Project - Kapoor
Rigid earrings made from handmade copper string elements all linked by the metallic string wrapping technique.
Material
- +/- 1.8 m Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 28, violet
- +/- 80 cm Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 16, violet
- +/- 20 cm Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 16, lilac
- +/- 66 cm Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 18, black
- 6 seashell beads, 8 mm coin, lilac
- 12 Stellaris crystal beads, round 4 mm, alexandrite
Tools
- Bench block steel
- Permanent marker black (optional)
- EZ-Earring earring hook maker
- Tool Magic protective coating
- Hammer
- Wire rounder
- Precision cutter pliers
- Flat nose pliers
- Flat nose pliers with nylon covered jaws
- Round nose pliers
Making the copper string structure
Step 1
Measure and cut about 25 cm of Beaders’ Choice violet copper string, gauge 16. Form a loop by crossing the strings extremities. When the loop reaches the desired length (in this example approximately 5 cm high by 3.5 cm large), keep the crossed strings in place using flat nose pliers with a protective coating.
Step 2
Keep the crossed strings in place using flat nose pliers and with your other hand, take one of the string’s end and wrap it around the other string 2 or 3 times. Cut any excess strings.
Step 3
With the remaining piece of string and round nose pliers, make a loop. Cut any excess string.
Step 4
Measure and cut about 25 cm of black Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 18. Using round nose pliers make a series of loops, one after the other until you get 14 or 15 loops.
Note:Be careful, for more uniformity always make the loops from the same spot on the pliers jaw. Cut any excess string.
Step 5
Using the hammer’s flat face, lightly hammer the piece to straighten it.
Step 6
Manipulate the piece with your fingers to give it the shape of the inside curve of the loop.
Step 7
Measure and cut about 45 cm of violet Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 28. To attach it, wrap it several times around the loop of the main structure and go down to one of the two arms of the structure. To attach the piece to the structure, wrap the string around the latter through the inside, as well as in between every loop of the piece to attach.
Step 8
Continue until you have completely joined the two pieces. Wrap the copper string a couple of times around the structure and cut any excess string.
Step 9
Measure and cut about 15 cm of violet Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 16. Using round nose pliers start an open spiral. Then, keep it in place using the flat nose pliers to continue the spiral. With your fingers, curve the rest of the string so that it follows the inside curve of the loop, as illustrated. Cut any excess string.
Step 10
To attach this piece, cut about 60 cm of violet Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 28 and wrap it around the structure and the piece, at the base of the spiral, as illustrated.
Step 11
Wrap the little string around the big string and when you have reached the first black loop, slip the string in it. Add a crystal bead and pass it in the following loop. Add a seashell coin and pass the string in the loop that faces it. Continue by adding two more crystal beads and one last seashell coin. Wrap the little string around the big one a couple more times to fix it solidly to the last loop. Keep any excess string..
Step 12
Measure and cut about 10 cm of lilac Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 16. By replicating the method used in step 9, make an open spiral and curve the string so that it follow the inside curve of the loop as illustrated. Cut any excess string and place the piece where it belongs.
Step 13
To attach this piece, use the excess string used for the beads’ decoration. String a crystal bead of 4 mm on it and wrap it around the extremity of the structure and the piece that will be attached to it. The crystal must be positioned over the extremity of the piece that will be attached.
Step 14
Wrap the little string around the two pieces, as illustrated, and this until you reach the base of the spiral. Wrap it around the structure a couple of times to fasten it solidly and cut any excess string. To strengthen everything, attach the 2 spirals by wrapping them together a couple of times with a string that has a gauge of 28.
Making earring hooks
Step 15
Measure and cut about 8 cm of black Beaders’ Choice copper string, gauge 18. Use the EZ-Earring tool to give it its main shape and cut the end of the hook.
Step 16
A) Keep 3,5 cm of string at the bottom of the hook, then, starting from one end, make a spiral to up to 5 mm of the hook.
B) Using flat nose pliers, give an angle to the hook’s string to center the spiral to the hook.
B) Using flat nose pliers, give an angle to the hook’s string to center the spiral to the hook.
Step 17
Still with the flat nose pliers, keep the spiral and turn it upside down towards the hook to create a hole in which the earring loop will be placed.
Step 18
Insert the hook in the loop of the earring while paying attention that they remain oriented in the right direction. Then exert a slight pressure on the spiral with your fingers so that it leans on the hook and imprisons the earring’s loop.
Step 19
Using the wire rounder, fill the hook’s end for a nicer finish.
Repeat these steps to make the other earring. Do not forget to reproduce them so that they are symmetrical yet not identical.
Inspiration & Variation
