Michon Jewelry Blog

One of the most basic techniques for making jewelry with wire is a simple loop.

What you need:

• head pin, eye pin, or about 2″ long piece of 22g wire
• flat or chain nose pliers
• round nose pliers
• wire cutters
• bead(s) that fit on the wire

Here’s how you do it:

1. Using the flat or chain nose pliers, make a not-quite 90 degree bend in the wire/head pin/eye pin, a half inch or so from the end
2. Using the round nose pliers, grasp the wire near the bend and wrap the wire around one jaw of the pliers
3. Using the wire cutters, snip the wire end off so there is just enough to close the loop
4. Using your flat or chain nose pliers again, bend the end of the wire in just enough so that it touches the bend, and you have a loop that is closed

That’s it! With a little practice, you’ll be making lovely round loops in no time. Tip: string a bead or two onto a headpin, make a simple loop, and you have a homemade charm. If you are more of a visual learner, here are a couple of pictures of me making a loop. I actually ended up making a wrapped loop so there isn’t a picture of me snipping the wire end, but I think you can get a basic idea from seeing the first two steps demonstrated. In the photos, I am making a loop on a head pin that has one of my handmade felt beads on it.

Step One: Bend the wire at not-quite 90 degrees

Step Two: Bend the wire around one jaw of round nose pliers