Lucky Snowflake

Designed by Sue Hetrick

This tutorial shows how to make a good luck knot
from wire to use as a pendant or earrings. Chinese knotting is a decorative handicraft that began as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang and Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China.

materials for one earring or pendant:

• 6 pieces of 22 gauge copper wire - 3 inches each
• 11 - 4mm Aquamarine Round Swarovski Crystal Beads
• 20 small copper beads -
• 1 bail or ear wire

tools needed:

• masking tape
• Flush cutter
• Round nose pliers
• Chasing hammer or riveting hammer
• Bench block or jewelers anvil
• Fine sand paper or jewelers files

1. Cut 6- 3 inch pieces of 22 gauge soft copper wire.


2. Tape ends together to form two groups of three strands each.


3. Lay the groups of wires across each other and mark the ends a-b-c-d in a counter clock wise manner.


4. Begin with A and make a loose bend down
   • A goes down over B
   • B goes right over C
   • C goes up over D
   • D goes left over then under A
   Tighten the knot one grouping at a time. Then one wire at a time.


5. Remove the tape and feed a bead, and a crystal or combination of your choice of beads onto 11 of the 12 wires.


6. Trim the wires one at a time leaving about ¼ inch of wire and carefully * flatten the ends of the wire, with a riveting or chasing hammer on your bench block, so that the beads will not come off. File and polish the ends to remove any sharp edges.


7. With the 12th wire; make a small loop to attach the ear wire or bail.

VARIATIONS:

Use any kind/size of wire and embellishments that you like…crystals, metal or glass beads, pearls, etc. The only limit that you may have is fitting the wire through the hole in your bead.