Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant, Contemporary Wire Jewelry. Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, . Try your hand at making this iconic tree of life pendant.

Tree of Life Pendant

by Deborah Kelly
  • Category: Contemporary
  • Technique(s): Weaving, Twisting
  • Skill Level: Beginner
Try your hand at making this iconic tree of life pendant. Add your favorite bead or stone chips to change it up. The bail is a pretty woven pattern, and the tree is simply lots of twisting wires that form the beautiful trunk and branches.

Materials

18 Gauge Half Round Half Hard Copper Wire
H11-18HRH
  • Lesson Quantity: 12.00 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
  • Price: $0.63
  • Gold Club Price: $0.47
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24 Gauge Round Half Hard Copper Wire
H11-24H
  • Lesson Quantity: 8.00 feet
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 10FT
  • Price: $1.81
  • Gold Club Price: $1.36
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Tools

C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches
PLR-487.00
  • PLR-487.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $16.97
  • Gold Club Price: $12.73
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Chain Nose Wire Pliers
G2-508
  • G2-508
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
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Wubbers Large Bail Making Pliers
G2-1303
  • G2-1303
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $27.97
  • Gold Club Price: $20.98
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Instructions
Step 1
Take the 16-gauge wire and wrap it around the pill bottle, or whatever round mandrel you're using, to form a circle. Wrap it so it is centered on the wire.

Bend the ends of the wire horizontally out from the circle. These ends will become the bail.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 2:
Making the bail
With a 3 foot length of 24g wire, wrap one end of it 3 times around the right hand bail wire, right at the base where it bends away from the circle.This will be your weaving wire.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - Making the bail, Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 3
Take the weaving wire to the back side of the other bail wire, going from the front of the one bail wire to the back of the other weaving the wire in a cross over pattern.

Wrap the weaving wire around the other bail wire one full wrap.

Bring the weaving wire to the back side of the first bail wire and wrap around once.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 4
Bend the bail wires to form a V to make a nice widening of the bail as you weave up it. Continue the weave up the bail wires in the cross over pattern.

If the bail is getting wide, close it to ½ inch, bend the wires in some to make them parallel and continue the weave.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 5
Once the bail is almost long enough, about an inch long, bend the bail wires sharply back to each other and then bend the bail wires parallel to each other again.

Continue the weave to where the bail wires meet each other.

Then wrap the weaving wire around one of the bail wires 3 times.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 6
Bend bail slightly to the front using bail making pliers or round nose pliers.

Then bend the bail around the bail making pliers to the back of the pendent.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 7
Take the end of the bail wires and thread them thru the circle of the pendent and wrap around right next to the bail.

Cut off the extra wire and use pliers to smooth and tighten the end of the wire.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 8:
Starting the tree
Cut six 10" pieces of 24 gauge wire. Take one piece and fold the wire in half.

Wrap the wire at the fold around the bottom of the pendent circle four times.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - Starting the tree, Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 9
Twist the two ends of the wire together four or five times.


Pro Tip: To make a nice twist, form wires into a V shape and twist at the base of the V.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 10
Repeat step 9 with the other 5 wires.

Do not wrap the wires too tight around the base circle. The small wires should move along the circle.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 11
Twist all the 24-gauge wires together on the front side of the frame for about ½ inch.

This twist should happen right after the individual twists in the 24-gauge wires.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 12
Separate out a couple the wires, 2 to 5, on one side of the bundle of wires.

If more then 2 wires are pulled off, twist the wires together for 2 or 3 twists, then separate into smaller bundles, continue twisting a couple times then separate into smaller bundles again.

Continue till all the bundles are separated into single wires. Single wires should start ½ to ¾ inches from the outside of the frame.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 13
Twist the remaining wires in the main trunk together a few times, then pull off a couple more wires. Repeat Step 12 with the next bundle of wires pulled off main bundle.

Repeat until you're out of wires. Shape into a tree.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 14
Working one wire at a time, string a single wire with chips right to the edge of the frame.

Going over the top of the wire frame, wrap the end of the wire around the frame 3 times.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 15
Repeat step 14 on the rest of the wires.

Cut off the wires close to the frame.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 16
Use round nose pliers to kink up the trunk, branches, and roots of the tree to give it a more natural tree look.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 17
Smooth the ends of the wires around the frame with pliers.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life
Step 18
Hang your pendant on a chain or ribbon and enjoy your finished product.
Deborah Kelly's Tree of Life Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , tree of life