Wire-wrapped Earrings With Dimensional Dangles Tutorial
If you enjoy wire-wrapping and love earrings, here’s something you may like. It’s a video tutorial on how to make wrapped loop earrings with those fun dimensional dangles.
OK, I’ll confess — I came up with the term “dimensional dangles” myself.  But to me, it seems to fit. 🙂
Why Dimensional?
Many, many times I have added multiple charms/dangles on a pair of earrings or a pendant. And while sometimes the “spreading” look is what I want, other times I want a different look. Sleeker maybe, with some curve instead of just straight lines.
Now I highly doubt that I am the first one to come up with this! But I did want to share this with you.
Wire Wrapped Earrings
It’s been awhile since I’ve done much wire wrapping. It’s actually how I first got into jewelry making, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. (Well, maybe not that long, but it’s been awhile.) I’ve been busy with my bead embroidery, but every so often I like to go back to my roots.
So, wire wrapped earrings it was! And since I had just made a how-to video on double-wrapped loops and eyepins, it seemed fitting that I would make the earrings with double-wrapped loops.
And Now the Video Tutorial
I’m sure you’re waiting to see the video, LOL. You’ll need wire (I used 24 gauge), some beads, wire cutters, two pair of pliers (one of which has to be round-nose) and a couple of jump rings (if you decide to make the patters for the second pair I show).
I used red brass wire, which is pretty similar to gold-filled — but a whole lot cheaper! However, please feel free to use whatever wire you like. You can also use 22 gauge wire; possibly even 21 gauge in a pinch. But by the time you make it to 20 gauge, the wraps are harder to make when the loops are small.
Here’s the video. It’s almost 23 minutes long, so get comfy and enjoy! And as always, if you enjoy the video, please feel free to like me on Facebook. 😉
What is Wire Work Jewelry?
So, what is wire work jewelry anyway?  It goes by a few other names, such as wire wrapping and wire sculpture, but it’s all about using wire to make or enhance jewelry.
Note About Viking Knit
I generally do not include the viking knit technique in with other kinds of wire work, even though by definition it is made with wire. It’s constructed differently, so I put viking knit into its own category.
Wire Work and Wire Wrapping
Wire Work Pendant (Click to Enlarge)
As I mentioned before, most people put wire wrapping and wire work in the same category. Wire work jewelry can range from simple, like a wire wrapped clasp, to the very intricate that take hours (if not days) to create.
Many times, people associate wire work with pendants, but there’s a whole other world of jewelry out there! Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins — all can be made with wire and some imagination.
The pendant I show on the right is made with wire work, but in this case, the wire is mostly hidden from view. So wire work need not feature the wire.
(The necklace portion is viking knit, which as I mentioned before, is its own category.)
The base meaning of “wire wrapping” features wire wrapping around a base item.
Wire Work and Wire Sculpture
Wire Sculpture Earrings
OK, so what about wire sculpture? To my mind, wire sculpture means jewelry that features the wire as the main focus. Beads or cabochons or charms might be included, but molding and sculpting the wire into curves or angles is what draws the eye.
I hope this answers some of your questions on what wire work jewelry is. Naturally, you’ll see a lot more information (not to mention examples) in this site. To see more posts about wire work, just click on the “Wire Work Jewelry” link in the Categories section (to your right). That way, you’ll always be able to find more information about this fascinating subject!
Next up:Â Kinds of wire used in wire work jewelry.
Catch you later!