instructables
Adjustable Wire Ring
by magpiesmiscellany
This was originally meant to be a practice run of the wrap style I used in my simple pendant with wire wrap top
piece for students, but that shoot went smoother so this project got a little neglected.
It's a little fragile, but still good practice and great for people with arthritis since you can open it a bit for sore
knuckles. (It's also good if you like to swap which finger you like to wear rings on!)
Adjustable Wire Ring: Page 1
Step 1: Materials and Tools
-18 or 20 ga wire
-26 or 28 ga wire
-large bead
-pen or marker same diameter as bead (fine tip sharpie is a great size for vintage crystals, ballpoint pen works well
for many pearls.)
-ring mandrel (or thick highlighter)
-wire cutters
-round nose pliers
-flat nose pliers
(optional but very helpful: nylon jawed pliers for straightening wire)
Step 2: Starting the Frame
Measure around finger -double that number and add 5" to find your length of 20 ga wire.
Bend in half around a round object the approximate diameter of your bead until you have a small circular loop in
the middle with crossed legs.
Adjustable Wire Ring: Page 2
Step 3: Finishing the Frame
Use flat nose pliers to bend the legs so they're perpendicular to the loop and parallel to each other.
Adjustable Wire Ring: Page 3
Step 4: Adding the Fine Wire
Cut 1 yard 28 ga wire. Wrap it around one side of the loop, leaving a 5” tail. Using the longer tail continue to wrap
along the frame until you reach the bend of the leg.
Step 5: Adding the Bead
Take the 5" length of wire, thread on your bead.
Wrap onto opposite side of frame and coil it along the frame towards the bend of the leg.
Adjustable Wire Ring: Page 4
Step 6: Start Weaving the Body
Take the long end of the 28 ga wire and make 7 wraps around the upper leg. At the 8th turn wrap around both
wires.
Repeat 7 on top, 1 on both. (You can modify the numbers, but can't just wrap the wire around both the whole way,
it won't stay together.)
Adjustable Wire Ring: Page 5
Step 7: Wrapping Up
Stop at a wrap around both point once you get to the length of your finger circumference.
Wrap around a ring mandrel.
Try it on! You want the wrapped legs to go just past the frame around the bead.
Step 8: Ending the Fine Wire
To finish, wrap the fine wire 3 times around the top leg and clip it where it tucks between the two thicker wires.
Adjustable Wire Ring: Page 6
Step 9: Spiraling
Trim both legs to about 1" beyond the end of the wrapping. Make a outward facing spiral at the end of each leg.
Curl each spiral to the last wrap around that wire.
Adjustable Wire Ring: Page 7
Step 10: Finishing
The lower spiral should go back slightly further and be slightly larger than the upper one.
Curve end gently with your fingers until the bead frame tucks in next to the spirals.
Adjustable Wire Ring: Page 8
