Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings, Contemporary Wire Jewelry. Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry. Here's a way to make simple briolette bead into some special earrings.
Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings
by Kylie Jones
  • Category: Contemporary
  • Technique(s): Wrapping
  • Skill Level: Beginner
Here's a way to make simple briolette bead into some special earrings.

Materials

26 Gauge Round Half Hard .925 Sterling Silver Wire
H8-26H
  • Lesson Quantity: 28.00 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $2.98
  • Gold Club Price: $2.24
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21 Gauge Round Half Hard .925 Sterling Silver Wire
H8-21H
  • Lesson Quantity: 7.00 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
  • Price: $1.81
  • Gold Club Price: $1.36
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briolette beads
  • Lesson Quantity: 2.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 2.00 each
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Tools

6.5 Inch Long Flat Nose Pliers - Pack of 1
G2-74
  • G2-74
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $9.87
  • Gold Club Price: $7.40
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Round Nose Wire Pliers
G2-507
  • G2-507
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
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C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches
PLR-487.00
  • PLR-487.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $16.97
  • Gold Club Price: $12.73
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Instructions
Step 1
Place one of the briolettes on a piece of 26g wire about 1.5" from the end. Bend both ends of wire straight up where the wire exits the bead. Cross the wires at the top of the bead and where they meet straighten the wires so they sit next to each other.
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Step 2
Holding the wires together make a 90 degree bend in the wires at the top of the bead. Place your round nose pliers right at the bend and using your fingers bend the wire around the top jaw of the pliers to form the beginning of a loop. Rotate the pliers up and around to center the loop over the bead and holding both ends of wire together bring the ends under the pliers and around the wire shank.
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Step 3
Take both wire ends around to the back and trim of the short end. Keep wrapping evenly all the way down the bead. The wraps don't need to be perfect.
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Step 4
As soon as you let go of the wire end some spring back occurs which starts the messy look. Lightly stretch the coil of wire down beyond the bottom of the bead and gently push the coil back the opposite way against the original wrap direction. It is a combination of small pushes and pulls to get the messy look you want. Trim the excess wraps off the bottom so the wire ends more than halfway down the bead. The 2 wrapped beads don't need to be the same, ending the wire at a similar spot on the bead and having the original loop about the same size helps for them to look like a pair.
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Step 5
To make the ear wires using the 21g wire, wrap it twice around a 1" diameter mandrel. Here I am using the head of a nylon hammer. Trim off 2 wire circles and flush cut each end. Using flat nose pliers make a 90-degree bend in the wire circles slightly off the exact center so 1 half is longer than the other. With round nose pliers make a loop at the end of the longer side and trim the shorter side to give an even look. These ear wires need to be work hardened, either in a tumbler or using a nylon mallet on a steel block.
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings
Kylie Jones's Messy Wrap Briolette Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, messy wrap earrings