This is a super-simple ring project that will let you practice your wire-wrapping skills. I made it for my daughter, although it still proved to be too big for her. She’ll grow into it. In essence, I had some wire left over from re-imagining the wire wrapping for her amethyst – more on that later, but I spoke about it in the first wire-wrapping post. I didn’t want to waste the wire, but there wasn’t enough to do anything sized for me. I decided she’d like a wire-wrapped wring, and after my frustration with another wire ring I decided to go with a round bead and keep it easy.
One thing I like about this project, now that I can see it in the close-up photo, is that I can see my wire-wrapping skills improving. It’s hard to appreciate that in the moment, when I’ve just spent a lot of time fussing with the wire. It feels like I’ll never get it right, and I want to throw everything out the window and scream about the utter futility of it all. Here, I can see the coils are much tighter and prettier.
It’s the same way when I write. When I’m on that first draft, I feel like everything is terrible and I should give up and stick to something else. Anything else. If I let the project sit for a week or more, and then try to edit, I realize it wasn’t that bad and I can sit back and enjoy the story.
To make this simple ring project, you’ll need:
- A length of wire, long enough to go around your recipient’s finger a few times. (I did not measure, I used what I had left over from another project.)
- Wire cutters.
- Long-nose pliers.
- One bead, with a large enough hole to let the wire through.
- A dowel.
- Choose the size you want your ring to be, on the dowel.
- Place the wire flat against the line on the dowel. Thread your bead onto the wire, leaving it in the center of your wire.
- Wrap your wire around the dowel at least once, preferably two or three times. You want to end with the ends of the wire near the bead.
- Wrap the ends of the wire around the wires near the bead, as close as you can get. End with the tip facing up, away from the skin.
- Press or even delicately hammer the end down. I wound up having to file it a little, but you’re probably better than I am and can make it work without filing. (I am still very new to wire wrapping.)
- Present your masterpiece to your recipient. Mine immediately tried to figure out a way to wear it under her hockey gloves. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t work.)