Pearl & AB Twisted Wire Necklace

This wire necklace looks harder than it actually is but the end results are worth it.

What you need

3 metres of 0.4mm beading wire
1 parrot clasp
4 jump rings
200mm memory wire tubing
one loop of necklace memory wire
[13] clear AB 4mm bicone glass crystals
[13] 4mm bicone glass crystals (colour B)
[13] 4mm bicone glass crystals (colour A)

Twirly Wirlie Pliers
Wire Cutters
Memory Wire Cutters

Instructions

note: quantities in [square brackets] indicate how many of that particular material we used.  Depending on what size necklace you’re making, you might need more or less. The necklace pictured uses grey crystals as color A and small irregular pearls as colour B.

Cut a 3 metre length of wire from the roll. Fold the wire so that a bend is made one metre from the end. One side of the wire (strand 1) will be one metre long and the second side (strand 2) will be 2 metres long.

Slip a jump ring over the fold and twist the wire twice to hold the jump ring in place.

Starting on the short side (strand 1), slip a clear AB crystal on the shorter wire 25mm from the jump ring. Holding the crystal in your fingers make a loop around your finger and twist like you would a twist tie on a plastic bag.

Place a (color A) crystal on the wire approximately 25 mm from the first loop and make another loop. Repeat the process using a blue crystal. Continue the pattern of clear B, clear AB and color A crystals until you are 50mm from the end of the wire.

Lay the wire flat then bend the loops so that one is facing up and one down.

Take the long strand (strand 2) and thread through the crystal on the top of each loop, adding a crystal (first colour A, then colour B, then clear AB) between the loops. Wrap twice around the end wire then repeat on the bottom loops. This is the framework of your necklace and should end up being about 400mm long.

Work back through the necklace in a zig zag pattern going through the loose crystals on the outside framework and adding a crystal between every second section. Use the same pattern starting with color B (then clear AB, color A, color B etc.).

At the end of the section, twist the three ends of the wire together to form one strand.

Thread the thick strand through a jump ring and twist back on itself to hold the jump ring in place.

Using your twirly whirlies, gently twist the wires between the crystals, making the wire into abstract zig zag shapes. This will cause the necklace shrink and become much shorter.

Continue making small twists in the wires to give the necklace a funky abstract shape. When finished the twisted wire piece should be approximately 160mm long.

Cut (with your memory wire cutters) 2 pieces of memory wire 100mm long. Using your twirly whirlies make a loop on one end of each piece. Attach one loop to the jump ring already on one end of the twisted wire front piece.

Attach the other loop to the jump ring already on the other end of the twisted wire front piece.

Cut the memory wire (with memory wire cutters) to your neck size leaving an extra 15mm either side for fitting the clasp.

Slide a piece of tubing over the wire ends and cut so that 15mm of memory wire is left exposed.

Twirl another loop on the exposed ends of the memory wire and attach a jump ring and parrot clasp to one end. Attach a jump ring to the other end and your twisted wire necklace is ready to wear.

Submitted by: Eureka Beads.