I recently posted about Jewelry Television’s new jewelry making DVD series called Jewel School. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to review the first DVD in the series, Basic Wire Wrapping, and I must say that I was impressed!
You can read my review here on BellaOnline.com, or visit the Jewel School web page to preview some video clips.
I remember when, several years ago now, Martha Stewart featured her bead-and-wire snowflake project on her show - and everyone went crazy for it. Wire snowflake forms (also called snowflake armatures) flew off the shelves at craft stores, and bidding wars broke out for them on eBay.
I was just thinking about them again, with the holidays approaching this year, when I spotted the cover of the Martha Stewart Living December 2007 issue at the grocery store. There they were. . . framing Martha’s pretty, smiling face on the cover.
I think this year’s versions are more striking than ever, featuring larger, metallic, fluted beads in soft pastel colors.
The general instructions for making them are available for free on the Martha Stewart website. The directions are not super-detailed, but if you have a little experience with wire, I don’t think you’ll have trouble with them.
You have two options for the wire forms: purchase them pre-made, or make your own. You can find pre-made versions at Fusion Beads , and some folks still sell them on eBay.
If you’d like to try making your own forms, you can use either tinned copper wire or piano wire (also called music wire). After crossing several equal lengths of wire over one another at their middles, you’ll need to either wire-wrap them together (using very fine, 30-gauge wire) or solder them.
I was unable to confirm which gauge of piano wire Martha uses for her soldered forms, but I’m guessing it’s the equivalent of 20-gauge (.032 inch diameter). I’ll pick some up shortly to experiment with and then post my results.
If you’re tired of snowflakes and would like to try something different, the December issue of Martha Stewart Living offers instructions for making other holiday-themed wire ornaments, including little dancing people and simple, yet striking, icicles. (And, as you can see, dragonflies - which don’t really remind me of the holidays, but they are cute nonetheless.)
Again, the instructions are not the most clear, but they do include helpful diagrams like these:
If you’ve wanted to experiment more with beads and wire, the holidays are a good excuse to pick some up and get going. You may even discover ways to use these versatile materials to create decor and gift items that you can use all throughout the year. (If you can’t think of any, then check back! I’ll share some of my own here on AdornmentCraft.)
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You may also be interested in:
Wire in Design: Modern Wire Art & Mixed Media (Jewelry Crafts)
Click here to browse all of my recommended wire decor project books in the AdornmentCraft Amazon Shop.
Jewelry Television, the cable-TV and online seller of jewelry, is now offering a series of instructional DVDs on making jewelry with gemstones. It might sound strange that these purveyors of fine and highly-commercialized jewelry would teach jewelry making. What you may not know is that in addition to finished jewelry, they also sell loose gemstones, including lots of cabochons - which, of course, can be handcrafted into pendants pretty easily.
Accordingly, the introductory DVD, Basic Wire Wrapping, covers basic techniques for wrapping cabochons with wire. The instructor is expert wire-worker Dale Armstrong.
Currently, the DVD alone is $24.99. You can also buy it as a kit with basic wire-wrapping tools and supplies for $99.99.
Example clips of the video are available on the Jewelry School website (a nice touch). From what I can tell, it looks pretty well put-together. I look forward to seeing what topics they cover in the next DVDs in the series - and how beginning jewelry crafters respond to them.
If you decide to give either a try, let me know what you think of it!
Artistic Wire Ltd. (who recently ran this add in Bead & Button), has some cute holiday wire projects to download for free on their site. (Now’s a good time to get started at least thinking about holiday projects.)
Here are the ones that caught my eye:
Artistic Wire is permanently colored copper wire - which means the color doesn’t normally rub or wear off, and it’s very easy to bend and shape. (As with all colored wire, the color can scratch off however, so always be gentle on it with your pliers.)
By the way, if you’re a Bead & Button reader, get a free 8-yard spool of 22 gauge red wire with an online purchase of at least $10.00 now through December 31 using coupon code BB1207.
If you don’t have the energy to tackle anything major this season, consider using colored wire to make quick and easy ornament hooks.
Here’s my personal method:
Make Your Own Holiday Ornament Hooks 
Enjoy!
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~ Shop for Artistic Wire on eBay ~
~ Just getting started? Learn the basics of jewelry wire-work with my book
Teach Yourself Visually: Jewelry Making & Beading ~
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For those of you who string beads - especially seed beads - there’s good news in the world of Bead Stoppers: they’re finally available in a smaller size. The new Mini Bead Stopper is about 1/2 the size of the original. The smaller size makes it lighter-weight and less likely to get in the way while you work.
I find Bead Stoppers especially handy for making multi-strand necklaces, bracelets, and beaded tassels. If you need to string several strands before finishing their ends, use Bead Stoppers to keep your beads in place until you’re ready to pull them altogether.
Get them on the Bead Stopper site or grab some on eBay.
