Page 7         Jewelry Making with Beads and Wire -- What a Beginner Needs to Know

A bead dangle is an important jewelry making component, frequently made using a jewelry finding called a head-pin.  A head-pin is a piece of metal with a "head" like the head of a pin on one end and a straight wire tail usually between 1 and 3" long.  Unlike a regular straight pin, the head pin is not sharp on the end opposite the "head", but ends in a flat or flush cut end.  The "head" of the head pin holds the beads in place, the wire tail of the head pin is used to make the loop on the opposite end.  You can view a selection of head pins here. 

A bead dangle is made by sliding one or more beads onto the head pin.  With the head pin held vertically, with the head on the bottom and the wire tail point up, push the beads to the bottom against the head of the head pin and grasp the wire tail just above the beads with your chain nose or bent chain nose pliers.  Then bend the wire to an angle of about 80 degrees.  Now grasp the wire tail near this bend with your round nose pliers and make an eye loop in the wire.  Visit here to see how to make this loop and cut the wire.  Another approach to making this loop is to make a wrapped loop instead of a simple eye loop.  This is a more advanced technique and is described in detail in our online book on jewelry making called "Wire Design Basics". 

More detailed instructions with additional pictures on making a bead dangle can be found here.

 Most, but not all of the jewelry supplies shown here can be purchased in our WigJig store.  We try to have a complete selection of jewelry supplies in our store including chain, wire, glass beads, findings, watches, tools, etc.