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How to Wire Wrap

“How To” Wire Wrap Straight Up

As a lot of our customers know, we exhibit at many bead shows throughout the year. I am often asked to demonstrate wire wrapping at these shows. This step-by-step “How To” is an extension of those demonstrations. Follow along with the pictures and directions to create straight up wire wrap loops. You can do so much with learning this one loop such as earrings, necklaces and charm bracelets. You can use these instructions for any gauge wire.


You will need round nose pliers, small profile chain nose pliers and small profile wire cutters to perform this wire wrapping procedure.
Wire Wrapping Step 1 Wire Wrapping Step 2 Wire Wrapping Step 3 Wire Wrapping Step 4
Step 1: Mark your round head pliers with a fine tip Sharpie marker or a pen. The mark on your tool determines the size of the loop you will be making. For example, a mark closer to the tip of the bill of the pliers will make a smaller loop than a mark farther up the shaft of the pliers. Step 2: Place your wire within the round head pliers at the desired mark. The tool should be barely touching the top of the bead.

Step 3 and 4: Take the tail of the wire and pull it straight out away from your body. Pull and stroke the wire a few times. You want to control the wire, and everything you do with the wire should have definition.
Wire Wrapping Step 5 Wire Wrapping Step 6

Step 5 and 6: Loosen your grip on the pliers and place the tool as pictured.

Wire Wrapping Step 7 Wire Wrapping Step 8 Wire Wrapping Step 9 Wire Wrapping Step 10
Step 7, 8, 9 and 10: Bring the tail of the wire over the top of the tool toward your body and pull straight down.
Wire Wrapping Step 11


Step 11: Loosen your grip on the pliers and place the tool as pictured.
Wire Wrapping Step 12 Wire Wrapping Step 13 Wire Wrapping Step 14 Wire Wrapping Step 15
Step 12, 13, 14 and 15: Bring the tail of the wire straight under the bill of the tool and pull on the wire (aggressively) away from you (pull hard).
Wire Wrapping Step 16 Wire Wrapping Step 17

Step 16 and 17: Now, as you keep the tool tight on the wire…rotate the wire, your hand and the tool slowly towards your body until the loop is directly on top of the shaft of wire. It should look like a Tootsie Roll Pop.
Wire Wrapping Step 18 Wire Wrapping Step 19 Wire Wrapping Step 20
Step 18, 19 and 20: Take the tail of the wire and wrap it around the shaft. Bring the wire around the shaft clockwise. Each revolution should be snug under the last. You can use a tweezers or your thumbnail to push each revolution up against the next. Also, if you grab the tail of your wire with the chain nose pliers to bring the wire around the shaft, it will give you more control and tightness in your revolutions. Ideally you want 3 wraps, but the size of your loop also determines how many wraps you will have. As you do more and more of these, you will see what I mean.
Wire Wrapping Step 21 Wire Wrapping Step 22 Wire Wrapping Step 23 Wire Wrapping Step 24
Step 21: Stop wrapping when you cannot wrap any further. Be sure to try not to crack your top bead. Step 22: Take the tail of the wire and pull back, up and away from the bead like a gearshift. Step 23: Hold onto the tail of the wire tightly so it doesn’t go flying and then snip the wire with your wire cutter. Your tool should be placed right at the spot where the wire meets the bead. Step 24: Take a small profile chain nose pliers and tuck the tail you just cut against the shaft. To do the tuck, place the back bill of the chain nose against the shaft and then press the tail in with the front bill of the pliers.
Wire Wrapping Step 25


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