Getting Started with Wire Working: Basic Tools

Dear fellow lazy crafters, when I first saw the jewelry creations of my acquaintances I was mildly interested, but I thought it a complicated process. Never the less, I checked out some books in the library and thus started my jewelry-making obsession. Yes there are plenty of jewelry-making techniques that require professional equipment and skill, but you can make lovely jewelry without all that. All you really need to get started is three basic tools: chain nose pliers, round nose pliers, and flush cutters.

Chain Nose Pliers:

Chain nose pliers are used for holding and bending the wire. Those pliers do not have teeth and will not mar your work. Ideally, you would want to have two pairs, but it is not necessary.











Round Nose Pliers:
Round Nose Pliers are an essential tool for the wire worker. They are used to make loops.













Flush Cutters:
Flush Cutters are used for cutting wire. You will be using them a lot.













These are the three basic tools that you need in order to begin experimenting with wire jewelry. Because they will be used frequently, I recommend getting a good quality set. In the long run buying more expensive tools will save you money. For example, the tools that I bought were $8 each. My flush cutters got damaged by hard wire a little bit, but they still work.

First Post: Introduction

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Sometimes when life seems to take pleasure in kicking my butt, and even that pint of ice cream doesn’t help, I turn to my creative side. Making something artsy and crafty is a good way to get rid of boredom and lighten the mood (without putting on weight). I let my creative juices flow into whatever medium I’m interested at the moment. Over the years I’ve been interested in everything from music, art, and crochet to writing and cooking. So, I’ve decided to share some ideas with fellow creatively-minded folk. Currently, I’m interested in jewelry making, so you can expect a lot of articles on wire jewelry and beads. Eventually, I’ll get to culinary arts (delicious recipes beta tested by yours truly), crochet, photoshop tutorials, origami, and other goodies. Meanwhile, I’d love to get some feedback from you. I’d love to learn about new creative outlets, mediums and techniques, and to learn what people are interested in today.

Now that the introductions were made, I can get to writing those articles. Oh boy, what did I get myself into?