Spiral Loop Frames Tutorial KSJEWELLERY

Copyright 2011 KRISTIN SMITH (K S Jewellery Designs) Page: 1
Tutorial:
SPIRAL LOOP FRAMES
(Earrings & Pendants)
Created by KRISTIN SMITH
(K S Jewellery Designs)
Blog: www.ksjewellerydesigns.blogspot.com
Etsy: www.ksjewellerydesigns.etsy.com
Folksy: www.folksy.com/shops/ksjewellerydesigns
Please do not distribute, lend or copy.
Do not mass produce.
Please always give credit to KRISTIN SMITH
Copyrights 2011 KRISTIN SMITH
This tutorial shows you how to create beautiful
SPIRAL LOOP FRAME EARRINGS and
PENDANTS made from wire which has been
shaped, hammered, sanded, polished and coiled.
Firstly it shows you how to create a pair of
SPIRAL LOOP TEARDROP FRAME EARRINGS,
including clear instructions on shaping and
hammering wire, creating spirals and
wrapping/coiling techniques.
Using the same techniques, the lesson goes on to
explain how to create a SPIRAL LOOP
TEARDROP FRAME PENDANT and a SPIRAL
LOOP HORSESHOE FRAME NECKLACE.
The tutorial also shows you how to make a little
SWIRL PENDANT BAIL so that your pendants
can be hung on a chain of your choice.
Materials:
• 20 gauge soft round wire
• 26 gauge soft round wire
• Briolette/coin beads
• Earwires/necklace chain
Tools:
• Wire cutters
• Round nose pliers
• Chain nose pliers (2 pairs)
• Nylon headed pliers
• Dowel
• Smooth-headed hammer
• Bench block
• Sanding pads (3 grades)
• Polishing cloth
• Ruler or measuring tape
Instructions for
SPIRAL LOOP TEARDROP
FRAME EARRINGS
Materials needed to make one pair of Spiral

Loop Teardrop Frame Earrings:
• 20 gauge soft round wire (approx. 25cm)

• Briolette beads x 2 (approx. 10mm x 8mm)
Step 1: First you need a length of 20 gauge soft

round wire. Clean about 10cm of wire from the
end of a roll of wire with a polishing cloth.
Do not cut any wire yet

Leave the wire attached to the roll of wire
The end of the 10cm length of wire near the roll

of wire will now be described as the ‘long wire’
and the free end is described as the ‘short wire’.
Step 2: Wrap the wire around a dowel of

approximately 1cm in diameter.
NB. You could use a thick pencil or pen – the

most important thing is to make a teardrop shape
that will fit around your briolette bead with a little
room around the bead.
Make a teardrop shape with the long wire lying

over the short wire.
The wires should cross over at about 1cm from

the end of the short wire
Step 3: Remove the dowel and hold the teardrop

shape firmly together just below the crossed
wires with one pair of chain nose pliers.
Step 4: With another pair of pliers, grip the long

wire and bend it so it is perpendicular to the
bottom of the teardrop shape.
Step 5: Still holding the teardrop shape together

with the first pair of pliers, wrap the end of the
short wire around the front of the long wire.
Make 2 wraps around the long wire and finish at

the back of the teardrop shape.
Step 6: Trim off any excess wire at the back of

the wrapping.
Step 7: Squeeze the cut end of the short wire

down.
Step 8: Your teardrop shape should look like this.

Make sure the 2 wraps are neat without any
gaps.
Step 9: Grip the wrapping you have just made

and pull the long wire to the side to an angle of
almost 90 degrees.
Step 10: Place the tip of your round nose pliers

just above the 2 wraps and make a small loop by
bringing the long wire around one part of the
pliers and to the back of the teardrop shape.
Step 11: Make a flush cut just above the 2

wraps.
If there is a gap in the loop, squeeze it gently

together with a pair of pliers.
Step 12: Your teardrop frame should look like

this.
Step 13: Repeat Steps 1 to 12 to make another

matching teardrop frame.
Step 14: Clean about 6cm of wire from the end

of a roll of 20 gauge soft round wire with a
polishing cloth.
Make sure the end of the wire has a flush cut end
and then cut off a 5.5cm length of wire with
another flush cut.
Step 15: Gently rub both ends of the cut wire

piece on a sanding pad to remove any rough bits.
NB. a sanding pad is foam-backed sandpaper
Step 16: Place one end of the cut wire between

the tips of your round nose pliers and make a
small loop.
Step 17: Squeeze the loop a little between the

tips of your chain nose pliers.
Step 18: Your loop should look like this.
Step 19: To make an open spiral: grip the little

loop between your chain nose pliers and hold the
rest of the wire with your other hand.
Carefully turn the pliers to bend the wire around

the little loop, leaving a gap around the loop.
Step 20: Release the pliers.
Your little loop and curved wire should look like

this.
Step 21: Grip the little loop again and some of

the curved wire.
Turn the pliers again to continue the curve.
NB. Try and keep the gap between the loop and
the curved wire even.
Step 22: Repeat Steps 20 to 21 until you have

made an open spiral as in the photo.
Step 23: Repeat Steps 16 to 22 and make

another open spiral at the other end of the wire,
Step 24: Now make a matching wire piece by

repeating Steps 14 to 23.
Step 25: Grip the centre of one of the wire

pieces between your round nose pliers.
Push the 2 spiral ends up and around the pliers to

form a loop.
NB. It is important that you push in the direction

of the arrows in the photo so the loop is formed
correctly.
Step 26: Your first spiral loop wire piece should

look like this, with 2 spirals either side of a loop.
Step 27: Repeat Step 25 to make a second spiral

loop wire piece.
Step 28: Check that the spiral loops are about

the same width as the teardrop frames.
Step 29: Place one of your teardrops to the edge

of a steel bench block.
Hammer the teardrop with a smooth headed

hammer.
Start the hammering at the end of the teardrop

and work around the shape and up the sides.
Do not hammer the wrapped wire.

Step 30: Turn the teardrop around and gently

hammer the little loop just a little bit.
NB. This hammering will harden the little loop so

that it keeps its shape.
Step 31: Close any gaps in the little loop by

squeezing the loop carefully between your chain
nose pliers.
Step 32: Your hammered teardrop frames should

look like this.
Step 33: Place one of the spiral loop wire pieces

on the bench block and start by hammering the
loop.
Hammer all round the wire piece but do not

hammer where the wire overlaps as this will
weaken the wire piece and it might fall apart.
NB. I tend to place my fingernail over the parts I

don’t want to hammer and try hard not to
hammer my fingernail – ouch!
Step 34: Your hammered pieces should look like

this.
I like the way the wire of the spirals has spread

out unevenly and is wider at the outer edges.
Step 35: To remove any tool marks and to

smooth out hammering marks, use sanding pads
(3 different grades).
Start with the roughest pad and rub all over the
wire pieces (front, back and sides).
Then repeat the process with the next sanding

pad and end with the finest grade pad.
Step 36: When you have finished sanding, give

the wire pieces a good polish with a polishing
cloth.
Step 37: Your wire pieces should look like this,

with a soft shiny finish.
You are now ready to join the pieces together.
Step 38: Clean and cut a 10cm length of 26

gauge soft wire.
This will now be described as the ‘fine wire’.
Make a bend in the centre of one of the fine wire

lengths and place it around the bottom of one of
the teardrop frames.
Step 39: Wrap the fine wire around the base of

the teardrop about 3 or 4 times. Try and make
the wraps as tight as possible
Now grip the ends of the fine wire between your

nylon headed pliers and pull away from the
teardrop to tighten the wraps.
Then slide the nylon headed pliers along the fine

wire to straighten any kinks in the wire.
Step 40: Push the wrapping together with your

thumbnails.
Step 41: Place one of the spiral loop wire pieces

at the end of the teardrop and just slightly
behind the wire of the teardrop
NB. Make sure the fine wire wrapping you have

already done is sitting between the two ‘spirals’
of the spiral loop piece.
Wrap both ends of the fine wire around the

teardrop wire and the spiral loop wire piece to
hold them together.
Step 42: Grip the end of the fine wire with your
chain nose pliers and pull the wrapping tighter.
Continue wrapping the fine wire to secure the

spiral loop wire piece in place.
Make about 6 or 7 wraps each side of the ‘loop’ of

the spiral loop piece.
Step 43: Try to make the wraps as tight as

possible and if necessary, squeeze the wrapping
together with the tips of your chain nose pliers.
NB. Be careful not to scratch the hammered wire

pieces with the tips of the pliers.
Step 44: When you have secured the spiral loop

wire piece, finish the wrapping at the back of the
teardrop and make an angled cut in the fine wire.
Step 45: Press the cut end down with your chain
nose pliers.
Step 46: Repeat Steps 38 to 45 to make the

second teardrop and spiral loop frame.
Step 47: Clean and cut a 12cm length of 26

gauge soft wire.
This will now be described at the ‘fine wire’.
Place about 1cm of the end of the fine wire

through the top of one of the teardrop and spiral
loop frames.
NB. Make sure that the fine wire is going through

the gap in the teardrop from front to back.
Step 48: Wrap the other end of the fine wire

around the hammered wire of the teardrop.
NB. Make sure the wrapping is neat by pulling the

wire tight and that the wraps are close together
by pushing the wrapping together with your
thumbnails.
Step 49: After about 10 wraps slide a briolette

bead onto the fine wire.
Check to see if it will sit well within the teardrop

shape in a horizontal position.
Place the bead halfway between the 2 top wires

of the teardrop and bend the remaining part of
the fine wire up to a slight angle.
This means that the briolette bead will sit in a

slight dip in the fine wire and hold its place in the
centre of the teardrop without sliding around.
Step 50: Check the position of the bead and then

start wrapping the fine wire around the other side
of the teardrop. Wrap up towards the top of the
teardrop.
NB. This wrapping becomes more difficult the

closer you get to the top of the teardrop. Use a
pair of chain nose pliers to help feed the end of
the fine wire through the gap in the teardrop and
to help pull the wire tight to keep the wrapping
neat.
Step 51: Finish the wrapping at the back of the

top of the teardrop.
Cut both ends of the fine wire off and push the
cut ends down with your chain nose pliers.
Step 52: Feel the back of the teardrop for any

rough bits and sand them down with a sanding
pad.
Step 53: Repeat Steps 47 to 52 to add another

bead to the second teardrop spiral loop frame.
Finally, to complete the earrings, add some

earwires through the little loops at the top of the
teardrop spiral loop frames.
Guidance on how to make a

SPIRAL LOOP TEARDROP
FRAME PENDANT
Materials needed to make a Spiral Loop

Teardrop Frame Pendant:

• Briolette bead (approx. 12mm x 10mm)
Step 1: Flush cut the end of a roll of 20 gauge

soft wire and clean about 10cm of wire from the
end. Do not cut any wire lengths yet.
The end wire near the roll of wire will now be

described as the ‘long wire’ and the free end is
3cm
described as the ‘short wire’.
Wrap the wire around a dowel of approximately

1cm in diameter. Make a teardrop shape with the
long wire lying over the short wire.
The wires should cross over at about 3cm from

Step 2: Remove the wire from the dowel and

place your round nose pliers on the short wire
just above the place where the wires cross over.
With your other hand, wrap the short wire around

the round nose pliers to form a small loop at the
top of the teardrop.
Step 3: Make sure that the short wire lies across

the front of the loop at the crossover point and
rests on the top of the teardrop (see the red
arrow on the photo).
Step 4: Measure the distance from the end of the

short wire to the crossover point (this distance is
20mm on my wire piece)
Measure the same distance (i.e. 20mm) from the

crossover along the long wire and make a flush
cut.
Rub both cut ends with a sanding pad to remove

any rough bits.
Step 5: Your wire piece should look like this.

Step 6: Make a spiral going up the short wire

towards the top loop and make a spiral going
down the long wire towards the teardrop shape.
Step 7: Cut 3 lengths of 5.5cm of 20 gauge soft

wire and make 3 spiral loop wire pieces (as in the
earrings instructions, Steps 14 to 26).
X3 Hammer, sand and polish the teardrop shape and

the 3 spiral loop wire pieces ready to assemble.
Completion of the pendant:
1. Cut a 12cm length of 26 gauge soft wire and

attach one of the spiral loop wire pieces to the
3 bottom of teardrop (as in the earrings
4 instructions, Steps 38 to 45).
2. Cut two 15cm lengths of 26 gauge soft wire

2
2 and using the same techniques, attach the other 2
spiral loop wire pieces to the sides of the teardrop
shape. Continue the wrapping down the teardrop
shape towards the bottom spiral loop (see the red
arrows on the photo).
3. Cut a 10cm length of 26 gauge soft wire and

slide a briolette bead along to the middle of the
1 wire. Place the bead in the centre of the teardrop
and fix in place by wrapping the wire around the
top sides of the teardrop.
4. Make a ‘Swirl Pendant Bail’ (as in the

instructions at the end of this tutorial).
Guidance on how to make a

SPIRAL LOOP HORSESHOE
FRAME NECKLACE
Materials needed to make a Spiral Loop

Horseshoe Frame Necklace:

• Coin bead (approx. 11mm in diameter)
Step 1: Flush cut the end of a roll of 20 gauge

soft wire and clean about 6cm of wire from the
end. Do not cut any wire lengths yet.
The end wire near the roll of wire will now be

0.5cm described as the ‘long wire’ and the free end is
described as the ‘short wire’.
Wrap the wire around a dowel of approximately

1.2cm in diameter. Make a circle shape with the
long wire lying over the short wire.
The wires should cross over at about 0.5cm from

Step 2: Remove the wire from the dowel and

make a flush cut at about 0.5mm along the long
wire from the place where the wires cross over.
Step 3: Your wire circle should look like this.
Rub the ends of the cut wire with a sanding pad

to remove any rough bits.
Step 4: Make little loops at both cut ends with

the tips of your round nose pliers.
Your horseshoe shape should look like this.
Step 5: Check that your coin bead fits within the

horseshoe shape with a slight gap around it.
Step 6: Cut 3 lengths of 5.5cm of 20 gauge soft

wire and make 3 spiral loop wire pieces (as in the
earrings instructions, Steps 14 to 26).
X3 Hammer, sand and polish the horseshoe shape
and the 3 spiral loop wire pieces ready to
assemble.
Completion of the necklace:
1. Cut a 60cm length of 26 gauge soft wire.

Make a bend in the centre of the wire and place it
around the bottom of the horseshoe frame at
point 1. Attach one of the spiral loop wire pieces
6
5 to the bottom of horseshoe (as in the earrings
instructions, Steps 38 to 45). Do not cut off the
ends of the wire but continue wrapping the wire
6 up the sides of the horseshoe.
2. As you wrap up the sides, start attaching the

4 other 2 spiral loop wire pieces. Finish the
wrapping up the right side at point 2. Cut off the
3 excess wire and keep for later *.
3. When you get to point 3 on the left side, slide

the coin bead on to the wire so that it sits in the
2 centre of the horseshoe.
1
4. Continue the wrapping at the opposite side of
the horseshoe at point 4 and wrap up the
horseshoe towards the little loop at the top.
5. Using the excess wire * left over, add some

more wrapping at point 5 and up the left side of
the horseshoe towards the little loop at the top.
6. Open the little loops carefully with your chain

nose pliers and attach some necklace chain.
Close the loops carefully.
Instructions for
SWIRL PENDANT BAIL
Materials needed to make a swirl pendant

bail
Step 1: Clean some 20 gauge soft round wire

with your polishing cloth.
Step 2: Cut a length of 2cm.

Step 3: Gently hammer along the wire piece with

a smooth headed hammer.
Try and hammer the wire to the same thickness

along the wire.
Step 4: Your hammered wire piece should look

like this.
Step 5: Flush cut both end of the hammered wire

piece.
Step 6: Sand the cut ends with a sanding pad.
Step 7: Grip one end of the hammered wire with

round nose pliers a little way from the tips.
Step 8: Turn the pliers around to make a small

circle.
NB. This little circle should be wide enough to fit

around the hammered wire of one loop of your
pendant.
Step 9: Grip the other end of the hammered wire

with your round nose pliers further up from the
tips.
Turn the pliers round in the opposite direction to

make a larger circle.
NB. This larger circle should be wide enough to

thread your chain through it.
Step 10: Your swirl pendant bail should look like

this.
Sand the bail all over and give it a good polish

with your polishing cloth.
Step 11: To fit the bail to the pendant, you will

need to gently open the smaller circle with the tip
of your chain nose pliers.
Slide the bail through the loop at the top of your

pendant and gently squeeze the bail closed with
your chain nose pliers.
Feed your chain through the other circle of the

bail.
More tutorials from K S Jewellery Designs
Wire Flowers Coiled Jewels Hammered Swirl

Link Bracelet
Wire Blossoms Jewelled Flowers Genie Drops
Five Bead Flowers Lace Ups Spiral Bells
Created by KRISTIN SMITH

Blog: www.ksjewellerydesigns.blogspot.com
Etsy: www.ksjewellerydesigns.etsy.com
Folksy: www.folksy.com/shops/ksjewellerydesigns
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/ksjewellerydesigns
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.
For comments or questions, please contact me at:

kristin_smith@sky.com
Please do not distribute, lend or copy.

Do not mass produce.
Please give credit to: KRISTIN SMITH (K S Jewellery Designs)
Copyrights 2011 KRISTIN SMITH

I hope you have fun making lots of different jewellery following my tutorials.
I am happy for you to sell your creations that you make (as long as they are
not mass produced or made by someone else for you) but I would be
grateful if you would give credit to Kristin Smith (K S Jewellery Designs) in
any jewellery you make following or inspired by any of my tutorials and ask
that you include a link to my tutorial or to my blog:
http://ksjewellerydesigns.blogspot.com
All of my tutorials are sold for your personal use only. They are not to be
purchased for resale or copied for free distribution. Please contact me if you
wish to use any of my tutorials to teach the design to your own students
and, if I agree, I will give you written consent.
Thank you and happy creating!

Kristin :)

Spiral Loop Frames Tutorial KSJEWELLERY

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Copyright 2011 KRISTIN SMITH (K S Jewellery Designs) Page: 1

Materials needed to make one pair of Spiral

• 20 gauge soft round wire (approx. 25cm)

Step 1: First you need a length of 20 gauge soft

Do not cut any wire yet

The end of the 10cm length of wire near the roll

Step 2: Wrap the wire around a dowel of

NB. You could use a thick pencil or pen – the

Make a teardrop shape with the long wire lying

The wires should cross over at about 1cm from

Step 3: Remove the dowel and hold the teardrop

Step 4: With another pair of pliers, grip the long

Step 5: Still holding the teardrop shape together

Make 2 wraps around the long wire and finish at

Step 6: Trim off any excess wire at the back of

Step 7: Squeeze the cut end of the short wire

Step 8: Your teardrop shape should look like this.

Step 9: Grip the wrapping you have just made

Step 10: Place the tip of your round nose pliers

Step 11: Make a flush cut just above the 2

If there is a gap in the loop, squeeze it gently

Step 12: Your teardrop frame should look like

Step 13: Repeat Steps 1 to 12 to make another

Step 14: Clean about 6cm of wire from the end

Step 15: Gently rub both ends of the cut wire

NB. a sanding pad is foam-backed sandpaper

Step 16: Place one end of the cut wire between

Step 17: Squeeze the loop a little between the

Step 18: Your loop should look like this.

Step 19: To make an open spiral: grip the little

Carefully turn the pliers to bend the wire around

Step 20: Release the pliers.

Your little loop and curved wire should look like

Step 21: Grip the little loop again and some of

Turn the pliers again to continue the curve.

Step 22: Repeat Steps 20 to 21 until you have

Step 23: Repeat Steps 16 to 22 and make

Step 24: Now make a matching wire piece by

Step 25: Grip the centre of one of the wire

Push the 2 spiral ends up and around the pliers to

NB. It is important that you push in the direction

Step 26: Your first spiral loop wire piece should

Step 27: Repeat Step 25 to make a second spiral

Step 28: Check that the spiral loops are about

Step 29: Place one of your teardrops to the edge

Hammer the teardrop with a smooth headed

Start the hammering at the end of the teardrop

Do not hammer the wrapped wire.

Step 30: Turn the teardrop around and gently

NB. This hammering will harden the little loop so

Step 31: Close any gaps in the little loop by

Step 32: Your hammered teardrop frames should

Step 33: Place one of the spiral loop wire pieces

Hammer all round the wire piece but do not

NB. I tend to place my fingernail over the parts I

Step 34: Your hammered pieces should look like

I like the way the wire of the spirals has spread

Step 35: To remove any tool marks and to

Then repeat the process with the next sanding

Step 36: When you have finished sanding, give

Step 37: Your wire pieces should look like this,

You are now ready to join the pieces together.

Step 38: Clean and cut a 10cm length of 26

This will now be described as the ‘fine wire’.