Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace, Contemporary Wire Jewelry. Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry. Almost everybody loves the summer months.
Endless Summer Necklace
by Albina Manning
  • Category: Contemporary
  • Technique(s): Wrapping
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
Almost everybody loves the summer months. We girls get to wear more dresses, and visit the beach. These activities always make me want to wear shells and pearls. The choker I designed combines both, with a little sparkle. Although it appears to be a "dressy" piece, this choker looks great with jeans, too!

Materials

22 Gauge Round Dead Soft .925 Sterling Silver Wire
H8-22D
  • Lesson Quantity: 10.00 feet
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 10FT
  • Price: $14.62
  • Gold Club Price: $10.96
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22 Gauge Necklace Memory Wire Silver Finish - Approximately 10 Coils
H14-1
  • Lesson Quantity: 2.00 feet
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $2.97
  • Gold Club Price: $2.23
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Mother of Pearl flower bead
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
6mm Crystal 5328 Bi-Cone Swarovski Crystal Beads - Pack of 10
A13-53B
  • Lesson Quantity: 5.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $1.97
  • Gold Club Price: $1.48
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6.5-7mm Large Hole (1.2mm) White Rice Fresh Water Pearls - Pack of 20
A8-07
  • Lesson Quantity: 6.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Price: $18.27
  • Gold Club Price: $13.70
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5-5.5mm Large Hole (1.2mm) White Potato Fresh Water Pearls - Pack of 20
A8-05
  • Lesson Quantity: 8.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Price: $6.57
  • Gold Club Price: $4.93
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5-5.5mm Large Hole (1.2mm) White Rice Fresh Water Pearls - Pack of 20
A8-08
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 2.00 pieces
  • Price: $8.67
  • Gold Club Price: $6.50
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Silver Filled Headpins 22GA 2 inch - Pack of 10
S8-14
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Price: $1.97
  • Gold Club Price: $1.48
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Tools

Flat Nose Wire Plier
G2-506
  • G2-506
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
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Chain Nose Wire Plier
G2-508
  • G2-508
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
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C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches
PLR-487.00
  • PLR-487.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $14.97
  • Gold Club Price: $11.23
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Memory Wire Cutters - Pack of 1
G2-36
  • G2-36
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $12.97
  • Gold Club Price: $9.73
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12 Inch Stainless Steel Ruler
G7-30
  • G7-30
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $2.97
  • Gold Club Price: $2.23
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Instructions
Step 1
Plan your design on paper. Trace around the mother of pearl flower you will be using and add as many "twigs" embellished with pearls and crystals as you would like to be the focal point of your choker.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Planning the design on your choker.
Step 2
To make the first twig: Cut 2 feet of the 22-gauge round wire and slide the following pearl-and-crystal bead group on one end of the wire: one 5mm pearl, one 6mm bi-cone, one 5mm pearl.
Step 3
Lay the beaded wire on your sketch, placing the beads at the end of one twig. Measure the distance between this first bead group and the flower's center and add 1" (2.5cm). We will call this measurement your "X-length" (red arrow). This wire section is now called the "tail."
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Laying beaded wire on the previous plan.
Step 4
Slide the beads down the wire, leaving an X-length tail at the end. Turn the bead group into a loop, and twist the wire together immediately after the loop. Continue twisting the wire ends together until the twisted part is X-length long.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding beads onto the 22-gauge round dead soft wire.
Step 5
Place this half of the twig on your sketch. Plan, formulate, and then create the opposite end of this first twig, working in the same manner as when making the first half.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding the beads and 22-gauge dead soft wire onto the design.
Step 6
When you have finished the first complete twig and run out of wire, trim the wire ends so they are about 1/2" long (12mm) and twist their ends together.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Twisting 22-gauge wire together.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Twisting 22-gauge wire together.
Step 7
Continue creating as many twigs as your design calls for.
Pro Tip: You can create single-pearl twigs in the same manner as above, but use just one pearl instead of a pearl and crystal beads.
Group the twigs into sets of two or three, and twist each set together.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding more twigs.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding more twigs.
Step 8
Slide one 6mm Swarovski crystal and the mother of pearl flower onto the 2" headpin as shown. Leaving a 3/8" (1cm) tail, trim the headpin. Using round nose pliers on the end of the headpin, make a loop.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding swarovski and looping the wire headpin to catch.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding swarovski and looping the wire headpin to catch.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding swarovski and looping the wire headpin to catch.
Step 9
Open the loop from step 8 and insert the twisted twig sets as shown.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Opening loops.
Step 10
Now slide the memory wire into the loop, and close it firmly.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Adding memory wire to loop.
Step 11
Thread as many 5mm round pearls on both ends of the memory wire as you desire, all the way under the focal flower. If you want a symmetrical design, place the same amount of pearls on each side of the center. If you would like an asymmetrical look, use more pearls on one side than the other.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Threading pearls to the memory wire.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Threading pearls to the memory wire.
Step 12
Try the choker on, to check for the length you wish. Trim both ends of the choker to 3/8" (1cm) longer than the desired finished size. Use round nose pliers to make a closed loop at each end, locking everything into place.
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Closing loop with round nose pliers.
Step 13
Arrange the pearl and crystal twigs around the mother of pearl flower. Enjoy!
Albina Manning's Endless Summer Necklace - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Arranging pearls, and other pieces.