylic paint, varnished.

There is no exact information on how to make a wire decoration. Each master finds something of his own, talks about it in his master classes or simply offers his creation. Try your hand at simple products, practice on finished products masters: mentally divide the decoration into its component parts and reproduce it in practice.

Wire weaving is one of the popular handmade trends today. If you decide to do this kind of weaving, then you need to purchase necessary materials and learn some weaving lessons.

Wire weaving materials

To weave jewelry, you will need wire, not ordinary wire, but handmade wire; it can be of various diameters and colors. Craft wire also comes in different stiffnesses, so you can weave a variety of different types of products from it.

Of course, you won’t be able to get by with just wire; to work with it you will need wire cutters, pliers and round nose pliers. These are the main and basic elements, but there are many types of weaving, so you may need other tools.

To make various decorations, you will need stones, beads, beads and other decorative elements. When weaving wire jewelry, you can add various accessories or make it yourself.

If you have just started making jewelry, then you need to follow safety precautions. To avoid injuring your hands, you need to wear gloves, and since small pieces can fly apart when cutting wire, you will also need glasses.

To learn wire weaving, beginners are advised to use inexpensive wire, since it would be a shame to ruin silver-plated or gold-plated wire.

Wire products

Wire weaving is available for both adults and children. Adults are more interested in weaving various jewelry or decorating the interior, while children can, for example, distinguish themselves at school with a new stationery set or interesting bookmarks. Today, braiding pencils and pens is very fashionable among schoolchildren. The child can boast of his exclusive pen made of colored wire, which certainly no one else has.

They can give an extraordinary look to your interior gorgeous bouquets made of beads and wire, such bouquets may not be found in every home, so your guests will be pleasantly surprised by such beauty.

Master class on weaving wire vases

If you like to decorate your home with your own hands, then you simply need vintage vases; they look very stylish and give extraordinary coziness.

In order to make such vases, you will need strong, preferably copper wire, dark electrical tape, scissors, wire cutters, hot glue and pieces of fabric.

Now let's move on to the vase itself.

The first thing you should do is the base. Usually it is either round or square, to make it you need to twist the wire into one of these shapes. Next, cut six pieces of wire of equal length, these will be the walls of your vase. At the ends of each of these wires you need to twist loops and wrap the edges of the loops with electrical tape.

You need to thread the base of the vase into the ready-made loops and secure the ends of the bottom evenly. The neck of the vase should be made in the same way: insert a base of a smaller diameter into the upper rings and glue it with electrical tape.

To give the vase its shape, you need to make two more circles, a large and a small one (approximately the same diameter as the base and neck) and also secure them to the vase with electrical tape.

The fabric will help you complete the work; you need to cut it into thin strips and wrap it around the entire frame, securing it with hot glue.

For the final result, place a flower in a chic vase and it will be a wonderful decor for your room.

Below you can see the photo beautiful vases made from ordinary wire:

Like these ones beautiful jewelry for your home you can do it yourself. You can see what other crafts you can weave from wire in the video below.

Video on the topic of the article

Key pendants made of wire with stones

Wire is a strong and pliable material that can take any shape. The unique properties of thin metal threads were successfully used by ancient jewelers who wove filigree patterns, creating amazingly beautiful jewelry. The material holds its shape well, has a noble shine, isn’t this a paradise for the modern jewelry industry? Modern craftsmen can, as if by magic, turn a coil of ordinary wire into spectacular and stylish accessories. Do you want to learn how to make exclusive wire jewelry with your own hands? Then we suggest you master the simple ABC of craftsmanship, and use the example of master classes to learn how to create real miracles.

Basics for beginners

The names of the ancient jewelers who successfully embodied their imagination in wire jewelry are unknown to their contemporaries. The art form “wire wrap,” which translated means “wire wrapping,” went down in history under the name of the craftsman Alexander Calder. The master learned to weave from an early age original products. He made his first crafts as gifts to family and friends, and later his unusual hobby turned into his life’s work. Original, original, openwork works inspired many to accomplish creative feats.

Alexander Calder and his work

The main principle of such needlework is to use thick wire for the base and thinner and more flexible wire for braiding products.

Wire wrap style pendant

You can add beads, stones, and all kinds of decor to the weaving. By the way, if the wire is braided on top with a thin thread, then such needlework is called ganutel. To learn how to create beautiful wire accessories, you need to know a few simple secrets:

• Selection of tools. The job requires a small arsenal of tools. Beginners will need round-nose pliers, several types of pliers with sharp, nylon, rectangular tips, a wick or sandpaper. For creating complex weave patterns experienced craftsmen in the work they use anvils, a hammer and a hammer, crossbars and a drawing board.
• So that in the end, homemade wire jewelry has, as they say, a “store-bought gloss,” you can use sulfur liver for coating. Products made from copper, aluminum, brass, and bronze wire are patterned with this material to create a noble antique effect.
• It is enough to master the creation of several elements to make an original masterpiece. The simplest elements include a spring, balls and rings.

Wire tools

To make a spring, just wrap a piece of wire around the crossbar. Such an element can be used for braiding or as an independent decorative detail. To make a ball, you will need a burner or gas burner. To make the droplets perfectly even, you will need borax. By the way, you can create new interesting elements from a ball using a hammer and an anvil. Rings are connecting parts that are indispensable in creating beads or bracelets. It is enough to wind the wire around the bolt, “bite off” the excess and remove a perfectly even ring. The diameter of the ring depends on the thickness of the crossbar. Having received the necessary knowledge, having prepared necessary tools and materials, you can begin the creative process.

Using available tools for working with wire

Master classes on creating jewelry

Unusual jewelry made from copper wire, bronze or brass, can be purchased by the most different shapes. For example, you can make original jewelry for hair, rings and bracelets, openwork necklaces or pendants. Beginners should not worry about the lack of practice and experience in creative work, simple and detailed master The class will help you create your own collection of luxury jewelry.

Earrings made of copper wire with turquoise

Hair ornaments

In anticipation graduation ceremonies such a master class is especially relevant, because many girls are in a creative search for their image. I want to be the brightest, most beautiful, exclusive. Eat the right way create an unusual look by decorating stylish hairstyle hand made hairpin in the shape of a flower with an elegant curl. The operating algorithm is as follows:

1. On a piece of paper, draw a sketch of the future product, schematically marking the location of the beads and the pattern on it.
2. We begin the work with a turn, smoothly moving to the outer circle of the product. Place the end in a spiral that is slightly higher. The result should be a round element with antennae. We use the pliers continuously to ensure that the product is neat.
3. We twist the place where the two curls touch with a few more tight turns, weave in beads, and then we braid the base of the hairpin with thin wire.

Stylish hair decoration

To make it clearer for beginning craftswomen, we offer an auxiliary diagram:

• six curls between beads;
• ten curls between large elements;
• eight curls between smaller elements.

Simple hairstyle with spectacular decoration

To make the hairpin delicate and have a finished look, we string small beads at the beginning of weaving, and large beads can be woven into the middle.

In a similar way, you can make not only a hairpin. Eat original way to decorate the studs - simply braid them with a thin metal thread, adding a few beads or seed beads to the weaving.

Delicate hair decorations based on hairpins

Luxurious pendant

Copper wire has high ductility, it can be easily cut, heated, and soldered. Thanks to your unique properties, a budget-friendly and beautiful-looking material has become a favorite in needlework. What can you make from copper wire with your own hands? Yes, everything that your imagination suggests - bracelets, rings, pendants and much more. Luxurious wire pendant master class:

1. Let's prepare tools and materials. You will need a coil of copper wire with a cross-section from 0.1 mm to 1 mm, pearl beads, wire cutters, round nose pliers and drill.
2. The main part of the product consists of two pieces of 16 cm long and 1 mm thick. We make turns with a thin copper thread of 0.1 mm around the thicker sections, then bend the two braided parts into a ring. We bend the remaining ends into a snail shape.
3. We will wind it thinly onto a piece 0.3 mm thick, the length of the base is 12 cm. We will thread its end between the braided parts and fix it. We make a small break and wrap it around the frame several times.
4. We make the same break in the upper part, and wind the remaining part onto the base. We make a snail from wire 1 mm thick, wind it to one and the other break.
5. A thin wire thread is attached to the upper part, pearls are strung on it, the ends of the wires are braided around the workpiece, and the excess is bit off with wire cutters. So we add all the prepared beads.

Copper wire pendant with pearls

So that the product has an elegant glossy shine, polish the surface of the pendant with a drill, and then rinse it under warm water. Luxurious, intricate, in the spirit of oriental jewelry of the Magnificent Century, the pendant is ready to decorate any lady’s outfit.

Sweet heart

There are many master classes on making stylish wire jewelry, from which you can learn how to create magnificent designer collections. But a few simple tips will help beginners do the job at a decent level:

• To avoid patination of the wire, non-oxidizing materials should be used. For durability, you can coat the surface with varnish.
• After heating the wire over the fire, rub it while still warm with baby cream, and then wash it with soap and water. Patina is an effect that, as they say, is not for everyone. Many craftsmen prefer to coat jewelry with gold, silver or bronze paint, and top it with varnish for shine.
• Be sure to draw a diagram and sketch of the jewelry before starting work. Working with wire is thin and filigree, requiring attention and perseverance. When you see a wire decoration that you want to repeat with your own hands, mentally divide it into its components, this will make it easier to work with.

Each master has his own fantasy, creative ideas and a vision of the future masterpiece. All kinds of decor, such as beads, beads, stones and even buttons, are ideally combined with wire. Beginners can use ready-made master classes for practice, and during the weaving process they can supplement the idea with their own details.

Funny cat earrings
Copper bracelets for every taste

Video master class on making earrings from copper wire with turquoise

Video master class on making a rainbow heart

Wire weaving was especially popular in Soviet time: then people, bracelets, rings, boxes, baskets, key chains, flowers were made from multi-colored flexible twigs. Today, any decoration and useful thing in everyday life can be bought, but it’s much nicer do it yourself and, for example, give it to your mother. Or surprise your peers with an original bauble made of beads and wire. Beginning needlewomen and needlewomen will find it useful to read an article from the old magazine “Family and School” about how to weave with wire. Here you will find patterns and methods of wire weaving, you will learn interesting ideas for creativity.

Material: pieces of telephone cable with insulation of different colors, and thicker wire, which will be needed for making frames.

Tools: wire cutters, pliers, hammer and awl.

To make templates you will need: cardboard, paper (thick), ruler and compass.

Wire weaving patterns and methods

The first and second pictures show various ways weaving from two, three or more pieces of wire. Weaving in the form of a braid (Figure 1, I a, b, c, d, e) . Take a piece of wire, bend it, and fasten the second wire to the first at the bend. For convenience, the upper part is secured with a nail to the board and woven as shown in the figure. You can make a rope out of two wires. Having connected two pieces, twist them to the right or to the right. left side. Two “ropes” twisted into different sides and placed together form a Christmas tree.

Wicker “path” (Figure 1, II a, b) . Taking a wire 1.5 mm thick, bend one end of it, and weave it with thinner wires at the bend until the width required for your path is formed. Having completed the first row, the end of the first piece of wire is bent, passing it between the ends of the entire braid, like the movement of a shuttle in a loom, and weaving of the second row begins. Having finished the second row, the end of the first piece is folded again and passed between the ends of the braid, but from the opposite side. In this order, weave the path to the desired size.

Braided round belt (Figure 1, III a, b, c, d, e, f, g, i, j) . The figure shows in sequential order the weaving of a belt from four ends of wire.

When weaving, you need to remember that each row ends by threading the last end into the loop formed by bending the initial one. A new row can be started from any end, but the last one must be threaded into the loop of the first, thus completing the weaving of the row.

The belt is woven from any number of wires. Figure 2 shows the weaving of two belts around a rod (front view and side view). The rod is made up of several wires placed in a row close to each other.

The first end of the wire is threaded behind the rod and forms a loop on the side of the rod, and the second end of this wire, encircling the rod from the front side, is threaded into the resulting loop and wound behind the rod. Then the first end of the wire is encircled around the rod from the front side and threaded into the loop of the second end, and so, doing row after row, you can get a belt of any length.

The second exercise is slightly different from the first; the sequence of its implementation is shown in the figure.

Ideas: what interesting things can be woven from wire

Round wire stand:

On a board of small thickness, nails without heads are driven in a circle at equal distances. Then two pieces of 1.5 mm thick wire are braided around the carnations in opposite directions. The third piece of wire is placed radially between the nails, fastening the outer braid. The center is tied with thin wire. The resulting frame is braided with a fourth, thinner piece of wire. Weaving along the frame begins from the center. Having secured the end of the wire, weaving is done in a circle, alternately bending around radially located threads on one side or the other.

Wire basket:

The frame is assembled from an even number of pieces of wire - 6, 8, 10 or more, depending on the size of the basket. First they bend correct form ring, and then from one piece two risers, a bottom and a handle and fasten them to the ring. Next, the remaining risers and the base for the bottom are bent from four pieces. Having bent the upper ends, hang them on the ring, securing them tightly with pliers.

First of all, weave the bottom. Having secured the end of the wire in the center, they make several weaves in a circle, similar to the weaving of the stand, and then move on to weaving radial threads that form the bottom. The risers of the sides are braided in the same way.

With this method of weaving, gaps remain between horizontally running threads. The base of the handle is braided with thin wire, tightly fitting the spiral rings to each other.

Wire shopping bag:

To work, you will need thick cardboard, the size of the intended bag. On it, use a pencil to mark the points for the holes for attaching the handles and the frame of the bag. Punch holes in the designated places with an awl and begin making two metal or wooden rings for the handles. The finished handles are placed on the cardboard (at the attachment points on both sides) and secured to the cardboard with a thin cord or wire, as shown in the figure.

When making a frame, threads of wire are passed through the holes and thrown onto the rings of the handles. Then one of the methods begins to weave from the bottom up. Once the sides of the bag are ready, the cardboard is removed. Thin wire is used to wrap the handles.

DIY colored wire flowers:

Figure 6 shows how to make flowers from spirals.

The flowers are collected into a bouquet and the “stems” are wrapped with thin wire, the ends are divided into separate bundles (8 - 10), which serve as a frame for weaving the base of the vase. The weaving method is the same as for the sides of the basket (see Figure 4).

Dog and deer:

The body and head of the deer are woven in the form of a round belt (see Figure 1).

The front legs are woven into the body and pass into the neck, made using the spiral winding method. The dog consists of a frame braided with winding.

How to bend and join wire

Wire can be used to make many various items- from the simplest hook to the most complex patterns. Copper, iron, steel, aluminum wire and telephone cable with coatings of different colors are suitable. The wire is stored wound in circles. Tools required: hammer, small vice, file, pliers, wire cutters, pliers, pliers, round nose pliers, plumber's scissors, soldering iron.

The wire is straightened by pulling it between two wooden blocks or by pulling it tightly around a round metal rod ( door knob). It is better to straighten steel wire or thin rod metal on a hard surface with a hammer or mallet. Small parts are bent with pliers or round nose pliers. Large and hard - bent in a vice.

Iron and copper thin wire is cut with wire cutters and pliers. Steel - at the site of the cut, it is preheated over a fire. Strip or sheet metal is first marked, and then at the marking points it is lightly scored and chopped with strong blows.
Individual pieces of wire and other metal parts are joined by bending or soldering. In the first case, several turns are made, pulling the wire onto the rod. Before soldering, the surface of the parts is thoroughly cleaned with a file or sandpaper to remove dirt and rust. The wire is soldered by putting the two ends together, having first twisted them for strength. Thin wire can be soldered using paste - tinol, which is applied in a thin layer to the soldering site and heated over a fire.

To learn how to make things from wire well and cleanly, you must first make a number of simple details:

• Spiral spring. A wire 1-1.5 millimeters thick is wound onto a round wooden bolsanka of cylindrical or cone shape (Figure 1, a).
• Rings and half rings. The spiral-spring is cut lengthwise (Figure 1, b).
• Flower. Six half rings are soldered to the ring (Figure 1, c).
• Gear. Six half rings are soldered together [Figure 1, d).
• Spiral. Use pliers to grab the end of the wire and twist it in a circle by rotating your hand (Figure 1, e).
• Openwork of three spirals (Figure 1, f).
• Openwork leaf. 4 - 5 rings are made on a cone-shaped blank (wire thickness - 0.5 - 1 millimeter). The resulting rings are given the shape shown in Figure 1g and soldered at the base.
• The trefoil is bent from one wire with pliers (Figure 1, h).
• Wave (Figure 1, i).

Star and ornamental stripe. Mark a pattern on a board of small thickness and drive in nails without heads:

Net:

Flower girl.

A bracket with a spiral end is bent from a two-millimeter wire. Separately roll up the ring and fasten it, intercepting the sides. At the top, the spirals are connected by three turns of wire (Figure 4).

Furniture. Made from one and a half to two millimeter wire. Its parts are fastened together with coils. Fine-layer plywood or cardboard can serve as a seat and table top. For fastening, small holes are made in the plywood with an awl (Figure 5).

Puzzle. You should separate its parts so as not to bend the wire anywhere or compress it (Figure 6).

Horse. From two pieces of wire 2.5 - 3 millimeters thick, the legs and two lower spirals are bent. From the third piece they make the head, neck and upper spiral. From the fourth - a mane, which turns on the back into coils holding pieces of wire together. The mane is soldered in several places (Figure 8).

Heron. It is made from one piece of wire (cross-section - 3 millimeters) with spiral rings for a decorative vase (Figure 9).