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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Tutorial: Vintage Style-All Wire Earrings
Created By Bobbi Maw
MyWiredImagination.Etsy Imaginations-Jewelry
MyWiredImagination.Artfire
Do not distribute, lend or copy. Do not mass produce. Always give credit
to the designer.
© 1988-2012 Bobbi Maw.
I love these earrings. The style is vintage inspired, and
can be made to accent that look even further. I never
throw away any prototypes’ I’ve done, and in considering a project for a beginner tutorial, I ran across these in
my ‘stash’. This is a very old design, well at least 15yrs
anyway, and classic in style. I hope you enjoy them, and
that the design inspires you……
Materials suggested:
• Minimum 61” (154.9cm) 21 gauge square ½ hardwire.
• 4” (10.2cm) 20g round ½ hard wire if you plan to
make your own ear wires). I used Gold Filled
in the tutorial, but Sterling and copper will
work just as nice. If you use Sterling, you might
want to use Silver Black or LOS to oxidize your
earrings, and add to the vintage style.
Tools needed:
•
•
•
•
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Wire cutters, flat-nose pliers, round-nose pliers
Ruler, marker (sharpie), pin-vise, pen knife
Masking or quilters’ tape
A short piece of dowel, to bend your wire on.
Optional: Ear wire jig, available on Etsy or easily
handmade.
Please read through this tutorial in its entirety at least
once before you cut any wire.
Above all – have fun!
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Step 1: Cut 14 pieces of wire, 3 ½ “(8.9cm) long and
2 pieces 6” (15.2cm) long. You can if you want,
modify the number of wires, and their length, to suit
your own personal taste. Clean and straighten all
your wires. The easiest way to make sure your earrings match as close as possible is to complete them
at the same time, and for simplicity, I will be referring to them ‘together’ in these instructions.
Step 2: Twist 6 of the short wires, with the pin vise.
If you don’t have a pin vise, these earrings look just
fine with all the wires straight. If you would still
like twisted wires (and have no pin vise), you could
use a table vise, or a pair of locking pliers to hold
one end, and manually twist the wire; this will take
longer and is a little difficult, but will accomplish the
same result. The biggest thing to keep in mind is to
keep the wire straight, with slight tension on the
wire, while twisting. If you ‘wobble’ the wire at
either end it will eventually break.
Step 3: Divide the wires into 2 ‘bundles’ - 7 wires in
each. Take a short piece of tape, and tape these
bundles flat and in the center, with the 3 twisted
wires in the center of each bundle. Don’t fasten the
tape too tight, it is only an aid to help you start your
wraps. As you become more experienced, you
won’t need to tape, to start. Mark your wires, ¾”
from either end of each bundle.
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Step 4: Take the 2, 6” (15.2cm) pieces of wire and
form a ‘hook’, in each end. To create the ‘hook’,
grab the wire with your flat nose pliers, about ¼”
(.6 cm) from the end, and fold the wire over. Skew
the short end slightly, so the wires will lay flat as
you wrap.
Step 5: Start the wrap at the mark you made, and
wrap all 4 bindings towards the ends of the wires. If
you alternate by mistake, and wrap towards the inside of the bundle, your measurements will be off
and the earrings will not match. For the most part, if
your first wrap is straight the rest will follow. Make
your pliers work for you, and use them to help keep
your wraps straight. Also, if you apply the slightest
pressure forward, at the same time you are turning
the wire down, your wraps will lay closer and neater together. (See the arrow and note on the bottom
left photo.) Clamp down with your pliers, after each
wrap, to tighten the wires some.
Step 6: Make the same number of wraps in your
bindings the same on all 4 ends. (I chose to make 5,
you need a minimum of 3), Make sure all the wraps
begin and end on the same side of the bundles. The
side with the cut ends will become the ‘inside’ of the
earrings.
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Once you have wrapped all 4 ends, they should look
something like this
<-
Step 7: Using a pen knife spread; the wires out on
both ends and cut them in a staggered pattern as
shown. On one set of ends (this will be the “bottoms”); fold the 2 outside wires on each side, under
towards the inside; using your pliers, press the wires
flat and trim. Use your round nose pliers to curl the
ends outward from the center.
Step 8: Repeat step 7 on the other end, which will
become the top or ear wire end. Use your round
nose pliers to form a loop in the center wires – these
will be where your ear wires will be attached later.
Simply curl the 2 remaining wires away from the
center to roughly match the bottom ends.
2 variations for the ear wire ends are included at the
end of this tutorial.
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Step 9: On future earrings, you can alter the total
length of the ‘curl’ wires, to make them as elaborate
or simple as you like.
<- This earring shows longer curly ends.
Step 10: – Hold one end of one of the earrings
firmly against a round piece of dowel (¾” diameter
for this tutorial); slowly bend the earring around the
dowel. Repeat for the other earring. Again, if you
decide to later alter the length, try a pair using a larger diameter dowel. You could also use the handle
of a broom, a fat marker, or something similar. I
prefer wood, because it does not scratch the wires,
and they are less likely to slip around.
Once you have both earrings bent, they should look
something like these shown.
<However, like this they don’t hang very nice…..
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Step 11: Use your flat nose pliers, and grip the earring right at the bundle of wrap wires on the end
that will have the ear wire.
Step 12: Use your finger, inserted in the loop to
bend them gently forward, just a touch. They will
look more like a ‘fish hook’, and will hang more balanced on the ear wires.
Step 13: Using your pen knife; carefully insert the
knife all the way to the bindings. Work from the outside, and gently bend the wires out, one at a time.
How far you bend them out, is a matter of personal
preference, but I stop just short of a ‘half’ circle.
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Step 14: Now all you have to do is attach a pair of
ear wires. Just open the center loop slightly on the
three loop end and attach a pre-made ear wire.
I personally make my own ear wires, and with the
help of a wonderful dooflinky, made by a fellow
Etsy seller, making them has gotten a whole lot easier. It’s the ‘Quick and Easy Earring Thing’ by Glitter
Critter. Update: 7/2012 Unfortunately GlitterCritter’s
shop is no longer open. Have no fear I won’t leave
you hanging this free tip from Jewelry Making
Daily is BRILLIANT!!!
Wire Jewelry Tip of the Year
Step 15: It’s very easy to use – simply form a small
loop on one end of a 2” piece of wire, slip the loop
onto the small peg, and bend the wire around.
Step 16: I prefer to put a finishing bend in the end,
and you can use a heavy duty nail file to gently file
the ends so they are not sharp, and won’t scratch. I
then finish it all with PVC ear wire backs – the same
kind you use on post earrings.
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Step 17: Both of the variations for the ear wire end
require you to cut a longer center wire when you
first construct the earring. I add roughly 1 ½” to the
length. Curl the outside wires away from the center
wire.
Step 18: For the post style, angle the center wire 90
degrees to one side, and place your round nose pliers just above the finished curls. Just hold it there
and don’t let go.
Step 19: With your other hand, pull the wire around
the end of the pliers until it crosses itself.
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Step 20: Grab the loop with your flat nose pliers,
just above where the wires cross.
Step 21: While holding the loop, bend the free end
of the wire straight back. You can then trim the wire
to about ¾”, file the end with a nail file, so the end is
not jagged, and add an ear nut. Repeat steps 10
through 13 to finish the earring.
Step 22: For the “attached” French wire variation,
bend the center wire forward to a 90 degree angle.
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Step 23: Place a round mandrel or dowel up against
the wire as shown, and just fold the wire around the
mandrel.
Step 24: At this point it should look like this.
<-
Step 25: Make a short bend in the end of the wire.
File the end of the wire so it is not sharp, and repeat
steps 10 through 13 for this version too.
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©1988-2012 Bobbi Maw MyWiredImagination-Etsy --- MyWiredImagination-Artfire --- Imaginations-Jewelry
Now that your earrings are finished, you can put
them in a vibrating tumbler to polish them up, or
gently use a polishing cloth, or one of my favorite
ways to clean my jewelry, and the easiest – gently
use a soft toothbrush and a dishwashing liquid like
‘Dawn’ or similar brand that gently removes oil.
Works great on your other jewelry too, especially
rings that have a set stone – it will gently remove
body oil and bar soap build –up.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial.
For any comments or questions, or you need any
help at all, don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
Copyright 1988-2012 Bobbi Maw/MyWiredImagination. All rights reserved. These instructions are for personal use only. You may make
pieces for sale, but please do not MASS produce them; that includes
sharing the tutorial so others can help you make them for sale; you
may not present these pieces as your own original design. Please give
credit where you learned these techniques and designs. Reproduction
and or distribution of these instructions in whole or in part, in any
form, without the author's written consent, is strictly prohibited. You
may not teach this tutorial without the author's written consent.
Wrap happy,
Bobbi
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