WoolWire Tutorial: How to Finish the Ends

Genea Crivello-Knable created this awesome tutorial for finishing up WoolyWire in your jewelry-making projects - or any other projects you might use WoolyWire for!

Genea has given Nellie and me permission to share this here and elsewhere. We'll be adding a link to it on our shop postings and on the  instruction card included with each WoolyWire package. Genea has been busy creating lots of amazing art jewelry using WoolyWire. Be sure to visit her blog Genea Beads for a peek at what she's made and for all her other design happenings.

Genea is a fabulous lampwork glass and jewelry artist - she has two fantastic shops:  

Genea Beads

Genea C-K Jewelry

Thank you Genea!!! 

SUPPLIES

Wooly Wire

Cutting Pliers

Round Nosed Pliers

Bent Chain Nosed Pliers

Fray Check

Here is the card that comes with your Wooly Wire. So this tutorial is my interpretation of how to end the Wooly Wire according to the last instructions.

A FEW TIPS ON WIRE-WRAPPING WITH WOOLY WIRE

Here are a few tips for making your wire-wraps with Wooly Wire.

As you begin to wrap your Wooly Wire(WW for short) you can wire wrap it just like you would wire wrap any wire. The nice thing about ww is that unlike "naked" wire it won't get snagged and cause a kink in the wire. When you do your wire wraps for ww I have found that if you need to thread your wire through something like a link of chain you see here you want to thread it in a circular motion. This motion will help you easily maneuver your wire where you want it to go for your wraps. So begin with a nice loose circular loop like this as you begin to wire wrap.

As you get closer to doing your wrap your circle will get smaller and tighter 

until you can pull it snug into a wire wrap. 

If you would like to make a nice circular "cork screw" looking wrap 

around chain or other materials you can easily bend the wire 

around your finger and shape it until the desired look is achieved.

Here is an example of the "Cork Screw" type wrap about which I am talking.

ENDING YOUR WOOLWIRE

Now onto the ends and finishing your end of Wooly Wire.

When you come to the end you will want to take your cutting pliers 

and snip yourself a little bit of a "tail." Longer than the tail you would 

cut if you were just wire-wrapping wire.

Next you will take your fray check and add a dot to the end of the wire.

Here you can see the wet dab of fray check on the end.

Hold your piece with one and and with the other take the piece of fray checked ww and twist it "with the grain" of the fibers. You will know which way is "with the grain" because the fibers will get tighter as you twist. If you are not twisting in the right direction the fibers will puff instead.

Next grab your round nosed pliers. Grab the end of the ww and turn into a loop. 

This will "lock" in the fibers and secure the wire.

Now grab your bent chain nosed pliers and pinch

 that little loop you made to further secure the wire.

Next using your chain nosed pliers "tuck" the wire wrap into itself 

to finish up the wrap like you would for a normal wire-wrap. 

Add another dab of fray check to the finished wire-wrapped end.

You will have a little fuzzy from the end of the fiber wire. You can take your finger and now gently rub the fibers into the direction of the ended wire-wrap. You can let this try and then come back and add another drop of fray check and rub the end against the wrap if you still have some fuzzys that stick out. 

I hang my earrings or leave my necklace flat to let the fray check dry several hours or over night. Once it is dry you will see the fiber has blended into the rest of the wrap and the fiber is still soft, but secure :D

I hope this quick tutorial has helped you learn how to end your Wooly Wire!

Enjoy!

xo Genea