Wire Wound Connector Earrings Tutorial

As supplies for jewellery making get more expensive, especially if made with precious metals like Silver, it becomes more worthwhile making your own connectors from a cost point of view as well as being able to design exactly what you want, creating something unique.

This connector could be used to make beautiful dangle earrings or the centre piece for a pendant. It also looks very chic pinned with a safety bin as a brooch.

I am sure there are dozens of ways of creating something like this, but this is the way I like to do it as it makes the challenge of matching earrings much easier.

You will need

8" wire of your choice 0.8mm to 1.0mm diameter
4 x head pins or an extra 6" wire.
4 x 15/0 seed beads or delicas
4 x faceted oval beads
5 x crystal bicones

Wigjig board, round and flat nosed pliers, cutters, file, hammer, steel block.

1. Set up your wig jig board with three pins in a row. wrap the wire round the centre peg roughly at the middle of your wire piece. If you don't have a board, you can use your round nosed pliers. Wrap each tail around the next peg on each side ( or make a loop about a centimetre from the first one on each side) so you have three loops in a row as in the picture.












2. Take the piece off the pins and form round a suitable shape. I used the top of a small bottle.


















3. Add extra pins to your board as in the photograph (miss one hole above the centre pin, add a pin to the next 2). Return the piece to the row of pins, the middle loop will now be under the centre pin. With one tail form a figure of eight round the top two pins












4. Remove the piece and use the other tail to match the shape of the first side. Wrap this wire round the waist of the figure eight. Adjust the shape carefully till you are happy and hammer gently with a stroking motion to work harden. This stops the shape from squishing with wear. Cut off the spare tails as close as possible, squeeze ends in to the wrap and file sharp edges if necessary.










5. You can now add beads to your own design. I made hanging beaded drops with spare wire by hammering the end of the wire flat and using a tiny delica as a stop bead followed by a faceted round and a crystal bicone. I then turned a loop as described in the simple beaded earrings project. The drops can also be made on a head pin in the same way.











6. Add a beaded drop to each of the loops using your choice of beads.














You can now make a matching one for a pair of earrings (just add jump ring and ear hook) or add a jump ring to use as a pendant.

I hope you have fun exploring this design. I would love to see what you make :)

Happy Crafting,

Janice x