Introduction: God's Eye Earrings
I like to take normal-sized things, shrink them, and attach them to my ears. The other day I was teaching someone how to make God's Eyes and decided to try out how they would look done in wire. No soldering or glue needed.
If you've never made a God's Eye with popsicle sticks and yarn, you may want to practice on that scale before trying with the smaller wire.
If you've never made a God's Eye with popsicle sticks and yarn, you may want to practice on that scale before trying with the smaller wire.
Step 1: Materials and Tools
Materials:
* 20 gauge wire
* thinner wire in two colors (I think I used 28 or 26 gauge, but the label's been lost, so I'm not sure)
* earring hooks or posts (I used posts, mainly because my ears prefer them, either one would work)
Tools:
* wire cutters
* needle nose and/or round nose pliers (whichever you work with best)
* hammer and anvil
* ruler
* metal file (not pictured)
* 20 gauge wire
* thinner wire in two colors (I think I used 28 or 26 gauge, but the label's been lost, so I'm not sure)
* earring hooks or posts (I used posts, mainly because my ears prefer them, either one would work)
Tools:
* wire cutters
* needle nose and/or round nose pliers (whichever you work with best)
* hammer and anvil
* ruler
* metal file (not pictured)
Step 2: Prepare the Cross-pieces
Cut two pieces of the thicker wire, each about one inch long.
Hammer one flat along the whole piece.
Hammer the other flat along most of the piece, leaving about 1/8-1/4 inch at one end unhammered. You may need to use the pliers to hold the unhammered part.
I intentionally left the flattened wires unpolished for a more rustic look. If you want, before you go forward you can smooth and polish the pieces. Just make sure to leave the unhammered part round.
Hammer one flat along the whole piece.
Hammer the other flat along most of the piece, leaving about 1/8-1/4 inch at one end unhammered. You may need to use the pliers to hold the unhammered part.
I intentionally left the flattened wires unpolished for a more rustic look. If you want, before you go forward you can smooth and polish the pieces. Just make sure to leave the unhammered part round.
Step 3: Beginning the Wrap
Cut about a 7" length of the thinner wire, whichever color you want for the inside.
Attaching the wires to get started is the hardest part. (You could use glue if you wanted, to attach the two flattened pieces together while you get started, but that isn't necessary.)
Holding the two flat pieces so they make a cross, wrap the end of the smaller wire around the intersection, wrapping the short end around to get a firm hold.
Begin wrapping the pattern as soon as possible with the long end. This will anchor the pieces together best. You can tuck any remaining short end from the starting point under the back of the wraps.
The pattern:
The wrapping here is basically like a four-pointed figure eight. You wrap around the far side of the post, around the back, and to the far side of the next post. In the image, the wrap is going counter-clockwise (so the "far side" is left) and the order is red, blue, green.
Attaching the wires to get started is the hardest part. (You could use glue if you wanted, to attach the two flattened pieces together while you get started, but that isn't necessary.)
Holding the two flat pieces so they make a cross, wrap the end of the smaller wire around the intersection, wrapping the short end around to get a firm hold.
Begin wrapping the pattern as soon as possible with the long end. This will anchor the pieces together best. You can tuck any remaining short end from the starting point under the back of the wraps.
The pattern:
The wrapping here is basically like a four-pointed figure eight. You wrap around the far side of the post, around the back, and to the far side of the next post. In the image, the wrap is going counter-clockwise (so the "far side" is left) and the order is red, blue, green.
Step 4: Changing Colors
Once you've done four wraps with the first color (count using the wraps on the back of the piece, making sure that each post has the same number of wraps), it's time to switch colors.
Cut 7" of the next color.
Unwrap the last wrap you finished, and wrap it again over the new wire (with the new wire on the back). Wrap the first color around the post and new wire twice. Begin wrapping with the new color.
After three complete rotations of the new color, wrap it tightly around the final post, and trip. Use the pliers to tighten down the final wrap and the color change.
Yay! You've finished the wrapping. Now to turn your little God's Eye into an earring.
Cut 7" of the next color.
Unwrap the last wrap you finished, and wrap it again over the new wire (with the new wire on the back). Wrap the first color around the post and new wire twice. Begin wrapping with the new color.
After three complete rotations of the new color, wrap it tightly around the final post, and trip. Use the pliers to tighten down the final wrap and the color change.
Yay! You've finished the wrapping. Now to turn your little God's Eye into an earring.
Step 5: Finishing the Earrings
Trim the excess posts from three sides, leaving the post with the unhammered end untrimmed.
Thread the remaining post through the loop on the earring finding, making sure the front will be facing forward. Again, I used posts, but hooks would work as well. Anything that has a loop already on it for threading. Bend the post around the loop from the finding, trimming any extra as needed. Use the pliers to tighten down the loop.
Finally, file down all cut edges so they don't cut you.
Now repeat for the second earring and you're done!
Any number of sets of wraps or color patterns will work, just remember what you did the first time so you can repeat it for the second (unless you want them not to match, which would also be cool.)
Thread the remaining post through the loop on the earring finding, making sure the front will be facing forward. Again, I used posts, but hooks would work as well. Anything that has a loop already on it for threading. Bend the post around the loop from the finding, trimming any extra as needed. Use the pliers to tighten down the loop.
Finally, file down all cut edges so they don't cut you.
Now repeat for the second earring and you're done!
Any number of sets of wraps or color patterns will work, just remember what you did the first time so you can repeat it for the second (unless you want them not to match, which would also be cool.)