Tools and Materials

• The average size wire used for wrapping beads is 20 to 22-gauge for medium and large size beads, or 24-gauge for smaller beads. You can find wire made from precious metals like gold and silver to the more affordable craft wire you can find at your local craft store. Beginners should practice making wire wrapped beads with 20-gauge craft wire as its larger and easier to handle during the learning process. You'll also need several pairs of pliers designed for jewelry making to create wire wrapped beads. Needle nose and round nose pliers help you shape the beginning and end of your spiral wire wraps as well as provide a base for making your spiral coils.
  
  

Spiral Wrapped Bead with Connectors

• The first step in creating spiral wrapped beads is to form a loop at the end of the wire with your needle or round nose pliers. Needle nose pliers are thinner than round nose and will create a smaller loop. Cut a 4-inch section of wire, hold it at the tip with your choice of pliers and twist your wrist until the wire forms a circle. Don't worry if the circle is not completely closed, you can squeeze it together with your needle nose pliers. This loop acts as a stopper for the bead and also as a hook so that you may join your bead to another bead or a clasp. Thread the bead over the straight end of the wire until it reaches the loop. With your round or needle nose pliers, hold the wire as it exits the bead and twist it into another loop. Begin wrapping the excess wire around the bead in a spiral until you reach the first loop. You can use your pliers to wrap the end of wire around the base of the first loop.
  
  

Spiral Wrapping a Round Bead

• If you only wish to wrap your beads in wire and have no need for connector loops, you can quickly and easily make a spiral with the help of a pen. Make a loop as if you are making a connector and then wrap your wire around a pen three to four times, depending on the size of your bead. Remove the wire from the pen and make another loop in the other end of the wire. Squeeze your bead between the sections of the spiral adjacent to the first loop. The loop should lie flat against the bead. Adjust the spiral so that it fits over the bead as you like, and then flatten the second loop against the end of the bead. You can thread your round bead over cording to make decorative jewelry.