Page 2      Marcia's Beads & Jewelry Wire Earrings Jewelry Making Project

Step 1:  Using your nylon jaw pliers, straighten a 4 1/2 inch segment of 16 gauge 1/2 hard wire while it is still attached to your larger segment of wire.  (We straighten the wire before cutting it because 16 gauge wire is harder to hold while straightening the wire.)  After straightening the wire cut a segment of 4 1/2 inches of straight wire.  Do this for two segments of 4 1/2" wire and two segments of 3 1/2" wire. 

Step 2:  Using your round nose pliers or your Fine Step Jaw Pliers, make a 1/2 loop in the end of each wire segment.  In this case, you can make the 1/2 loop in the sharp end of the wire because this 1/2 loop will be cut off in a later step in these instructions. 

Step 3:  Now we are ready to begin making our square wire components.  The peg pattern for making these wire components is shown at left.  We used the WigJig Centaur or Delphi, but any WigJig could be used.  We will provide the pattern for one of our round jigs later in these instructions.  Begin with a 4 1/2 inch segment of wire and place pegs 1 and 2 in your jig.  Place your 1/2 loop on peg 1 and bend the wire against peg 2 so that it rests against the empty hole waiting for peg 3 with no pressure applied.

Step 4:  Add peg 3 to your pattern and bend the wire against peg 3 so that it rests against the empty hole for peg 4 with no pressure applied. 

Step 5:  Add peg 4 to your pattern and bend the wire against peg 4.  It may help to remove peg 1 so that you can bend the wire past peg 1.  Ultimately, you want the wire to rest against the empty hole for peg 1 with no pressure applied. 

Step 6:  Remove the wire from your jig.  Grasp the wire with your bent chain nose pliers on the wire segment between pegs 4 and 1, about 3/16" from peg 1 (on the side of peg 1 closer to peg 4).  Bend the wire about 80 degrees at this point.  You can choose to bend the wire inside the square or outside the square.  Your wire should appear as shown at right.