Throwback Saturday - Free-form Wire Fibula

Hi all, I have been pretty much consumed with a project that I can't share at the moment, so needless to say, have only had it on my mind!  I thought I would re-post a fun wire tutorial from the vault today...

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Today, I am sharing a fun, quick, and fairly easy project ..a free-form wire fibula! These are so cute.  They would make a great, inexpensive teacher gift!

Materials needed:

large gauge wire - approx 24 inches
pliers - chain and round nose
steel block
hammers - planishing and texturizing
torch - for annealing wire
patina of choice

Start off with some fairly large gauge wire...I used 12g copper.  Be prepared to anneal it throughout the project as it will work harden really quickly.

• Flush cut one end and file smooth. Hammer to flatten.
• Using your chain nose pliers, bend flattened area over to form hook (approx. 1/4 inch)
• Using round nose pliers, form a loop behind the hook as shown.

• Continue to swirl wire around the beginning loop. This is where the free-form comes in!
• Create whatever shapes you desire

• When you have acheived your desired shape, begin the loop to form the pin.
• Straighten the wire and wrap around the base of your round nose pliers, looping twice.
• Don't fold down to the hook yet...you need to tap out any kinks, making the pin straight and hard

• Now you get to texturize! Hammer to your heart's content!
• Using your round nose pliers in the double loop, bend the pin over to fit under the hook.
• Measure about another 1/4 past the end of your design and cut with flush cutters at an angle
• not pictured...hammer and flatten a bit and flush cut other side to form the sharp point.
• File and sand, keeping the point, but getting rid of sharp burs on the edges
• Patina as you wish, polish or tumble

and, voila!

The design posibilities with this design are endless...add an art bead or beads to the shank, wire wrap parts, use different wire!

Here are a few I have made in the past...

So, go get your wire and your pliers and have fun!!

Playing!

I love playing!  Sitting down at my jewelry work area (usually, my kitchen table) without any deadlines or projects that have to be done are usually the most creative times.  I look at what is laying around and pick something up and inspiration hits...or not!  In a previous post, I talked about letting yourself get side-tracked and stepping away from the projects at hand and just letting the creative process happen.

About a month ago, as I was getting ready for a show, I decided not to focus on all the production work that really needed to be done, but to just sit down and play.  I had some copper sheet on the table, so I decided to play with some simple fold forming.  I have Charles Lewton-Brain's book, "Fold Forming" and love it, but haven't delved very deeply into it.

I didn't document my whole process but took a few photos along the way for my facebook page.

Here are the shapes after being tortured into submission!

I really didn't know what I was going to make out of these pieces, so they laid on my table for a few days!  They were sort of big for pendants, so I decided to make fibulas!

All clean! Ready for LOS and tumbling.

The holes and curve were the hardest part.  I started with smaller punches, but decided to go larger.  The pins started as 14 gauge wire, but they ended up not being as strong as I wanted, so I went up to 12 gauge.  I used my bracelet mandrel to give them a slight curve.

They cleaned up nicely!  I actually sold one at my show that weekend and have the others in my shop.

I think they turned out great and I will definitely be making some more...I really want to delve into this technique and get more "outside the box" with it.

If I had just focused on "okay, I need to make 20 more pairs of earrings" instead of "okay, I am going to play today" these babies would have never been born!

So, go take a day off and play!!


Melissa Meman
Melismatic Art Jewelry
Art. Life. Love.

Saturday Share...Free-form Wire Fibula

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Today, I am sharing a fun, quick, and fairly easy project ..a free-form wire fibula! These are so cute.  They would make a great, inexpensive teacher gift!

Materials needed:

large gauge wire - approx 24 inches
pliers - chain and round nose
steel block
hammers - planishing and texturizing
torch - for annealing wire
patina of choice

Start off with some fairly large gauge wire...I used 12g copper.  Be prepared to anneal it throughout the project as it will work harden really quickly.

• Flush cut one end and file smooth. Hammer to flatten.
• Using your chain nose pliers, bend flattened area over to form hook (approx. 1/4 inch)
• Using round nose pliers, form a loop behind the hook as shown.

• Continue to swirl wire around the beginning loop. This is where the free-form comes in!
• Create whatever shapes you desire

• When you have acheived your desired shape, begin the loop to form the pin.
• Straighten the wire and wrap around the base of your round nose pliers, looping twice.
• Don't fold down to the hook yet...you need to tap out any kinks, making the pin straight and hard

• Now you get to texturize! Hammer to your heart's content!
• Using your round nose pliers in the double loop, bend the pin over to fit under the hook.
• Measure about another 1/4 past the end of your design and cut with flush cutters at an angle
• not pictured...hammer and flatten a bit and flush cut other side to form the sharp point.
• File and sand, keeping the point, but getting rid of sharp burs on the edges
• Patina as you wish, polish or tumble

and, voila!

The design posibilities with this design are endless...add an art bead or beads to the shank, wire wrap parts, use different wire!

Here are a few I have made in the past...

So, go get your wire and your pliers and have fun!!

Melissa Meman
Melismatic Art Jewelry
Art. Life. Love