You only need a few tools to get started with this technique and they are highly portable. All you’ll basically need is a small wire cutter, a needle-nosed pliers, and flat-nosed pliers. Kate Drew-Wilkinson, the author of the Complete Guide to Wire Work for Bead Jewelry, also recommends a bent or curved chain nose pliers, which I must confess I don’t have in my beading toolbox. But after reading her description of the tool’s uses (attaching hooks to earrings, closing crimp beads, etc.), I think I’ll add it! The findings you’ll need to do wire work include the head pin, the eye pin, and the jump ring. You’ll also need to familiarize yourself with various earring findings (for both pierced and unpierced styles), and clasps. We’re going to do an extremely simple wire-and-bead project called the Wire Bead Star. This can be a Christmas ornament or simply something pretty to hang anywhere you want a celestial reminder.
Project: Wire Bead Star
Level: Medium Age: 7 and up Materials needed: 20-gauge wire, round-nosed pliers, flat-nosed side cutters, beads of your choice (rocailles, tri-cuts, and crystal beads work well) Directions: In addition to Kate Drew-Wilkinson’s book, I also recommend The Best Little Beading Book. This is a comprehensive guide to beading and has some good projects using a variety of wire work techniques, plus peyote, stringing, and anything else you might want to try.
