Simple Heart Ring - Free Tutorial

Good afternoon! For quite some time I have been wanting to offer a free tutorial. I would love for people to get an idea of my teaching style and I would greatly appreciate feedback. This tutorial is perfect for beginners. I hope you enjoy it.

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~Simple Heart Ring~

Download: Simple Heart Ring

Materials List:

8 inches of 20g wire for the frame.

3.5 feet of 24g wire for the wrapping.

16-20 seed beads or 2mm gemstone beads.

Tools:

Wire Cutters, Chain Nose Pliers,

Needle Nose Pliers, Ruler, Ring Mandrel.

Optional:

Flat Nylon Jaw

Ring Mandrel

Step 1:

 With your needle nosed pliers, grab

hold of your 8 inch long 20g wire at 
the half way point (4 inches) and bend it in half.

Step 2:
Using your chain nose pliers, squish

the bend in the 20g wire, making the

two half's as close to each other as possible.

Step 3:

Turn your 20g wire on it’s side so that

you can squeeze the bend, flattening

it. This will help hold the bend of the

heart in place so that it does not open

back up.

Step 4:

Your bent and squished 20g wire should

look something like this.

Step 5:

Using your fingers, or your needle nosed

pliers, form the heart shape like the

image here. Be sure to hold the heart

against your finger to check that your

heart is the right size and shape for your

ring. You do not want the size of the

heart to be wider than your finger. 

Step 6:

Bend the ends of the heart open so that

you will be able to work between them

when you wrap the beaded 24g wire

around this framework.

Step 7:

Taking up your 3.5 feet of 24g wire,

bend it in half, leaving a 1 foot tail on

one end. Working with the shorter end

first, wrap the 24g wire around one

half of the center of the heart, as

shown.

Step 8:

Using the same shorter end of the 24g

wire, thread on your first seed bead.

Step 9:

Hold the seed bead in place with your

fingernail and bend the 24g wire over

the top, toward yourself.

Step 10:

 Wrap the 24g wire one time around the

20g framework wire, after the seed

bead, as shown.

Step 11:

Continue with this pattern..

one bead..

one wrap..

one bead..

Step 12:

Make sure that your row of beads stays

on the outside edge of your framework

wire.

Step 13:

You will want to wrap on approximately

12 beads, depending on the size of your

heart.

Step 14:

Now turn the heart over and take up

the longer end of 24g wire. Passing the

wire into the middle of the heart fold in

the framework.

Step 15:

Wrap the 24g wire 2 times around the

new side of the heart framework.

Step 16:

Now, the same as for the other side of

the heart. Thread your beads on, one

at a time and wrap them to your

framework wire.

Step 17:

Continue with the pattern..

one bead..

one wrap..

one bead..

Step 18:

Be sure to keep your beaded rows

wrapped evenly and the beads

pressed comfortable into each other.

Step 19:

Be sure that both sides are beaded

evenly. This will not always mean the

same number of beads on each side,

depending on how your center is lined

up. You may have one bead more on

one side or another, just be sure the

ends are in the same place.

Step 20:

Using your chain nosed pliers, bend

the heart framework tail straight on

both sides.

Step 21:

Trim the shorter tail end of 24g wire in

close to the framework.

Step 22:

Using the longer piece of 24g wire

that is still attached to the framework,

start binding the two 20g wires to

each other.

 

 

Step 23:

Hold the two 20g wires together with

your round nose pliers and wrap

close to the pliers.

Step 24:

Holding them in this manner will

ensure that the 20g wires remain

straight and parallel while you bind

them together.

Step 25:

Bind the two wires together for at

least an inch and a half. Now wrap

your ring around your mandrel to the

size that you want your ring to be.

Take a measurement of how much

longer you need to bind your two

20g wires to form your band.

Step 26:

If you do not have a mandrel, form

the ring the best you can into a circle

and use your finger, a wooden

spoon or a marker, where you want

the ring to be as your mandrel. Take

your measurement from there so that

you know exactly how much longer

to bind your band.

Step 27:

Finish binding your band to your desired

length.

Step 28:

Be sure to slightly bend the beaded

heart section of the ring to follow

with the circle of the piece.

Step 29:

Trim the ends of your 20g wires to

approx. 1cm.

Step 30:

Separate the two 20g wire into a ‘V’

shape.

Step 31:

Tuck the end of the ring tails under the

top of the heart.

Step 32:

Bring the two end tails into the center

top of the heart to be bound together.

Step 33:

Using your needle nosed pliers, bend

the two end tails up into the heart.

Step 34:

Ensure that your ring size is good, then

bend the two ends over the top of the

beaded heart.

Step 35:

Trim the two end tails so that they are

just long enough to wrap around the

beaded heart one time.

Step 36:

Using your chain nosed pliers, give the

end tails a squeeze, crimping them into

place around the top of the beaded

heart.

Step 37:

One final step in shaping the heart and

you are almost finished!

Step 38:

Grabbing the little ‘V’ with your chain

nosed pliers, simply bend it down to

follow the curve of the rest of the ring.

Congratulations, you are finished with

your new ring. Enjoy!

Please do not distribute, lend or copy.

Do not mass produce.
Please give credit to the Teacher.
Copyright 2013
Julie Lockhart
Copar Aingeal