This is such a sweet project. Perfect for mothers.
There are lots of design choices you can make- wire colors, bead selection, number of "eggs," and, of course, what the final project will end up being, such as a ring, pendant, and even earrings.
You'll need:
- Wire 24 or 26 gauge
- Beads, glass, gemstone or pearls
- Needle
- Nosed pliers
- Flat-nosed pliers
- Wire cutters
Instructions:
- Measure wire 24" long. Thread on bead "eggs" to the center of the wire. Fold wire in a "u" shape and twist wire 4 or 5 times, cinching the twists close to the beads.
- Fold the twist over, so that the beaded twist rests on top of the remaining flat wires. Hold the piece between thumb and finger.
- To form the nest, begin wrapping one of the flat wires in a circular motion around the bead bundle, until about 6" of wire remains. Wrap the other wire in the opposite direction.
- To secure the nest wires, pull the end of one of the wires from the bottom through the center of the nest similar to taking a "stitch." Continue the stitching motion in several spots around the nest until the nest wires are positioned as you like them, but leaving a 2" to 3" tail.
PENDANT BAIL:
- To form a pendant bail, pull up the tail of the wire, form a small circle with needle-nosed pliers and wire wrap the end around itself with the other pliers.
- Adjust the nest and bail as needed. Add to neck chain.
RING:
- Begin with a longer wire – about 36" long. Form the nest. To make the ring, place the nest on top of a ring mandrel or highlighter pen.
- Wrap the ends of the long wire around the highlighter (or mandrel) several times in opposite directions to form the shank of the ring. With the remaining wire ends, wrap around the shank several times to secure.
- Handy Tip: If making a ring, slip a ring that fits onto the highlighter and mark the spot on the highlighter with a piece of electrical tape. This way you'll make your ring the proper size.
EARRINGS:
- To make earrings, simply make two matching nests and attach to ear wires.
DESIGN TIPS:
- For a gift for a Mom, place an "egg" in the nest for each child. For a birthday gift, make the "eggs" out of the recipient's birthstone.
- Add some color by using copper colored wire and colored glass beads.
- If you use larger gauge (thicker) wire, you can make larger nests.
For more crafty projects from Tamara Berg, watch "The Tamara Twist" and visit tamaracentral.com. All materials are available at craft and bead stores.
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http://pinterest.com/hallmarkchannel.
