Creating a Simple Loop
Thread a few beads on a headpin and create a simple loop with a few twists of your wrist. You want the finished loop to be centred over the wire. This is much stronger than a “P”-shaped loop, which can pull out very easily.
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Use roundnose pliers and bend the wire to a 90° angle, making the bend close to the end bead |
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Cut off the wire, at about 1 cm from the end bead. With practice, you won’t have to measure, but you can make it easy at first by marking 1 cm on your index finger. |
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Grab the end of the wire, with the end between the jaws of the pliers and not protruding (sometimes you slip off, that’s ok, just try again.)
Hint! for consistent-sized loops, make a mark on your pliers with a felt pen and do all your loops at the same place on the pliers.
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Roll your wrist away, making a nice smooth loop. Don’t force your wrist all the way over, just make a partial loop. |
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Take the pliers out of the half-formed loop, reposition them again back at the start of the loop, and roll again to finish the loop. If the loop is leaning to one side, straighten it up with the pliers.
With practice, this will become effortless! |
Always open loops & jump rings from the side
Always open a finished loop by twisting it to the side. Pulling the loop open will bend the wire in such a way as to break it or permanently deform it so that you can’t get it closed nicely again. |
Don’t let the wire fly
When you cut the wire, the end will fly —
try to catch it or aim it at something soft
so that you don’t have a lot of sharp ends of wire lying around
where they could hurt someone.
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Creating a Wrapped Loop
Alternately, you can create a wrapped loop. Beginners often find this easier and more secure when they are learning. However — if you are struggling with this technique, try using a softer wire. |
| Use roundnose pliers. Make a 90° bend in the wire. Leave a small space between the bend and the bead. Don’t cut the wire. |
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| Wrap the wire right around the nose of the pliers. Keep going back down to the wire. |
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| Wrap the tail of the wire around the main stem of wire coming from the bead. Keep wrapping until you run out of room, or wire. A full wrap to the end bead does look better. Cut the wire off close and smooth in the end with chainnose pliers. Straighten up the loop if desired. |
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Go to Tools to buy Round Nose Pliers and Wire Cutters
Go to Findings to buy Headpins
Find our Wire here. |
