Wire Wrap Charms -Beading Tips & Techniques

Here's a fun and easy way to turn a bead into a charm: wire wrap it with a head pin and pliers! If you are new at this, another easy way to keep your charms the same length is to mark your round nose pliers with a sharpie.

Slip your beads and/or findings onto the head pin.

Line your head pin with the sharpie mark you made

Then angle the head pin wire away from you in a 90 degree angle.

Flip the pliers upright and flip the head pin towards you and down.

Twist your hand with the pliers up so that the half loop is on the bottom. Take the head pin and push it away from you -should start to form a circle - make sure your wire is on the sharpie mark you made.

Slip your head pin either to a chain or clasp.

Keep a firm grip on the pliers in one hand - then take the head pin and come towards you as to wrap the lower half of the head pin closest to the pliers and work down toward the bead.

Continue to wrap until you reach the bottom. If you have excess head pin part you can cut it with wire cutters.

Left Over Candle Wax

I love to burn candles and I have burnt many kinds and brands. I have my few favorites and they are Yankee Candles and Virgina Candles- wood wicks. Virgina candles you do not have to melt the left over candle. The wick is wood or bamboo, and you only need to light it for 5 minutes and the room is filled with wonderful aroma of whatever fragrance you purchased. Lately with Yankee candles I have had to melt the rest of the wax. I have a separate pot that I use to melt the left over wax jar in. I put water accordingly so that it does not over flow. I also put a little water in the jar with the wax. I put it on med heat, and wait till the wax is melted.

If there is enough wax from multiple "jar" candles. I will combine them in one nice jar. I will have a wick long enough that I will tie to a pencil, so that the wick is centered in the jar. If there is not enough wax, I usually will have a small container that I put it in. Once the wax is melted I will pour it into the cup.

I have two drain traps - one for candles and one for everyday use. I remove my everyday use and put my candle drain trap. The drain trap catches your melted wax that dried. Wax down the drain is not good.

I take the jar with caution, and put hot tap water in it with soap. I use a mirco fiber towel and wash the inside of the jar until the wax residue is gone, if there is any. While the wax was being melted it should have softened the label.

Once you remove the label you will need to remove the bottom label as well.

If you get a film residue from the label, I put soap on it and scrub. If that does not work I use a brillo pad in a circular motion to remove the residue. I rinse clean.

Brillo pad removes the residue

Once your done this is what your jars should look like

If I do not use the jars I recycle them. Most of my unique jars come from candles, and I use those as my neat bead jars!

Dazzling your center piece

My Mother-in-Law gave me these beautiful candles with the candle holder. I wanted to "Dazzle" them up. Here is what they looked like before I added and "Bling" to them.

I wire wrapped filigree brass beads and glass pearl beads every so often to accent the center piece. Fun but simple project.



Picture of both side done. To accent the piece I had a dragonfly pin that was not working right, so I added it to the design.



Close up of the dragonfly...

Vintage "Look" Christmas Tree

Vintage Christmas Tree from vintage broken jewelry
August 22, 2011



I have made one of these in the past, not sure where it is. I might have given it away.

I love vintage jewelry, and collect the ones that I like. However, I find deals where you buy bags of vintage jewelry for $2.00. You might be lucky and have a few nice whole pieces of jewelry. I pick out the ones that are not broken and put them aside in a nice box. The broken pieces stay in the bag for future use.

I decided to make another Vintage Christmas Tree. I had gotten the Paper cone from Micheal's some time back, as you see there are two bottom stands. I two stands as you see. The one that is still wrapped, that is the top of a fence post the other one is a ceramic candle base I got this past week from my Mother-In-Law. I use that instead.



I had some old glass garlands that I never used they are about 20 years old, and look vintage. I used them as the back drop for the tree, and built up from there by adding broken pieces of vintage jewelry in the spaces. I used a hot glue gun with glue to secure the pieces.

This is what it looks like right now. I still have to fill in the spaces. I ran out of broken pieces of jewelry... Once it is completely done I will post the photo. My Mom is always looking out for vintage jewelry bargains in a bag!! =]

This make a wonderful center piece, and you still have time to make it for the Holidays!! Have fun!!

Rectangular & Oval "Tree of Life"

Tree of Life - Rectangular shape and Oval shape "Tree of Life"

My husband and I came up with the rectangular and oval shape for the "Tree of Life" on October 13th, 2010. We sat for many hours trying to write instruction for both designs for my class I am teaching at - The Bead Place at Fairview Heights, IL - Here is what it looks like.


All instructions and photos are by: Chou & Jeff Campbell

Oval "Tree of Life"



Rectangular "Tree of Life"

Basket Weave Ring - by Chou Campbell

Materials needed:
14 gauge copper wire
22 gauge copper wire
cutters
needle nose pliers
flat nose pliers

I cut 2 pieces of 14 gauge copper wire.
I cut 2 1/2 to 3 feet of 22 gauge of copper wire
wrap it about 4 to 5 times around one of the 14 gauge copper wire.

I wanted a ring that looked like a weave but not just so plain..I started playing around and this is what I came up with..I created this late on June 28th, 2010



Cut 2 pieces of 14 gauge wire about 8 inches long- Place it side by side, hold firmly. Cut 3 feet of so, of 22 gauge wire wrap it about 3 to 4 times around one of the 14 gauge wires. The wire will go under the top wire and over the 14 gauge wire. This will make a figure 8.


Hold firmly to both wires..Take the wire go under the 14 gauge wire closest to you then up and over it...making a figure 8.


continue this figure 8 for about 2 1/2 inches long



At the end you will wrap 4 or 5 times around one of the 14 gauge wires...take your cutters and cut the excess off.


Take your ring mandrel and place your piece on top of the number your ring size is. push the sided away from you. If you would remove the mandrel it would look like a U.



Place the U shape upward with the wires facing up...and push them down onto the ring mandrel so they are side by side going the opposite directions.



Pull firmly and twist into a circle.



Take the two wires on top of the twist(in picture the one furtherest away)..You will have two wires on each side of the ring. Take the two that is twisted on top of the ring as pictured..twist the wires together...and coil a small circle on the end.


Now you take the other two wires -Twist once then seperate.. Cut desired length depending on many coils you would like, then press down to one side of the ring. That the one coming from the center, cut to desire length and coil and position on opposite side...make it your own!


Each finished piece will be different so have fun!!!

Nautilus - Wire Wrapping by Chou Campbell

I love the ocean! I have made many pieces with nautilus shells. I decided to design my own wire wrapping nautilus. I started the frame of this nautilus, after I did the Tree of Life on May 26th, 2010. I tried many things on this frame, but nothing came to me until, Monday. I couldn't wait to get started.

Step 1. I used 14 gauge wire to make the frame.



Step 2 - I used 22 gauge wire for the wrapping.
I then pick the seed beads I wanted to use. I used a multi-color hank. You can purchase at your local bead store (The Bead Place, Fairview Heights, IL). (I purchased this strand from a friend- Bridgette Saunders - We call her the Delica Queen) =)



Step 3 - Add beads accordingly. One bead above the frame. Wrap around 1 1/2 times so that you can add beads to the opposite side.



Step 4- Continue wrapping on each side of the nautilus. The Wrapping does not criss-cross in the center. I thought about it, but nautilus shells are some what puffy... =)



Step 5 - Continue wrapping and adding wire when needed. The lower part you will wrap it 1 1/2 times, then add beads accordingly. You will go in between the top (no wrapping-just push through to the other side in between finished beads, add beads - continue)



Step 6 - I cut about 8 inches of 22 gauge wire - I add accordingly



Step 7 - I added a fresh water button pearl in the center of each side.