Tutorial Tuesday - Wrap-around Bail

As promised, here is a tutorial for the bail I made for the focal pendant that Teresa Hulley sent me for the Brit Pack Beaders challenge. I knew that I wanted bail that would allow me to attach another wrapped loop to it easily, and one that would encourage it to lie flat, and also one that would go with the hammered wire links that were part of my contribution to the challenge ingredients. And this is what I came up with....

You will need:

•  a focal pendant with one hole at the top
• a long length of fairly thick wire - I used approximately 12cm of 1mm wire, but the amount you will need will vary according to your pendant. Cut off more than you think you will need and trim off the excess later.
• Round nosed pliers
• Wire cutters
• Hammer and bench block
• Needle file

1. Cut a length of 1mm wire and turn a wrapped loop at one end.
2. Hammer approximately three-quarters of the remaining wire to flatten it and flare it out at the end.

3. Thread the wire through the hole in your pendant and push the wrapped loop so that it is sitting above the pendant with the wire below it folded around the top of the pendant as shown. Make sure that the loop is sitting in the direction you want it to.
4. Start to wrap the rest of the wire around the stem below the wrapped loop.

5. Continue to wrap the hammered wire around the stem so that it covers the wire of the first wrapped loop and wraps back down over itself. Finish the wrapping at the front of the pendant, trimming the wire if necessary. File the end round with a needle file.
6. Push the end of the wire down so that it lies neatly against the wrapping.

7. Carefully hold the pendant so that it is safely out of the way while the top of the first wrapped loop lies on your bench block. Hammer the top of the loop.
8. And there you have your finished bail!

And if you haven't seen how I used this gorgeous pendant by Bohulley Beads in my challenge jewellery yet, come and look here!