Links: Beaded and Crazy -Tutorial - Basic Wire Working Technique Series

Welcome back to my teaching series featuring basic wire working techniques. I hope you've had a chance to practice the first technique in the series - "Wrapped Loops" - as it is a building block for today's tutorial "Links: Beaded and Crazy". If you missed it, you can check it out here.

Today I will be sharing how to make a few different styles of links; a couple with beads and one without, that I like to call a "crazy" link. The link is an important technique to learn because it will allow you to incorporate uniquely handcrafted chains into your jewelry.

Tools and Supplies:

Pliers: round-nose and chain-nose

Flush cutters (one side of the cutters are flush and make a straight cut, the other side makes a "V" cut)

Small jewelers file

Wire: I've used copper for my photos. I suggest you begin with copper; it's malleable which makes it easy to work with and it's inexpensive.

Beads of your choice

Single Beaded Link

Begin by making a wrapped loop (click here to refer to my earlier tutorial on wrapped loops). Add a bead.

Place the chain-nose pliers below the bead.

 Make a wrapped loop. 

It's as simple as that! Your finished link should look like this.

To make a chain, use another piece of wire to make a loop and thread it through the loop of the previous link.

Wrap the wire and finish the link as before.

 

Swirl Wrapped Double Beaded Link

Use a long length of wire to make a wrapped loop (click here to refer to my earlier tutorial on wrapped loops). Add two beads. Make a wrapped loop but do not trim the wire.

 

Wind the wire tail around the beads.

Wrap the wire a few times just under the loop.

Trim the excess wire.

Your finished link should look like this.

Crazy Link

Make a wire link with a wrapped loop at each end (click here to refer to my earlier tutorial on wrapped loops).

 

Place the chain-nose pliers about 1/3 of the way into the link.

Use your fingers to put a slight bend in the wire.

Place the pliers about 2/3 into the link and make another slight bend.

Your finished link should look like this.

Or, if you're really feeling crazy, kink the wire a little more.

Here are a couple of examples of how I've used

beaded and crazy links in my jewelry designs.

If you would like to learn more techniques, please return in a few days for the next tutorial in my Basic Wire Working Series

as I will be showing you how to make

"Jump Rings"

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