Keep the finished jewelry in a cotton padded box
The wire itself comes in a variety of shapes, eg round, square, triangle and many more. It is made of brass, copper, fine or sterling silver, gold or gold filled with brass. Different gauges are available, from thick (8 gauge) to thin (26 gauge). Copper wire is so soft it is one of the best for beginners to use. It can be coated with transparent acrylic to prevent discoloring. Once your skill has increased you could try using what is called gold filled wire. This is not wire filled with gold, as the name seems to suggest. It consists of gold tubing filled with a base metal, usually jewelry’s brass, and is available in many gauges, shapes and patterns. There is also a choice of three colors; white, yellow and rose gold. It is so durable it will last a lifetime. In fact, 17th century jewelry made from gold filled wire has been passed down through the generations and still exists in good condition today.
It does not matter whether you are a teenager or an adult, you can have a lot of fun making jewelry. It is also a great activity for whole families and a creative way to entertain girls at a birthday party. It is a nice way to create the pieces of jewelry that go with the things you wear. What is more important in creating your own jewelry is that it is a real expression of your creative side.
Special care needs to be taken to avoid scratching gold filled wire because it is so soft. You must carefully file down all the sharp edges and corners of your pliers – not too much, but just enough to round them off slightly. Keep the finished jewelry in a cotton padded box so it is not damaged by other pieces.
The basic techniques in making wire wrap jewelry include twisting, wrapping, crimping, scrolling and shaping. These skills are easy to learn and the turnaround time for each piece is short. Design variations are endless as all kinds of gemstones can be incorporated. It is the ideal jewelry to make at home because you don’t need complicated machinery, fire or chemicals. Once you have become skilled at creating wire wrap jewelry, you might even find a ready market for it.
