Figures made of copper wire. DIY wire crafts - choice of technique, interesting photo ideas

The copper key will become mysterious and original decoration, which will perfectly complement an image in a steampunk or boho style, and can also be used as an interior accessory.

In order to make such a key with your own hands, we will need:

• copper wire: 2 pieces about 40 centimeters long, thick (1.2 mm in diameter) and very thin;
• a flat small bead, about a centimeter long;
• pliers;
• small vise or clamp;
• anvil (you can take any metal block, for me it’s actually a part from a dumbbell);
• hammer.

Making a key from copper wire

First we create the top part of our key. We take the thicker wire, combine the ends and bend it like a fish.

Pull the ends until the loop shrinks to about 1.5 cm in length.

Now you need to make the side loops. Holding the place where the wire crosses, draw one of the tails of the wire in a circle and tighten the loop until the right size(about 1 cm in length).

We do the same with the second tail. I just do it with my hands, the copper wire is quite soft. But if it seems difficult, you can always help yourself by grabbing the tail with pliers.

The procedure must be repeated on both sides again, resulting in five loops. We place our workpiece on the anvil and start hammering.

You don’t need to hit too hard, the main thing is to keep the hammer level so that it doesn’t hit the edge and leave unsightly dents on the workpiece. The ends of the loops can be flattened more strongly, but where the wire crosses, it is important not to overdo it so that it does not break.
This is roughly what it should look like.

Cunning: You can beat the workpiece only on the side that will then be the wrong side. Then the front will turn out smooth and even.

We clamp the workpiece in a vice so that the ends stick out, and begin to twist them together.

We twist it to the place where the key bit will be (about 3 cm). Then we bend one of the ends at a right angle, and straighten the other down.

Having retreated about 2.5 cm, we grab the lower end with pliers and begin to bend it.

Bend it all the way and press it tighter with pliers.

Again we clamp the key in a vice, trying to press both the bent end and the twisted part.

Now we grab the end of the resulting loop with pliers and twist it, and then bend the remaining tail parallel to the second one.

We cut it to an equal length and carefully give it a rounded shape with pliers.

And again we put it on the anvil and hit it with a hammer. The very tip of the key and the beard can be flattened more, but we try not to overdo it with the rest.

All that remains is to attach the bead. Take a thin wire and cut it in half. We pass both pieces through the bead and place it in the center of the upper part of the key.

Now you need to wrap each end of a thin wire around a thick wire 2-3 times. To get rid of protruding tails, we bend the wires several times at the very base, and they break off neatly.
Ready! You can hang it on a cord or chain and wear it with pleasure.

Most people first encounter crafts in childhood, when they need to bring something they made with their own hands to a craft class. You can learn to embroider, knit, sew, weave from threads, beads, and ribbons. What can be done from copper wire? Soft metal makes very good figures of animals, insects, fish, candlesticks and lampshades, flowers, coasters, money trees, Christmas decorations made of copper wire, as well as an infinite number women's accessories- bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, chains, belts. The simplicity of working with wire and the unusual beauty of the resulting decorative elements deserve to be discussed in more detail.

Wire working techniques and tools.

Wire for making jewelry is made from copper, silver, and aluminum. It happens different shades and diameters from 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm. The most popular size for weaving beaded jewelry is up to 0.6 mm, and thicker wire makes a good braid for beads, shaped elements for making chains and openwork details of earrings or bracelets. The thickest wire is used to make bases, frames and frames. For beginning craftsmen, copper wire is most suitable, as it is easy to use and not so expensive. There are many techniques for weaving copper wire (for example, wire wrap, chain mail, French), most craftsmen usually use mixed or original techniques.

The set of tools for working with wire is quite standard: regular pliers, round nose pliers with a smooth conical surface, side cutters, a hammer and anvil, and a set of special pins. Wire can be purchased at craft stores; it is advisable to take several spools at once. different sizes wire. Round nose pliers are used to create all kinds of bends in the wire, twisting it into spirals and springs.

Crafts made from copper wire can be made even with children, starting from the age of five, when the baby’s fingers have become stronger and perseverance has developed. Children usually great pleasure create all kinds of animal figures, trees, flowers.

Master class: jewelry made of copper wire for hand.

Once upon a time in childhood, it was very common to put rings and bracelets on hands from soft multi-colored wire. They wove braids, chains, and plaits. At a more mature age comes the desire to decorate your hands with something original, even better in an ethnic style. After all, deep down in their souls, everyone dreams of becoming a creator. Jewelry made from copper wire, which you can make yourself, is perfect for this. Below you can get acquainted with the technology of weaving a men's bracelet and a “Scandinavian” ring, which is suitable for both men and women.

Armor bracelet "Chainmail".

Most popular homemade decoration without a doubt is the bracelet. Such products made from copper wire will always look stylish and beautiful; they can be decorated with beads, stones, or created in the form of chains of original weaving.

In this master class we will talk about a men's bracelet made of thick copper wire with a diameter of 2 mm. Armored weaving was chosen as the base weave. Each link is made in the form of a figure eight. Type of processing of links - forging. The links are assembled into rings, and the bracelet is closed with an original double hook clasp. The diameter of the future bracelet should be 1.5 centimeters larger than the volume of the hand.

To understand how many links are needed, draw a line of the appropriate length on a piece of paper, onto which we will lay out the finished links.

Before we start working on the bracelet, let's prepare the materials and tools that we will need for our work:

• a coil of copper wire (depending on the manufacturer: diameter 2 mm or gauge 12);
• hammer and anvil,
• pliers, round nose pliers and wire cutters;
• weaving nail.

First of all, blanks for future links are cut from the wire - these are pieces of copper 5 cm long. Using pliers, we make a figure eight from each piece: for this, one end of the wire is wrapped in a ring in one direction, and the other in the opposite direction. We repeat this with each piece. As a result, we will get the required number of links.

The next operation is forging. Each link, placed on the anvil, must be carefully flattened with a hammer so that the surface of the “eight” becomes flat like foil. We forge every detail. After forging, the wire changes its shape and the ends of the rings can move away from the middle. You need to use pliers to close them so that the ends of the rings tightly “lock” the figure eight.

The next stage of work is cutting the connecting links. To do this, the wire must be wound around a nail, tightly pressing the coil to the coil. You should get a spiral with identical rings. To cut a spiral into rings, you need to use wire cutters to bite off each turn in the place where the end of the wire is located. The ends of the rings should point in different directions and there should be a gap between them so that the chain links can be threaded through.

Now let's start collecting. We take two “figure eights” and thread a connecting ring through their centers, then close its ends and clamp them with pliers. The next “eight” is connected with a ring to the previous one and secured again. Thus, all the links are assembled.

The final touch is the clasp for the bracelet. To make it, you need a 7 cm piece of wire, which is bent in the middle so that you get two parallel straight lines. One end of the hook is bent with an inflection, and each of the wires from the other is twisted into a half ring, the “eight” is inserted into its half and wrapped around them, making several turns. The remaining ends are curled into a snail. The bracelet is ready!

"Scandinavian ring".

One of the jewelry that can make a person stand out from the crowd is an unusual ring - after all, our hands are always in sight. Offered step by step instructions how to make a ring from copper wire in ethnic style.

The tools and materials that will be needed to make it can be found in your husband’s garage; in extreme cases, you can buy it at a hardware store.

To make a “Scandinavian ring” you will need:

• wire of several sizes (40 cm - d1.2 mm, 25 cm - d0.7 mm and 60 cm - d0.5 mm);
• used AA battery and adhesive bandage;
• vice, pliers, side cutters, hammer and needle file.

We will need a used battery and adhesive tape (it’s better to take it on a reel) to create a template. We use a thread to measure the volume of the finger on which we will wear the ring, then wrap the battery with adhesive tape until the desired size is obtained.

The ring is an assembly of one braid, two strands and four wire rings. Two more pieces of wire will be needed to forge the mounting plates.

For the pigtail you will need three equal pieces of 0.7 mm wire. For example, for a ring size 18, the length of the segment will be 6.5-7 cm (about 5 mm will be used as allowances). We clamp one side of the wire in a vice and braid it. The wire needs to be pulled tight to make the weave tight.

For two bundles you will need 8 equal pieces of 0.5 mm wire. We divide them into 4 pieces, fix one end in a vice and twist the tourniquet. The wire is also stretched with each twist.

Cut 4 pieces along the length of the 1.2 mm wire template. We cut the wire to assemble the ring along the length of the template. From two 4 cm pieces we make holder clips that will hold our parts together and hide the sharp wire ends. To do this, on the flat part of the vice, they need to be carefully flattened with a hammer to the state of a flat strip.

We assemble the ring: wire-bundle-wire-pigtail-wire-bundle-wire and secure it vertically in a vice.

The fastening strip is applied at a distance of three to five millimeters from the edge of the ring and bent inward on both sides. The joint should be approximately in the middle of the ring; excess metal can be cut off with wire cutters. Too sharp ends can be filed down. The workpiece is turned over with the other end up and the whole operation is repeated. We use wire cutters to align all the protruding parts and process them with a file so that they do not get scratched.

The blank is placed on a template (battery) and given a round shape. The beauty of this decoration is that if it becomes too small for you, you can bend it a little.

Handicraft is a unique way to create beautiful things and objects with your own hands. For example, wire weaving, which will be discussed further, allows you to create beautiful jewelry, decorative items, and makes it possible to decorate your clothes, accessories, home and garden. What can be made from a material such as wire? Where is the best place for beginners to start?

A little history about wire weaving

Wire products are valuable accessories and items that have always been very popular among both traders and the fair sex. This is confirmed by artifacts found by archaeologists and lovers of antiquities during excavations on ancient Russian burial mounds. In particular, the following decorations and objects were found from wire products:

• chain mail;
• bracelets;
• rings;
• pendants;
• chains;
• temporal rings.

It is interesting that each of the finds had its own individual wire weaving, which made the exhibit stand out among other household items and other utensils. Among the above-mentioned items, some were found that were made of thick forged wire.

Let us remember that the production of such material was previously considered a very complex and lengthy process. That is why the value of such items was equal to the price of products made of cast precious metals.

In the process of creating accessories, for example, one ring for a chain, blacksmiths first forged a kind of metal rope, then beat it with a hammer until it took the shape of a cylinder. Accordingly, to create a complete chain it was necessary to make many such rings and only then weave with wire. Today, the process of making products has been greatly simplified, so with sufficient skills and some help, any Internet user can make a beautiful ring or earrings.

What tools are needed for the job?

If you decide to make any product from wire, pay attention to the standard set required for the job auxiliary tools. So, you will need:

• pliers;
• wire cutters;
• round nose pliers;
• metal file;
• hand or bench vise;
• portable anvil.

What types of weaving are there?

Currently, there are several weaving techniques that are used by craftsmen all over the world. For example, one of the most popular is the Wire Wrap technique. It helps to beautifully weave a variety of beads, stones, accessories, and create original earrings, cuffs, brooches, earrings and other jewelry. There is also a weaving technique that visually resembles similar handicrafts made from ordinary yarn and threads. The simplest technique is considered to be the “chain mail” technique, as well as Viking Knit. What kind of wire weaving is suitable for beginners?

How to choose a weaving technique?

It is very difficult to be a beginner in any field of activity, including needlework and hobbies. There is always a risk of making the wrong choice, jumping to conclusions or making the wrong decision. Therefore, it is best to start with the simplest and easiest to understand technique for a beginner. Let's do this together.

Making a Viking Knit Bracelet: Tools

"Viking Knit" is a simple wire weaving that does not require soldering each link individually and involves working with a large piece of wire. In this case, each link is artificially “increased” until the entire chain is closed. To do this we will need the following materials and tools:

• thin copper wire;
• a simple pencil;
• scissors;
• ruler (preferably metal).

We create the basis for the product

Before you start weaving with wire (diagrams and photos can be found in our article), you need to prepare a base. To do this, take a ruler, cut a wire 40 cm long and wrap it around your ruler exactly 6 times. Next, remove the resulting loops and secure them using the free end of the wire. Then move part of the fastening down a little, and make a flower from the freed loops.

Loop by loop: let's start weaving

At the next stage, we take a pencil, put it on top (on the unsharpened side), cut off more wire with a length of about 70 cm, insert its free end into one of the first “petals” of our “flower”. Next we move to another “petal” and make the second, third and fourth loop. We move to the second row, now clinging to the received loops of the previous one. We do this for a few more rows until the length of your working wire is reduced to 10-12 cm. This is exactly how weaving wire with your own hands is done.

We build up the wire and move on

To prolong the weaving, it is necessary to artificially increase the wire. To do this, we screw a new “working thread” to the small tip of the previous one, and hide its end under other links and loops. We cut off the excess and continue to create new rows and loops.

Once you feel that the resulting loops are sufficient, remove the weave from the pencil and gently stretch it. It turns out to be a whole bracelet. Next, disconnect the excess, cut and fix. This product can be complemented with beads and a clasp. The bracelet is ready. You can also make this kind of weaving from colored wire.

How to make a bracelet using colored wire?

In addition to jewelry, you can make from colored wire beautiful bracelets. For this you will need:

• scissors;
• pen rod;
• two- or four-color wire with a polymer layer;
• large and small beads.

Making the base for the bracelet

Take a small piece of wire (about 15-20 cm) and bend it so that you get a kind of cross. Next, take a new piece of wire and begin wrapping it in a zigzag motion. After 1-2 rows have been “knitted”, transfer the resulting workpiece to the handle shaft (fasten it to the back of it). Start weaving the new wire step by step, making loops as in the first example.

Once your bracelet is the right length, you can remove it from the bar, fasten it, trim off the excess, and add beads and a clasp for added beauty. The bracelet is ready. The main thing is that it is easy and quick to do, and also has bright color, so even children will like it.

Wire weaving (bracelets): what to consider when working?

When working with wire, you must follow safety precautions. For this purpose, it is best to wear gloves on your hands and protect your eyes with glasses. When calculating the length of the product, remember that with tight weaving, the figure will double if the wire is removed from the frame.

You should work with scissors, pliers and side cutters carefully, as there is a possibility of injury.

In a word, when working with wire, do not rush anywhere. Do everything without rushing. And then you will get the most beautiful wire products.

You can make it from wire interesting crafts(flowers, trees, bracelets, brooches, beads, etc.), which will serve as a wonderful decoration for the interior. Even a preschool child can make simple wire products.

For home handicrafts and crafts with children, copper wire is used, which is very soft and flexible. Candlesticks, vases, brooches, etc. can also be made from this type of wire.

Handicrafts help develop attention and fine motor skills children, and also distracts and calms nervous system. The child receives a lot of positive emotions in the process of creative activity.

Craft wire can be purchased at a craft store or online.

Tools

To make wire products you will need the following tools:

• tongs that have round ends;
• wire cutters;
• copper wire;
• materials for decorative finishing (beads, all kinds of stones for decoration).

It is very popular to make crafts from fluffy wire, which is a flexible wire wrapped in lint. You can make a lot out of it various crafts. The products turn out beautiful.

You can purchase this type of wire online or in any bookstore. Products made from fluffy wire can be of two types:

• flat products;
• volumetric products.

Chenille (fluffy) wire was invented for cleaning smoking pipes.

Christmas tree

To make a Christmas tree you need to take a shaggy green wire and twist it into a cone, in the direction of the spiral. It is necessary to gradually reduce the size of the circle.

Using a similar pattern (in the form of a spiral), you can also make a caterpillar, snake, snail and other animals.

This is an excellent option, for example, for crafts for kindergarten, since it does not require special skills and time for busy mothers.

Spider

Another great wire craft is, for example, a fluffy spider. To make it, you need to twist four wires of the same color and the same size into the shape of an insect and decorate it with beads.

Egg

You can make an original Easter egg from wire. To do this you need to take a wooden blank for easter egg, spread glue around the perimeter. After which you must immediately very carefully wrap the wire around the egg in one layer so that there are no gaps.

Little children love to make animals and people from fluffy wire, which will later become their favorite toy.

Regular office glue is suitable for gluing parts made of shaggy wire.

Crafts made from copper wire

In addition to fluffy wire, copper wire is also used for crafts, with which the frame of the product is made, and beads, beads, etc. are strung.

Crafts made from wire and beads are very popular. The production of such crafts takes place in several stages:

• Making the frame of the product from wire (the diameter of the wire must correspond to the diameter of the bead hole);
• Beads are strung onto the frame of the craft. (The beads must be the same in color and shape. The beads can be collected by hand or using a spinner);
• Using wire scraps, all parts of the product are connected.

Beads add originality and unusualness to any product. The most the best beads Czech beads are considered for crafts. Using beads and wire, you can make various costume jewelry, “money trees,” interior flowers, etc.

It is believed that the “money tree” serves as a talisman to attract wealth and well-being in the home. Therefore, it is very popular in people's interiors.

To make a tree you will need a small pot, beads and thin flexible wire (for example, copper).

It is necessary to cut the wire to the same length and thickness. Then you need to intertwine the wire parts together, leaving some for the branches. You need to apply beads to the branches of the tree. Secure the lower part of the money tree using some kind of base, or using a small flower pot.

Candlesticks, vases, brooches, etc. are also made from copper wire.

On the Internet there are a large number of different diagrams and photos of wire crafts that will greatly help beginning needlewomen.

In order to make crafts from wire, as in any type of needlework, you need to have patience and endurance. Only in this case will the products reward their creator with beauty and attractiveness, originality and uniqueness.

The soul of a person is put into every handmade product.

Photos of wire crafts

Wire is a thin metal thread. Wires for electrical appliances are made from it. But craftsmen have also found use for this wonderful material. In mastering the technique of weaving wire with your own hands, patterns play an important role. This article will provide several master classes, accompanied by patterns for weaving and detailed description with photo.

Types of wire

Making hand-made items requires a lot of concentration from needlewomen. It is not without reason that they say that the master puts part of his soul into the created product. And this means that any thing self made can be considered a talisman for the person for whom it is intended.

The first jewelry made of metal wire was worn by Egyptian women. And this material was made by drawing, that is, dragged between two heavy flat surfaces. This made the wire smooth.

The original purpose of the wire is to participate in electrical appliances as a conductor. Craftswomen saw many advantages in this rough material, for example, its flexibility.

The following types of wire are best suited for making jewelry:

• Copper;
• Brass;
• Aluminum;
• Made of galvanized iron.

Copper wire is most often used; it can be coated with various paints, which will help make your decoration very original. The advantage of copper is that it does not undergo oxidation; the product will serve you for a long time in its original form. And by combining this rough material with stones or beads, you can get an elegant and beautiful decoration.

Wireworking

Wireworking literally translated from English language like the art of wire winding. This is precisely the technique of making jewelry using this method.

Let's look at creating wire jewelry using the wireworking technique using the example of a ring and pendant.

small ring

To make a ring you will need:

• Copper wire;
• Large bead;
• Pliers;
• Round nose pliers with curved ends;
• A cylindrical object with a diameter equal to your finger.

In the photo for the master class, a special jewelry tool is used that allows you to make rings of a certain size. To begin, bite off a piece of wire 15-20 cm in length. Place the bead in its central part. Wind the wire onto the cylinder in three turns so that its tails stick out in different directions. Grasp the tail and, pulling the wire tightly, make three circular turns around the bead. Each subsequent row should be located slightly lower than the previous one.

Pull the wire tightly and make turns on each side of the ring. Using pliers, flatten the tip of the wire and press it tightly against the ring.

This should only be done from the top side, otherwise the decoration may injure your finger.

Press the loops as tightly together as possible. The elegant ring is ready.

By twisting different pieces of wire together and combining them with stones or beads, you can get products that are not much different from jewelry.

Elegant pendant

This step-by-step instruction is perfect for beginners.

To make jewelry you will need:

• 30 cm of copper wire with a cross section of 2 mm;
• 60 cm of copper wire with a cross section of 0.7 mm;
• 12 small beads;
• Pliers;
• Hammer;
• Round nose pliers;
• Ruler.

Use pliers to grab the thick wire by the very tip. Wind it in a spiral in increments of 2-3 mm, the width of the last turn is 5 mm. Bend the end of the wire into a loop. Flatten the resulting spiral using a hammer. Be careful not to damage the special coating applied to the surface of the wire. Attach a thin wire to the loop and apply turns with beads in the center of each on the last row of the spiral. Bite off the tip of the wire and flatten it with round nose pliers, press tightly to the product. Beautiful pendant ready from wire.

Wireworking techniques can also be used to make earrings and bracelets.

Beautiful combinations

Wire combined with beads and beads can make stunning pieces. A thin metal thread is used in beading technique. Products created with its help keep their shape well.

For example, these beaded trees are made using the needle technique. It consists of putting several beads on a piece of wire, and then the wire passes through the entire chain, bypassing the top bead. It is shown in detail in this diagram.

Flowers made from beads and wire look very realistic.

Weave them using various techniques. Most often this is a French technique in which products are made in small semicircular sectors.

Or using the parallel weaving technique, which is shown in the diagram.

We invite you to watch detailed video tutorial on making roses from beads.

Video on the topic of the article

In this video collection you can see various master classes on creating crafts and jewelry woven from wire.