Wire-Wrapped Herringbone Bead Pendant

Steps:

1. Cut 6 inches of 20-gauge wire. Straighten and harden your wire by running it through your polishing cloth or your nylon jaw pliers.

2. Make a 90-degree angle bend with your chain nose pliers, about 2-1/2 inches down. Put down your chain nose pliers and pick up your round nose pliers. With your round nose pliers, grab the shorter segment and position your pliers flush up against the vertical side of your wire by the bend. Fold wire over the top of your round nose pliers. Release grip and reposition your round nose pliers, thus allowing you to continue folding your wire around your round nose pliers, forming another 90-degree angle where the shorter wire crosses over the vertical wire.

3. Rock your round nose pliers back and forth a little to adjust the loop, making it centered vertically with the vertical wire. Put down your round nose pliers.

4. With your bent nose pliers, grip the loop of your wire, and with your chain nose pliers, grip the small wire and wrap it around the long wire about eight times, making a good sized coil. Snip excess with your flush cutters, and crimp in sharp end with your bent nose pliers.

5. String one 8mm bead, one 4mm bead and two 3mm beads.

6. By using a ruler, or gauging the distance with your eyes, position your chain nose pliers away from the last bead added, at the same distance as the coil of wrapped wire on the other side of your 8mm bead.

7. Repeat step 2 to make a loop, and then coil the remaining wire up to the last bead. Snip excess with your flush cutters, and crimp in sharp end with your bent nose pliers. Next, with your bent nose pliers or chain nose pliers, squeeze the bottom loop next to your 3mm bead, tight.

8. Unravel about 1 foot of 26-gauge wire (or 24-gauge wire, depending on which thin wire you choose to work with) from the spool. Do not cut it! Secure the 26-gauge wire around the base of the coil, on top of the 8mm bead by wrapping it around that area two or three times.

9. Unraveling the wire from the spool as needed, continue wrapping the wire around one side of the bead, secure it to the base of the beads at the coil by wrapping over and under. Then wrap the wire around the other side of the bead, securing it to the coil above the beads by wrapping over and under. Continue doing this herringbone weave until you have achieved the look you desire for your herringbone leaf pendant. Go slowly and position your wire outlining your beads as you wrap.

10. Snip remaining wire with your flush cutters, and crimp your sharp ends into your work with your bent nose pliers or chain nose pliers.

11. Cut about 6 to 8 inches of 20-gauge wire. Straighten and harden the wire by pulling it through your polishing cloth or your nylon jaw pliers.

12. With your round nose pliers, grab the midpoint of your 20-gauge wire. Wrap wire around your round nose pliers twice. Your wire segments should cross and form a "V".

13. With your bent nose pliers, grab the thin coil. Twist at the "V" point twice to secure your coiled loop.

14. On one end, add one 8mm bead and one 4mm bead. With the tip of your chain nose pliers, grab the wire up against the 4mm bead.

15. Bend the wire over the top of your chain nose pliers, forming a 90-degree angle bend.

16. With your round nose pliers, grab the short end of the wire, up against the bend. Fold your wire over your round nose pliers until it crosses over the other wire at 90 degrees. Reposition your round nose pliers when they get in the way. Put down your round nose pliers.

17. Latch your chain unto the loop of your newly formed wire loop. With your bent nose pliers, press the loop shut. While still grabbing the loop with your bent nose pliers, grab the shorter wire with your chain nose pliers, and wrap it around the other wire, forming a coil down to the 4mm bead. Snip excess with flush cutters and crimp in sharp ends with your bent nose pliers.

18. Repeat steps 14 through 18 for other side.

19. With one open 4mm jump ring, attach your herringbone leaf pendant to the slender coiled loop between the two 8mm beads. With bent nose pliers in one hand, and chain nose pliers in the other, twist the open 4mm jump ring closed. Rock the jump ring back and forth gently to position the ends perfectly.

Tips:

• Using different shapes and sizes of beads in the center will give you a different pendant shape.
  
• For smaller pendants, you can cut the wire from the spool. Experiment with craft wire to figure out exact amounts of materials needed before you move on to expensive materials such as sterling silver or gold-filled metals.
  
• Try adding beads to your wire as you outline your beads. This provides a whole new look to your piece.
  
• This herringbone wire weave can be adapted to making links on a bracelet, zipper fobs or beautiful earrings.