Copper Swirl Beaded Wire Work Bracelet

Create an eye-catching wire work bracelet featuring gemstones caged in swirls of copper. Mix in pops of color with a variety of natural gemstones in a cheerful springtime palette. If you’ve never done wire work before, have no fear! We have included a video to show you how!

How To Make A Copper Swirl Beaded Wire Work Bracelet

Materials

1 Round Toggle Clasp, Copper Plated, 18x12mm
10 Thick Heishe Spacer Beads, Copper Plated, 4.5×2.5mm
4 Faceted Amazonite Round Beads, Pale Aqua, 10mm
5 Faceted Appetite Rondelle Beads, Caribbean Blue, 8x5mm
3 Faceted Candy Jade Rondelle Beads, Fuchsia, 12x8mm
2 Faceted Candy Jade Rondelle Beads, Sky Blue, 11x6mm
Copper Wire, 22 gauge

Tools

Round-nose pliers
Chain-nose pliers
Wire cutters

Steps

1. To make each caged bead, start by cutting a 10″ piece of copper wire. Center an Amazonite bead on the wire and make a wrapped loop on each end (see tip and video below “How To Make A Wrapped Loop”), but do not trim the tails.

2. Grasp the loop on one side of the bead with the chain-nose pliers, then wrap the wire gently around the end of the bead 4 or 5 times to create a spiral. Use the same technique to make a spiral on the other side of the bead.

3. Wrap and swirl one end of the wire around the bead toward the other side to cage it. Wrap the wire once around the wrapped loop and trim the end. Use the same technique to finish caging the bead with other end of the wire. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to cage all 4 Amazonite beads, attaching one side of the toggle clasp to a wrapped loop on the last caged bead.

4. Make a wrapped loop in one end of a 4″ piece of wire, catching the other loop of the last caged bead. Slide a copper heishe, 3 appetite rondelles, and a heishe onto the wire. Attach this component to a caged bead with a wrapped loop.

How To Make A Wrapped Loop: To make a wrapped loop, grasp the wire with round-nose pliers and bend the tail of the wire over the pliers 90 degrees. Move the pliers to grip the wire just above the 90-degree turn. Grab the tail of the wire with your fingers and wrap it around the pliers to make a partial loop. Reposition the pliers and finish pulling the wire around the pliers to complete the loop. Wrap the tail around the straight wire twice. Use the wire cutters to trim the tail.

Here’s a video we made showing how to make a wrapped loop:

5. Make a wrapped loop in one end of a 4″ piece of wire, catching the loop of last caged bead. Slide a copper heishe, 2 fuchsia candy jade rondelles, and a heishe onto the wire. Attach this component to a caged bead with a wrapped loop.

6. Make a wrapped loop in one end of a 4″ piece of wire, catching the loop of last caged bead. Slide a copper heishe, 2 sky blue candy jade rondelles, and a heishe onto the wire. Attach this component to a caged bead with a wrapped loop.

7. Make a wrapped loop in one end of a 4″ piece of wire, catching the loop of last caged bead. Slide a copper heishe, 1 fuchsia candy jade rondelle, and a heishe onto the wire. Attach this component to another component made with a copper heishe, 2 appetite rondelles, and a copper heishe using a wrapped loop. Catch the other side of the toggle clasp in the last wrapped loop. Ta da! Copper Swirl Beaded Wire Work Bracelet!

Wire work is such a fun way to make jewelry! And we think this wire work bracelet looks so unique! Have you tried it? We’d love to hear about your jewelry making adventures! What’s the last thing you made?
Jennifer & Kitty