Time to sprout!Earlier this month, I "teased" you with just a snippet of my Ornament Thursday project...and now it's time to unveil the entire project!
My husband looked at this pendant and said "Sprout?" so I used my best PR spin to convince him. It's made from a) a lentil bead (get it, like a seed?), b) has swirls at the top to represent the tender green shoots emerging from the earth, and c) a tiny little swirl at the bottom to root my sprout into the fertile ground and nourish it for life.
Okay, he rolled his eyes and said "If you say so", but I convinced myself. :-D And the design must be pretty good, because I've already had a commission from someone who spotted it and wanted it in another color.
With no further ado...here are the step-by-step instructions for this intermediate project. I'd suggest you have some familiarity with wire wrapping, and if you'd like, try it using copper or craft wire before moving to sterling silver.
"Sprout" Wire Wrapped Pendant
Materials
10mm lentil shaped bead
16g dead soft round wire (approximately 6")
26g dead soft round wire (approximately 24")
Level: Intermediate
Step 1: Cut a length of 2 1/2 inches of 16g wire. Create a wrapped loop at one end and set aside. I'll refer to this as the stem from now on.
Step 2: Cut another length of 3 inches of 16g wire. Wrap the loop around a mandrel (I use a Sharpie marker) so that it makes an open tear-shaped frame, with the ends overlapping. Thread the loop from the stem created in Step 1 onto the wire.
Step 3: On both ends of the 16g open frame, create a loose, flat swirl. Bring the swirls close together at that the top of the frame so that they meet but do not overlap. There should be a slight gap between the two ends.
Step 4: Thread the lentil bead on the stem, letting it fall to the wrapped loop that you created in Step 1. Begin tightly wrapping the 26g wire on the stem above the lentil bead, and leave a tail about 1cm long at the end - you'll create an open swirl on the face of the lentil bead to hold the wire in place. Continue wrapping until you have reached the base of the swirls.
Step 5: Begin wrapping the 26g wire around the outside of the swirls, with the stem secured between the swirls. When you reach the spot where the swirls no longer touch the stem, continue wrapping only the stem.
Step 6: Wrap the stem an additional 3/4 inches Use a flat-nosed pliers to make a bail, folding the wrapped wire back behind the swirls.
Step 7: The stem will hold the lentil bead in place, but it needs to be secured to the frame. Bring the end of the wire back around the frame (to one side of the wrapped loop you used to thread it on the frame in Step 2.). Wrap the end of the stem around the frame a second time.
Step 8: Create a loose swirl against the lentil bead with the tail of the 26g wire. Create a loose swirl on the end of the stem, centering it below the lentil bead. I made these two swirls so they were going in opposite directions to create some balance.
As an optional step, you can oxidize your pendant using Liver of Sulfur or hard boiled eggs, or leave it shiny! I prefer the oxidized look with most wire wrapping, because it makes the wrapping stand out.
As a final step, I tossed my piece in the tumbler with stainless steel shot, water, and a squirt of blue Dawn dishwashing soap - this will smooth out any rough edges, give the piece a great shine, and harden the wire.
Check out what the other Ornament Thursday gals came up with for their Sprout projects this month.....
Alexa Westerfield - a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Now that's it's time for spring, ideas are "sprouting" all over the place. Alexa creates this eye-catching notebook to keep them in order.
Art Bead Scene
Some good karma is sprouting up at the Art Bead Scene with Heather's Lotus Flower Bracelet
Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva
The Brooklyn National Anthem sprouts every year when Cindy's in Spring mode. See what it inspired this year!
Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie giggles and remembers a furry friend, brings back an old mold, and sprouts up a beaded LOLhammy ceramic ornament
Helen Bradley and Michelle Zimmerman at http design
It's spring and we're sprouting all sorts of wonderful art at http design. Michelle is toting her art to the market and Helen revisits a fun art school assignment for her inspiration.
Humblebeads
Humblebeads celebrates spring with a Berry Good bracelet inspired by some juicy disk beads.
Jennifer Heynen of Jangles
Jennifer has come up with a cute little necklace to remind you of spring.
Katie's Beading Blog
Create some spring flair of your own with this easy bead embroidery idea from Katie's book, Hip to Bead.
Kriss Cramer - Spring Is In The Air
Not much of a horticulturist? Me neither! But I love flowers and I enjoy growing these ones with some paper, paint, and rhinestones.
Linda and Tea at Make It Mine magazine
Tea decided to join the fun this month. Check out her quilt blocks and Linda's purse.
Melissa J. Lee - Strands of Beads
What do Korean playing cards have to do with a sprouting spring? Check out Melissa's blog to find out.
Michelle McGee - S-P-R-O-U-T
Michelle just can't stop creating in green! A little wooden birdhouse becomes a beautiful palace!
Savvy Crafter
Candie shares some happy spring memories with a cheerful felty flower idea!
Spring is Sprouting for Joolz by Lisa
Even without a green thumb, Lisa managed to "grow" a garden of sorts this month.
The Goddess ROCKS!
Inspired by a river rock shaped like an ancient goddess statue, Hali paints, melts crayons and adds glitter to create a sparkley celebration of Spring.
The Impatient Blogger
How does your garden grow? With metal mesh, Czech glass beads and vintage French images all in a row! Margot just returned from Paris where she discovered a treasure trove of vintage paper. This scanned and sized postcard image fit the theme of sprout perfectly and the necklace was in search of a new home...add some teal metal mesh bows and accents and voila...a design sprouts forth!
Vintage Girl Teams Up With Her Vintage Momma!
What does a gal do when she finds herself far from her crafting supplies? Why, she raids her mom's basement and then puts dear old mama to work! Stop by and you'll see why mom's basement is fertile ground for things that sprout!
Alexa Westerfield - a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Now that's it's time for spring, ideas are "sprouting" all over the place. Alexa creates this eye-catching notebook to keep them in order.
Art Bead Scene
Some good karma is sprouting up at the Art Bead Scene with Heather's Lotus Flower Bracelet
Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva
The Brooklyn National Anthem sprouts every year when Cindy's in Spring mode. See what it inspired this year!
Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie giggles and remembers a furry friend, brings back an old mold, and sprouts up a beaded LOLhammy ceramic ornament
Helen Bradley and Michelle Zimmerman at http design
It's spring and we're sprouting all sorts of wonderful art at http design. Michelle is toting her art to the market and Helen revisits a fun art school assignment for her inspiration.
Humblebeads
Humblebeads celebrates spring with a Berry Good bracelet inspired by some juicy disk beads.
Jennifer Heynen of Jangles
Jennifer has come up with a cute little necklace to remind you of spring.
Katie's Beading Blog
Create some spring flair of your own with this easy bead embroidery idea from Katie's book, Hip to Bead.
Kriss Cramer - Spring Is In The Air
Not much of a horticulturist? Me neither! But I love flowers and I enjoy growing these ones with some paper, paint, and rhinestones.
Linda and Tea at Make It Mine magazine
Tea decided to join the fun this month. Check out her quilt blocks and Linda's purse.
Melissa J. Lee - Strands of Beads
What do Korean playing cards have to do with a sprouting spring? Check out Melissa's blog to find out.
Michelle McGee - S-P-R-O-U-T
Michelle just can't stop creating in green! A little wooden birdhouse becomes a beautiful palace!
Savvy Crafter
Candie shares some happy spring memories with a cheerful felty flower idea!
Spring is Sprouting for Joolz by Lisa
Even without a green thumb, Lisa managed to "grow" a garden of sorts this month.
The Goddess ROCKS!
Inspired by a river rock shaped like an ancient goddess statue, Hali paints, melts crayons and adds glitter to create a sparkley celebration of Spring.
The Impatient Blogger
How does your garden grow? With metal mesh, Czech glass beads and vintage French images all in a row! Margot just returned from Paris where she discovered a treasure trove of vintage paper. This scanned and sized postcard image fit the theme of sprout perfectly and the necklace was in search of a new home...add some teal metal mesh bows and accents and voila...a design sprouts forth!
Vintage Girl Teams Up With Her Vintage Momma!
What does a gal do when she finds herself far from her crafting supplies? Why, she raids her mom's basement and then puts dear old mama to work! Stop by and you'll see why mom's basement is fertile ground for things that sprout!
Labels: beaded jewelry, free instructions, hard-boiled eggs, intermediate project, Liver of Sulfur, Ornament Thursday, sprout
13 Comments:-
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I can't wait! But I've come too early to see it. It looks like a winner!
By
LampworkDiva, at 4:16 AM
Wonderful! Of course it fits the theme, perfectly.
Great work and fabulous tutorial.
Cheers,
Margot
By
Margot Potter, at 7:00 AM
Your step by step pix are just great. Makes it really clear how to do this!
By
Katie Hacker, at 7:37 AM
How much do I love this?!!! let me count the tendrils, stems and inventive charm of your wonderful tutorial! You RULE!jean!
By
Jean, at 8:05 AM
Very cool...I love wire wrapping (me and my stylish magnifier)...your pics and steps are so clear!
By
Lisa, at 9:03 AM
Absolutely, absolutely worth the wait! I love, love, love it!!!!!!!!!
By
Michelle McGee, at 10:10 AM
This post has been removed by the author.
By
Beading Help Web Editorial Team, at 10:13 AM
Thanks everyone for your comments...it was a fun theme and YEAH...I need a stylish magnifier too!!!
By
Beading Help Web Editorial Team, at 10:13 AM
Fabulous/Beautiful project. Your step-by-step photo instructions are wonderful! I am going to try this technique. Thanks!
By
Kriss, at 10:48 AM
You wire-wrapping is really divine! Beautiful idea and the instructions are so clear.
By
Melissa J. Lee, at 11:10 AM
Talk about being able to follow the pictures! It was almost like I was there making it with you, it felt so real. Great step shots and a lovely project.
By
Linda at Make It Mine Mag, at 12:49 PM
looks sprouty to me! love the wire-work, it's a great pendant.
By
Heather Powers, at 3:42 PM
very lovely and eye catching.
By
Alexa, at 5:22 PM
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