Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip

Question:

Wire purchased by the foot usually arrives loosely coiled in a plastic bag which gives cut segments a natural curve that I can never straighten with nylon tipped pliers. This is especially difficult with half hard square wire. How can the curve be removed so the wire segments are flat and straight?

-Yvonne in Waldorf, Maryland

Answer:

Yes Yvonne, all of Wire-Sculpture’s wire, from 1 foot to 50 feet, or even more, comes hand-coiled; this is because the wire begins in a coil and as it is milled into whatever gauge, it naturally coils. This is also an easy way to store it for everyone involved in the process! (Excepting color-coated craft wire, which the manufacturer spools)

Nylon jaw pliers are not allowed in my classroom, as using them is not the best way to straighten wire! (I can hear students laughing now.) It doesn’t matter what shape the wire is, or what gauge or temper! Wire is best straightened by hand.

Straightening by hand doesn’t take a lot of strength – actually, too much strength can ruin it. If you will watch this video on Straightening Wire, you will see how easy it is; sometimes even calming. If you would like lots of practice and more detailed info, DVD #1 in the Beginner’s Series is perfect!

Just remember, take your time and “counter the curve” with your fingers, making the wire straight. It makes sense if you think about it. If the wire is curved in one direction and you roll it over the edge of your finger slightly against the curve, it becomes straight! Practice makes perfect.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
June 9, 2010

Question:

One of the hallmarks of a successful craft business is that the item looks professional and not easily reproduced. The great communication of the internet is a mixed blessing for making money. And that is ok with me on a spiritual level. But the mystique and profit of “how was this made?” with beginner-level items is gone.

What are the better selling beginner items?

Answer:
I am going to answer this question based on both my and hundreds of my personal students’ experience. As you have asked about specifically beginner projects, let’s look at just a few of the ones covered in the Beginner DVD set.

The “All Wire Unisex Bangle” is a dependable good seller in the mid-price range of $50 to $85. My “Orbit” earrings and any type of headpin charm earrings are a customer’s favorite impulse buy, both for personal as well as gift use, and they are low end items priced between $18 and $35. Framed cabochon pendants are a constant as they are usually one-of-a-kind items, made using different colored stones and embellishments, mid to high end priced from $30 to $145 (or more). The “Anything” pendant sells well at a lower end of $15 to $30. Lastly, the three-bead and “Orbit” rings sell for $10 to $25 and are another very popular impulse purchase. Wow! That’s quite a versatile collection for a beginner, and all of these sell well!

The “mystery and intrigue” you are looking for can come by simply using a variety of unique beads, stones and materials within these designs, adding a chain here or a charm there. Although the art form of wire jewelry has become extremely popular in the past few years, there are still a lot of folks who have no idea how to do it, and even more folks who would rather purchase a finished item than learn to make it themselves.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
June 04, 2010

Question:

I am trying to make the bracelet that is the first project on your Beginner’s DVD.  I am having great difficulty keeping all the wires together.  I keep straightening the wires, and yet the wires do not lay flat.  What am I doing wrong?  I am using 21-gauge half round half hard sterling silver wire and gold plated wire.

Answer:

The first thing I saw in your question was that you are using half-round wire for the bindings. Please try this design using the wire shape called for: half-hard square. If your base wires are not as straight as they can possibly be, then while making the bracelet bundle, at least make them all go in the same direction. In this way when you draw them up through your hands while taping, they should lay together nicely, as you are forming a ‘plank’. When using the power of square half-hard wire to wrap, even if your bundle is slightly curved, the wraps should be strong enough to bind the plank-shaped bundle. (If you insist on using a small half-round, half-hard, be prepared to add a LOT more wraps than the design calls for, as this gauge is not strong enough to do the job you expect it to.)

On any pattern, if you are beginning, please follow the author’s specifications regarding wire gauges/tempers/shapes, as we do this for a reason – they work! When you have become proficient with a technique, then you can try to alter the design/wire tempers, shapes & gauges to make variations of that design.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here