Sunday, December 12, 2010

Christmas tree ornament part 2

From part 1
This is for the wire part.

Side cutters

chain nose pliers
round nose pliers
Nylon jaw pliers
18 or 16 gauge red colored copper wire


I used 1 gauge wire for these, but the 18 gauge works just as well and is a bit easier to work with.



Start a spiral with the chain nose pliers.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
With the nylon jaw pliers grab the spiral and keep rolling it up. The nylon jaws keep from scratching the wire color off.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Make it about 3/8"  or a tiny bit bigger.
















Fold the wire over the spiral you just made and press flat with the nylon jaw pliers.














Bend the end wire up right in the middle of the spiral with the chain nose pliers.















Put the end wire in to the front of the tree in the top hole.
Bend the end wire up as close to the tree top as you can.
I hold the spiral with my thumb and bend the wire against the back of the tree at the top with my other hand.

You can if you want flatten it with the nylon jaw pliers.








With the chain nose pliers bend the end wire over the top of the star a little.
Or you can do it with your fingers.






 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Take the chain nose pliers and bend the end wire straight up now. You grab the wire at the bottom of the wire right at the front of the tree.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Grab the wire and hold it close to the last bend and then bend it at a right angle.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Grab the wire right at the bend with the round nose pliers and roll the wire over the round nose.
Keep holding the wire with the round nose pliers while you do the next step.














Grab the end of the end wire with the chain nose pliers in your other hand and pull the end all the way around the round nose pliers. Continue wrapping the end of the end wire around the  the up wire underneath of the loop.
Keep wrapping until the loops reach the top of the tree.










Take the end of the end wire and bring it down in front of the tree top and wrap that around the wire underneath the spiral.

Clip off the end with your side cutters underneath the spiral so it doesn't show.











Flatten the spiral and the loop with the nylon jaw pliers.















It will look like this in the front.

















And this in the back.













I added a holly and berries for a necklace and left it plain with out a hole in the bottom of the tree for the Christmas present tag.

I will come back and show you how to make the holly and attach it and how to finish the ornament next.
Stay tuned for part 3.
http://mariesegal.blogspot.com/2010/12/fave-crafts-blog-hop-today-december.html

8 comments:

  1. Marie, your work never ceases to amaze me. Beautiful!
    I have just been working with some wire, and let's just say my wraps the twists do NOT look lovely like yours! They do have their own unique personality though......ahem! ;D

    XXOO~~♥
    Anne

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  2. Love it! You have given me some more XMAS ideas! Thanks! =)

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  3. Holy Moly Woman, I love your little tutorials. Made a couple of your Sculpey ornies yesterday in between bread baking and so glad I ran out of time to do much else....now I can continue today, in between bread baking.

    Thanks so much for these little gems...just want to let you know how much they are appreciated!!

    xxoo,
    Georgina

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  4. beautifully done. Someone will enjoy wearing this.

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  5. This is SO super cute! I love this little tree. :) Theresa

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  6. Oh Marie you are so so talented!!!

    I hope to meet you (again ~years ago) in 2011!!!

    Love ~Pattee
    Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete

I am so glad you stopped by. Please leave your words of wisdom. I look forward to them and I so enjoy reading them all.
Live to love, Love to create, and create to connect.
Marie

www.mariesegal.com
www.clayfactory.net