Wire Snake Shapes
These are fun shapes you can make with wire and either wear them alone on a hook for earrings or add to a necklace design. Though they could be made by hand, if you have a jig, they are a breeze, and you can ensure that they are all exactly the same size. You need about six inches of wire, wire cutters, and round nosed pliers.
1. Arrange your jig in the shape of a diamond using 8 pegs which are about ½ in. apart.
2. Wrap the wire around peg A so it forms a complete loop.
3. Now you snake the wire back and forth around the pegs from right to left moving down the jig over and under each peg. So, you would wind the wire over and under peg B, then over and under peg C, then over and under peg D, and continue to the last peg.
4. Once you reach the last peg (H), you wrap the wire around the peg so it forms a complete loop.
5. Pull the shape off the jig and trim off excess wire.
6. Use round nosed pliers to close up the loops on both ends of your snake.
Just about any commercial jig can be configured into this shape, or you can also make your own. I believe you could also use round nosed pliers to make this shape. I used colored wire to make my snakes, so I didn’t file the ends since this can cause the outer covering on the wire to come off. Also, remember if you use colored wire, try not to handle it much since it can be easily marked with tools.
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