Double Swirl Earrings

Skill Level: Intermediate

Technique: Chasing and Forming Round Wire

I really enjoy playing with round wire. This design just kind of happened while I was working out some large spirals. You do not have to use a chasing hammer to flatten or texture it, but forging does give round wire a different personality. Taught here as earrings, this Double Swirl design can easily be altered to make focal bead pendants or link several together to make a bracelet!

Materials

• 1 12" piece 22-gauge round dead soft wire
• 2 14mm flat round beads
• 2 2" 21-gauge headpins

Tools

• Chain nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Flat nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Bench block
• Chasing hammer
• Ruler
• Marker

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of 22-gauge wire 6" (15cm) long, and fold it in half.
   
   

2. Grab the very end of the folded edge firmly, and with your chain nose pliers begin curling the wires. The wires do not have to overlap each other! Continue spiraling the wires until you make a full "circle".
   
   
   

3. Now, change the pliers: grab the wires with flat nose pliers as shown. While firmly holding the spiral, continue coiling, but only with one inside wire. Make only half of a coil with the inside wire, so the wire ends are heading in opposite directions.
   
   
   
   

4. Check the size of the spiral against the size of your chosen bead and make the spiral larger if desired. On the wire on each side of the spiral, make a mark that corresponds with the diameter of the bead.
   
   
   

5. Place the spiral on a steel bench block and use a chasing hammer to flatten both the spiral and the wire between the marks.
   
   

6. Slide a headpin into the bead and place the hammered spiral in the center.
   
   

7. Hold the spiral on the bead with your fingers, and start wrapping one wire end around the head pin. Make 2 wraps to show and then repeat steps 11-12 with another end. Trim the wire ends and push the bead towards the headpin's "head"-end.
   
   
   
   
   

8. On the plain end of the headpin, make a simple loop and trim the wire. Make the second spiraled bead, remembering to mirror the image (meaning, place the spiral on the second bead in the opposite direction). Attach the ear wires.
   
   
   

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