Wire Toggle

Inspiration came again in the form of a post on the forum when someone asked if I knew how to make a toggle clasp similar to one displayed on the Wig Jig site. I’m sure they have some great instructions for all you jewelry jig users out there, but I thought it would be interesting to make one without a jig.

You’ll need:

4 ½ in. piece 18 gauge round wire
jewelers’ files
wire cutter
round nosed pliers
flat/bent nosed pliers
5/16 inch dowel

1. Cut your wire into two pieces: one 2 inches long and one 2 ½ inches long.

2. File ends of both pieces of wire to make them smooth.

There are two pieces to this clasp: the "O" shaped piece and the "T" shaped piece.

"O" Piece of Clasp:

1. Take the 2 inch piece of wire and use round nosed pliers to make a loop on one end.

2. Now wrap the straight end of the wire around a 5/16 inch dowel. I used the end of a knitting needle I found. Any round object that is approximately this size (5/16) will work. If you have a dowel that is close, you can use round nosed pliers to adjust the size of the large loop as necessary.

3. Use round nosed pliers to finish closing the large loop made in the step above.

"T" Piece of Clasp:

1. Take the 2 ½ inch piece of wire, hold it in the middle with round nosed pliers, and bend it in half to form a large U.

2. Now cross the two wires of your U.

3. Hold the piece with flat nosed pliers and use your fingers to twist the crossed wires.

4. Use round nosed pliers to add a small curl to both ends of the wire.

5. You’ll notice the piece looks more like a "Y" instead of a "T." Use flat nosed pliers to straighten out the ends of the wire so they are horizontal, thus creating your "T" shape. To do this, you only need to slightly bend the wire.

Now you have two pieces to make up your toggle.

To connect them, simply slip the "T" piece into the "O" piece.

All graphics created by Tammy Powley.