Wire & Pearl Necklace

This pearly necklace is guaranteed to brighten up an otherwise gloomy January. It was inspired by the spirograph, you probably remember this famous geometric drawing toy from your childhood. Mixing chunky pearls and light wire gives it an effective contrast. It is an easy and fun design to make and works really well with a low cut top or dress so you can see the full effect of the wire loops. Make sure you try it in different colours for a summer look too. You can even try it with contrasting colour wire to really make it stand out. The wire work is an excellent way to make otherwise simple beads really shine to their full potential.

Buy all the materials for this project for £11.25:

Buy all the materials including the tools for £19.20:

Click here to go to a project sheet that you can print yourself.

Materials

• 1 x glass pearl mix silver 100g (GLXHP31)
• 4 x 14mm round pearl magenta (GLHP14-12)
• 3 x 12mm round pearl magenta (GLHP12-12)
• 1 x Plastic coated wire black 10m (PCW01)
• 3 x 2mm crimp silver plated retail packs(CRSP)
• 3 x 3mm crimp cover silver plated retail packs(CRC3SP)
• 1 x large bolt ring silver plated (BRLSP)
• 1 x Multipliers (PRMT)
• 1 x project sheet (GMC1001AP)

Stage 1

Using the cutting part of your pliers, cut one 1m length and one 2m length of plastic coated wire. Take your 2m length of wire, measure 11cm from the end, add a crimp. With the flat part of your pliers, squeeze the crimp. Thread on a bead approximately 8mm, followed by crimp (don’t squeeze this one yet).

Stage 2

Thread the 2m length of plastic coated wire back through the crimp to create a loop. Your first loop should measure approximately 1.5cm in diameter. Hold your pliers parallel to the table, and squeeze the crimp, so that the crimp lies at the same angle as the loop.

Stage 3

Thread on a bead that is slightly larger than the previous bead. Thread on a crimp, thread the wire back through, making a loop that is slightly larger than the first. Squeeze the crimp. Add a crimp cover to join loops together. Add beads making the loops larger to the centre. Reduce until the end loop is the same size as the first. Add one bead, a crimp and squeeze.

Stage 4

Take your 1m length, add a couple of the smallest beads from your mix so that they fit snugly in the loop. Weave the 1m wire underneath the right-hand side of the first loop, and over the left-hand side, add a few more beads so that they fit snugly in the next loop. Repeat this all along the looped section.

Stage 5

Measure 10cm along looped wire from the first crimp, cut. On the straight wire, measure 12cm from the first crimp, cut. Repeat for other side.
Take one end of your necklace, thread a crimp onto both pieces of wire, leave 1cm of the longer length and squeeze the crimp.

Stage 6

With the longer length, thread on a crimp, then the bolt ring, thread it back through the crimp and squeeze with pliers. Repeat this to add you bolt ring tag.
To give your necklace a more professional finish, cover the crimps at the end of your necklace with crimp covers.

Stage 7

This is what your finished necklace should look like.

Back to projects