How I got into wire wrapping (and made the perfect handmade birthday gift with my brother)
So last Christmas my dad gifted some gemstones and wire wrapping supplies. He knew I was into gems and crystals and had talked with my brother about wire wrapping before. I was really excited (mostly about the gems), but at first, I had no idea what I was doing. I got set up with some tools and just started messing around. It was frustratingly more difficult than all the photos and TikToks make it look lol. But I’m stubborn and like a challenge. Once you figure out how to secure your thing from the start and find a technique you like, it feels like you can wrap almost anything.
I started small with the gemstones, then moved on to seashells and sea glass. It was fun to challenge myself. I like doing spiral shells the best still. It’s kind of like part jewelry making but in a new puzzle way.
Some basics
I’m still new to it, but here are a few things that helped me get started:
Using the right wire gauge (size or thickness) is key. I found that 20–22 gauge works best for most shells and stones. You should try out different sizes for different items.
Use pliers in each hand whenever you can. It’s tempting to use one set of pliers plus your other hand at first but you won’t get as good tension.
Practicing on random rocks with scrap wire made it easier when I was wrapping something I actually cared about.
Look for tutorials on Pinterest. You’ll find how to create a sort of cradle for your starting point (literal point .. you need something to get a hold of with your wire… eventually you can do round things but to start try things with a point or grooves).
Collabing with my brother for our mom’s birthday!
A few months later, my brother and I decided to team up and make a birthday gift for our mom. She’s super crafty and loves the beach. My brother is really good with metalwork and chain designs. So, he made a beautiful mandala-style sun catcher frame out of chain links which he brought to my place.
Below is a pic of a gift my brother made for me one year. He went to a crystal shop and told the employee about me to get their advice on which stones to get me! He made it all from basically nothing, using jump rings and putting them together one by one!
We filled it in with wire wrapped seashells I had collected and added strands of sea glass (also found on the beach by me) that hung from the bottom. Each piece was wrapped by hand and attached in little columns that caught the light. This was definitely tricky but really satisfying!! When it was finished, it looked like something you would see at a craft fair and we were so proud lol. And the best part is that it was one of a kind and made just for her.
When we gave it to her, she was blown away. She loved that we made together. She was scared to even touch it at first but now she has it up where she can see it every day.
I’m still using wire wrapping in projects today. Mostly for suncatchers and jewelry. But it’s nice to have as a skill to mix into any number of projects.
The pic above is a definite work-in-progress, it’s even changed since this progress photo. I included it to show how I did wire wrapping with beads around the perimeter to add visual interest. I’ll post it again when it’s done!
I’ve got wore wrapping ideas saved on my Pinterest too. Thanks for reading 🩷