Snowflake Sparkle

Designed by Michele Nicholson

supplies

• 12 - 2” lengths of 22 gauge square half-hard wire, sterling silver wire
• 2 - 1 ¼ “ lengths of 20 gauge ½ round, half-hard, binding wire
• 12 - 4 mm round aurora borealis, Swarovski, Austrian crystal beads

tools

• Flat nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Chain nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Ruler
• Pen knife

instructions

1. Separate cleaned wire into two bundles of six wires. Use binding wire to bind each bundle three times. (three wires show on good side) Make sure 4 wires are covered with the first and last hook of the binding wire. They don't have to be too straight and even as you will be twisting and cutting later on.

2. Take a pen knife (paring knife will work) and fan out the pieces from the centre. Isolate one wire each earring for a bale wire, pull it at a right angle so it stands out. On left earring the third wire from the left, on the right earring, the third wire from the right.

3. Use flat nose and chain nose pliers to make twist wire with each wire extension. (you can purchase a wire twister from Wire Sculpture).

4. Trim each bale wire to ¾”. Place round nose pliers ½” down from the top on this wire; approximately ¼” down the edge of the round nose plier tip. Take the flat nose pliers and pull wire down and around the back of the earring. Press the end of this wire flat to the earring in back. I like this finished look, however, you could simply use the round nose pliers for a basic eye loop.

5. Isolate the closest wire to this by bending up at a right angle to save for a curly cue at the end. Now you have 2 wires, the saved wire, bale and two more wires at the top.

6. Trim the remaining wires at random so they are not all even. Don't worry about matching as is usual with earrings; the contest reminds us, no two snowflakes are exactly alike, soooooo they can be the “same but different”.

7. File the rough edges and add 6 crystals to each earring. No particular order, again as desired. Secure by rolling the end over with the round nose pliers ( like an eye loop). Finish the remaining wires (without crystals) the same way, except for the reserved curly cue.

8. Take remaining isolated wire and form a curly cue (rosette) with the round nose pliers. Place it over the bind wires. Attach ear wires. I always make my own. For these earrings I use 21 or 22 gauge square wire, half hard, cut to 1¾”, each wire. I twist it for effect before I form the ear wires. You can use 21 gauge round half hard as well, but I like the twist wire for these earrings. This is a great way to use up your scraps by making ear wires.

9. Take round nose pliers and bend each wire extension, here and there so they are not perfectly straight.