Wire wrapped jewelry

[Dave B]

This page is helpful. You can post on there if you have a question and people will answer it. There are also some videos of some basic wraps. Just check out people's Facebook who makes them, so you can get an idea.

https://www.facebook.com/LearnToWireWrap?ref=br_tf

All you need is a pair of pliers and wire cutters. I also recommend getting a spring clamp. It helps a lot. Also don't buy cheap wire from Wal-Mart. Just go to craft stores like Michaels and get the better stuff. You want wire that bends pretty easy, but stays in place at the same time. Around 26 gauge wire is the best for wrapping and 16 gauge and up for the base.

Yea I have all the tools necessary most likely and luckily my work sells just about every gauge wire from 30gauge to 1/8th inch were a steelyard/industrial hardware company. Gonna buy some wire tomorow give it a shot why not. Also followed that page you linked me too alot of good info there to get started.

 

[Maxtaro]

Some really nice designs there. Lime green & silver looks amazing

 

[xPhilip]

Damn, those actually look really cool, would be cool to see how they were made.

 

[Dave B]

Notice he does basically just pendants, and I never see any without a stone, be neat to see some just straight weaved knot designs to. I bet you could make some sweet plugs/tunnels for people with stretched ears. If I catch the hang of it I may try that out.

 

[Dimethyl]

Damn, those actually look really cool, would be cool to see how they were made.

Check out all the pictures. You can see some progress pics, which gives you a little bit of an idea of how they're made.

Also check these videos out.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2997861482132&set=vb.1730120068&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2997794480457&set=vb.1730120068&type=3&theater

Notice he does basically just pendants, and I never see any without a stone, be neat to see some just straight weaved knot designs to. I bet you could make some sweet plugs/tunnels for people with stretched ears. If I catch the hang of it I may try that out.

I prefer making pendants because they are the best money and funnest to make in my opinion. It's also good to add stones because it increases the value by a lot. When you're making nicer jewelry, it's also much better to use sterling silver and gold wire. I've made some other stuff before too. You can make a lot of things.

Rings





Belt buckles





Earrings



Hat pins and double finger rings



Bracelets



Or just crazy shit like this

 

[Dave B]

When you first started did you just jump right in or did you draw out a plan, I noticed Alan Dean seems to plan out and even have all his materials down to the lengths before he starts a piece.

 

[Lame]

Reminds me of 20's style jewellery with a more modern take(i guess).

Way too hipster for me.

 

[Dimethyl]

When you first started did you just jump right in or did you draw out a plan, I noticed Alan Dean seems to plan out and even have all his materials down to the lengths before he starts a piece.

I just jumped right in. I just started making different style wraps and kept wrapping it around. If you're making more intricate ones, then it's good to draw it out. You have to build a frame around the stone and then start wrapping. Like this.

Reminds me of 20's style jewellery with a more modern take(i guess).

Way too hipster for me.

Nah hipsters would never wear them. Few people even know about it. You can sometimes find people selling them at festivals like Alchemy, Bonnaroo, etc. Those aren't places where hipsters hang out though.

 

[Dave B]

Do you know any more artists I can check out besides Alan Dean its hard to sift through all the old ladies and shit making crummy wire jewelry.

Also bought some various gauged wire today and some fake stones to give it a shot.

 

[Dimethyl]

Do you know any more artists I can check out besides Alan Dean its hard to sift through all the old ladies and shit making crummy wire jewelry.

Also bought some various gauged wire today and some fake stones to give it a shot.

Sci Ence
Robert Whitehead
Frequency Pieces
Zach Pstill
Wolfie Moon
Rika Chidester
Matthew Hempy
Michael Boyer

Those are some of my favorites. Also check this site out.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/370905819706541/

Hell yeah. What kind of wire did you get? Did you get fake stones with holes in them?

 

[Patriarch]

How long does it take to make one & what is the cost price?

 

[Dimethyl]

How long does it take to make one & what is the cost price?

It really depends. It takes about a day to make the more simple ones. Maybe 3 days if you're just starting out until you get used to it. I know people who can make 300-400 dollar ones in a day and they're bringing in tons of money. It's a full time job for them. It's really not hard to sell them if you know people and are actually good at it. You just have to build up a reputation on Facebook and Etsy, which isn't hard if you actually know what you're doing. Some of the extremely intricate ones could take a while. As far as price, it really depends. It can vary from $10-$10,000. Depends how much time and effort you put into it and what kind of gems you use. The type of gems you use has a lot to do with the price. Some of them are really rare and go for a lot. Once you start getting better, I would start using nicer gems like tourmalines, opals, fire agates, citrines, quartz, aquamarines, amethyst, etc. All of these are pretty cheap. Otherwise you won't be making nearly as much money. It really helps to learn how to identify gems at some point, which isn't hard. It's also very important to use sterling silver wire if you're making ones that are worth $100+. It raises the price by a lot.

I'll give you some examples.

$50. This one is made from copper wire. The rest are sterling silver/gold.



$80-90



$150



$200-400 each



$500 each



$1,500



$3,500

 

[Patriarch]

With great beauty comes great pricing.

 

[Dimethyl]

With great beauty comes great pricing.

Yup. It definitely depends how far you want to go with it. It's just a hobby and side money for most, but for some, it's a serious job making 40k+ a year. It's not easy though. It definitely takes a lot of your time and patience. If you want to bring in thousands, then you have to devote a bunch of your time to wrapping. You can still make some decent side cash making simpler ones. It's not that difficult to just stick with making $50-150 wraps and still make pretty good cash. I mean even if you're making one every day or 2, that's still $200-$800 a week including the money it costs to make them. Of course it takes time and effort to sell them, but you'll eventually be making good profit. I even know people who mine their own gems and sell them in bulk. There is a huge business in this stuff. Not many people know about it. Even if they do get well known, it doesn't matter because few people actually have the skill or patience to make them, so they just buy them and they always will. I get compliments daily on the one I wear and people always asking me to make customs for them. It's very easy to find business.

 

[Dave B]

Sci Ence
Robert Whitehead
Frequency Pieces
Zach Pstill
Wolfie Moon
Rika Chidester
Matthew Hempy
Michael Boyer

Those are some of my favorites. Also check this site out.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/370905819706541/

Hell yeah. What kind of wire did you get? Did you get fake stones with holes in them?

I got some various aluminum wire and some fake stones with holes already drilled, 28g 24g 20g 18g 16g 14g 12g wire aswell

 

[Dimethyl]

I got some various aluminum wire and some fake stones with holes already drilled, 28g 24g 20g 18g 16g 14g 12g wire aswell

Have you made anything yet? You probably won't use the 20g,18g, and 16g much. You really just need a thick enough wire like 28g or 24g for a base and then the thinner wires to wrap. You'll figure out what you prefer once you start wrapping. I also recommend using copper wire instead of aluminum. You can get copper wire in any color too. Where did you buy the wire from?

 

[Dave B]

Have you made anything yet? You probably won't use the 20g,18g, and 16g much. You really just need a thick enough wire like 28g or 24g for a base and then the thinner wires to wrap. You'll figure out what you prefer once you start wrapping. I also recommend using copper wire instead of aluminum. You can get copper wire in any color too. Where did you buy the wire from?

I got the wire from AC moore, I don't really like the aluminum so far probably gonna pickup some copper next time try that out.