Wire Wrapping Small Beads (Small Metals)

Fold your wire ¾ towards the center from the tips of the wire. This distance will establish the amount you would need in wire for the bead and to gauge how much wire you would need for the other side to create the loop.

From the fold of the wire, position the tip of the round nose, parallel to your work table to create the first indentation. This would create a visual gauge for you to establish the size of the loop you need.

Once you make the round nose pliers parallel to your work table, holding on to one side of the the wire with the nose pliers, with a gentle grip, push down on the wire creating a dent on one side

For the first wire wrap of the bead, using your flat nose pliers, gently grab the loop you have created and make an “L-Shape” with the wire. The shorter wire will be the one that will be wrapped around the longer part of the wire.

Grab the shorter wire and wrap this by going around, direct it by moving down towards the long wire.

Once the number of wraps is established cut the excess wire with the wire cutters, by cutting this as close as you can to the wire wraps you have created.

On the end of the cut, use your flat nose pliers and press down on the wire that is sticking out from the end of the wrap.

Insert the bead that is going to be part of the wire wrap.

Let the bead sit on top of the previous wire wrap, with your long nose pliers, grab the long wire that the bead is on and put the tip of the round nose pliers on top of the small bead.

From this point bend the long wire, creating and “L-Shape”. This L-Shape will be your leverage to shape your loop.

Further bend the long wire using your fingers all the way downwards.

Grab the tip of the long wire and create a loop by wrapping it around the the wire, while it is still on the long nose pliers. This will make the wire rest on the long nose and also creating the loop link necessary. Wrap the wire by using the the same numbers of wraps used on the other side of the wire wrap.

At the end of the wrap cut the excess wire as close as you can on the bead.

Using the curved flat nose pliers, press on the excess wire that is sticking out from the cut that you have made. This will secure the wire wrap and create a clean finish.

On this tutorial you will learn not only how to wire wrap small beads, but also the types to consider when wrapping the bead that you have. These instructions are to give you full control of your tools and materials regardless of what beads you are working on. Working with the tiniest of beads is one of the most challenging skill set a jewelry maker can have, often it is a skill that not many have and avoid because of the meticulous attention it needs, as well as one of the most time consuming. When working with small beads be prepared to work in very small tiny movements and depending on the beads could take hours by the inch.