Hi! It’s Jess from JewelryTutorialHQ.com. Today I’m going to show you how to wire wrap a briolette drop bead and make a simple pair of earrings.

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TOOLS + MATERIALS:

1 pair of ready made ear wires (learn how to make your own earwires)
2 drop beads (the ones I use are available in my Etsy Shop, and lots more options here)
24 gauge (.5mm) or 26 gauge (.4mm) half hard wire (I recommend this wire for beginners)
basic tools: chain nose pliers*, round nose pliers, and flush cutters
eye protection

*I recommend using 2 pairs of chain nose pliers for opening and closing jump rings

How to wire wrap a briolette bead

INSTRUCTIONS:

Insert the wire into the bead so there’s about an inch sticking out on one side.

How to wire wrap a briolette drop - step 1: Insert a 2.5 - 3 inch piece of 24 gauge wire through the top of the bead and leave about 1 inch sticking out on one side.

Fold both ends of the wire up to follow the contour of the bead and cross them over at the top, with the short end of the wire in front. Use the chain nose pliers to bend the long tail straight up from the point of the bead, and position the short tail so it forms a nice perfect L shape, perpendicular to the stem. This is important if you want nice even wraps!

How to wire wrap a briolette drop bead - step 2: The wire is folded up against the top of the bead on both sides, so the ends cross over with the shorter piece in front.. Position them to form an 'L' shape.

Next, hold the bead between your right thumb and forefinger and position the short tail of wire between your other thumb and forefinger. Hold the wire still and twist the bead around to the right several times to get that nice perfect coil.

How to wire wrap a briolette drop - step 3: Hold the short tail of wire between your thumb and forefinger and twist the bead around a few times with your other hand to create the coil and secure the wrap.

Trim off the extra and tuck the end down. Then bend the stem to the right at about 45º or so, and pull the wire back the other way over and around the top jaw of the round nose pliers. Reposition your pliers so you can continue pulling the wire all the way back around to the right underneath the pliers to form a complete loop.

Now use the chain nose pliers to hold the loop in place, and you want to make sure that the tail is perpendicular to the stem again before you wrap it around several times. If you always make sure to get those angles right you shouldn’t have any trouble getting nice even straight coils.

Trim off the extra, tuck the ends down, and now you can add the ear wires.

I hope this was helpful! If you’re new to making wire jewelry I invite you to check out my top-rated Wire Wrapping for Beginners class where you’ll find over 40 step by step videos, and several fun projects to help you master the basics. Plus – help from me whenever you need it. Enroll today and get immediate access to 40+ on-demand video lessons!