With this ring, you can add a bead or dangle some beads from the middle of the ring.
Here are the supplies and equipment you'll need:
2. Place the loop against the ring mandrel at a mark ½ size larger than you want the ring to be. *So, if you want to make a size seven ring, you’ll put the loop at the 7 ½ line on the mandrel.
*A note about sizing of rings with wire: I’ve always seemed to have a heck of a time with this. Though I’m usually pretty close, too often my rings aren’t exactly the size I expect. Recently, I asked a "wire expert" about this and she admitted to me that it’s not an exact science and she’s experienced the same problem. Also, she knows of many other "wire" people who have too. Now I don’t feel so stupid, though I don’t feel less frustrated either. So, keep this in mind when making wire rings. You are not alone!
3. Once you have the loop positioned on the correct mark, wrap the wires (you’ll have one on your left and one on your right side) completely around the mandrel above the loop. This will create two wire wraps above the loop (or bead if you slipped on the bead in step one).
4. Repeat step 3, but this time wrap the wires under the loop. By wrapping the wire around the mandrel, you are starting to create the band to the ring. So, if you’d like a thicker band, wrap some more. Obviously, the thicker the band, the more wire you’ll use. So, it might be a good idea to start with at least another foot of wire if you plan to make a ring with a thick band.
1. Using the thick part of your round nosed pliers, make a loop in the middle of the wire. Slip on your bead here if you want just one bead. I’ve added an 8mm malachite bead to the ring pictured. If you plan to dangle some beads, then leave your loop empty for now.
5. Now make sure you have the left and right wires forward. Also, try to ensure the wires that are wrapped around the mandrel are not crossing each other. You will probably experience a little crossing of the wraps. If so, try to push them to the front-middle part of the ring close to the loop or bead. This will help keep your band nice and smooth.
6. Next, push the ring up the mandrel a little and bring the right wire up through the wires wrapped around the mandrel. Use your bent nosed pliers to pull the wire so the wrap you are now creating around the wrapped wires is tight and smooth. Repeat this with the left wire. This will create two antennas out of your wire and also secure your ring band.
7. Continue to wrap the antennas around the ring band on both the left and right sides at least another 3-4 times. (I like the way the wrapping looks, so on my ring, I wrapped it 10 times on each side.) Just as before, use our bent or flat nosed pliers to pull and flatten the wire around the band. You can slip the ring off the mandrel to do this, but after a few wraps around the band, return the ring to the mandrel to ensure you haven’t altered the size too much. This wire is very soft, so that’s easy to do.
8. Trim off the wire, using your wire cutters and then using your bent nosed pliers squish the wire down. Slip the ring on your finger at this point to ensure that the wires aren’t poking you. If they are, squish some more or file it down a little.
9. Finally, slip the ring back onto the mandrel and lightly tap the band using the raw hide hammer. This will help shape and size the ring. If you need to make it larger, continue to tap (not pound - this is soft wire remember) and push the ring down the mandrel a little after a few taps.
10. An additional step after the ring is finished, is to add some more wire to the back of the ring band and wrap it just as you did in steps 7 and 8. In fact, if you’d like you can wrap wire all around the band. It’s up to you.
11. If you’ve decided previously to add dangle beads instead of just one bead in the middle then you have done all of steps 1-10 and have an almost finished ring except for your empty loop in the middle of the ring. Now, take a head pin (or you can use wire if you don’t have any gold-filled head pins) and slip on one bead onto it.
12. Use round nose pliers to make a loop on the pin approx. ¼ inch or less from the bead top.
13. Slip the loop of the head pin onto the loop of your ring and wrap the pin wire around itself. Trim off any extra wire. Repeat this for the other two beads. If you don’t have any head pins, you can use more wire (that’s what I did in the ring pictured).
All graphics created by Tammy Powley.