Tuesday's Tutorial-The Wrapped Loop

The wrapped loop really isn't all that different from a regular eye loop, except that you will need more wire.

So, why use a wrapped loop?
1. Style-It gives your jewelry a different look than just a plain loop.
2. Durability- You've got to make sure your eye loop is completely closed and won't come apart, but sometimes little baby hands help yank them apart anyway. There are times when I only use a regular loop, but other times when I NEED a wrapped loop.

Without further adieu...

Materials Needed:

1. Head or eye pin, or some 20 or 22 gauge wire.

2. Round nose pliers, chain nose pliers, cutters.

Step 1: This will be the same as making an eye loop, but instead when you make your 90 degree bend, you want to bend about an inch of wire.

Step 2: Make your loop with the round nose pliers.

If your loop looks like the picture below, don't fret, just use either your pliers or your fingers and push your loop up so the bend isn't so big. Just fool with it until it looks good; that's what I do.

Step 3: While holding onto the loop with your round nose pliers in one hand, with the other hand use your chain nose pliers to wrap the wire around the stem/neck a couple times. I wouldn't wrap it more than three times because you still want the bead to be close to the loop.

Note: If the wire I am wrapping is long enough, I will wrap it with my fingers, it's easier. A professional may tell you that's the wrong way, but I feel like I have more control that way. But if the wire is short, then I will use pliers because it hurts my fingers.

Your wrapped loop should look like this.

Step 4: After you have completed your wrapped loop and cut off the excess wire, take your chain nose pliers and squish down the raw edge so it doesn't poke you.

Step 5: The next steps just show you how to make your wrapped loop with a bead on it. So...put your bead on and make the 90 degree bend. You want to leave a small neck so there is room to wrap the wire. But you shouldn't worry too much about leaving room because it doesn't matter how close to try to bend the wire to the bead, there will always be a small neck. So just bend it like normal.Make your loop.

And follow the rest of the steps for the wrapped loop, and you're set!

Happy beading!