Making a Bead Dangle Jewelry Making Technique -- Page 2

Step 4:   Using your thumb, while gripping the head pin firmly in your pliers, push the wire over to an angle of 80 to 90 degrees as shown at right.  Push with your thumb close to the jaws of the pliers so that the bend will be sharp and not rounded. 

Step 5:  When the bend is completed your head pin and bead should appear as shown at left.

Step 6:  Now we need to begin the process of making a loop in the head pin, centered above the bead.  Using your round nose pliers, grip the head pin on the longer, horizontal wire segment, but as close to the 80-90 degree bend in the wire as possible.  See the picture below-left. 

Step 7:  Transfer your round nose pliers from your dominant hand to your non-dominant hand.  Using the thumb on your dominant hand, push the wire up and over the top jaw of your round nose pliers as shown below center.  You can not complete the loop in the wire in one step because the lower jaw of the pliers is in the way.  (When you are beginning it is better to make this loop larger rather than smaller.  Grasp the wire closer to the hinge of your round nose pliers, further from the tip, to make a larger loop.)

Step 8:  At this point, we need to re-orientate our grip on the head pin so that we will have room to complete the loop.  Loosen your grip on the pliers enough to allow you to rotate the head pin as shown below-right.  Once the head pin is in the position shown, grip the head pin firmly.  Please note that to make the best possible loop, you will want to grip the head pin at the same point in the jaws of the pliers in both steps 7 and 8. 

Step 6	Step 7	Step 8