Wire Necklace Charm Tutorial

Following the same trend of the last couple of posts I have done, I used nail polish to spice up this wire necklace charm. It's a simple and adorable way to add color to wire jewelry. I used 20 gauge, black copper wire for the design, and white nail polish mixed with blue alcohol ink for the coloring.

Materials Needed:

• round nose pliers
• wire cutter
• 20 gauge wire of your color choice
• white nail polish and alcohol ink, or nail polish of your color preference
• necklace of your choice 
• third hand tool (optional)

Begin by cutting about 5 inches of the 20 gauge wire. I cut 6, but ended up trimming over an inch off, so go with 5. Using your round nose pliers, form a loop at the end of the wire, let the wire 'stack' so that is is two rings high. This gives the design more strength. Move your pliers out of the first loop, and begin twisting the second loop. For each following loop, you will twist push the excess wire behind the previous loop. I hope that makes sense. If not, please let me know! 

Once you have your desired number of loops, cut off the excess wire. Put your design in your third hand tool (if you feel like using one). Using a scrap piece of paper, I mixed a couple of drops of nail polish with one drop of alcohol ink. Mix the two together with a piece of wire (I use a scrap piece of 26 gauge wire, but 20 gauge will do).

To apply the polish, dip the wire in the nail polish and collect a small droplet on the end of the wire. Place this into one of your loops. I use a circular motion to deposit the polish onto the sides of the wire. If the you have too much polish, it will run out of your loop, but if you have too little, a tight surface will not form across your loop. So, experiment with the different amounts of polish. 

Once your loops are filled, leave this to dry until it is set. Make sure to leave one loop empty to be able to string it on your necklace. Once the nail polish is dry, you can string the charm on your necklace. 

 

As you can see, I used a jump ring to attach the charm to my necklace. I made my own jump ring, but if you have one handy you can use that. Otherwise, follow the images below to make your own jump ring from your 20 gauge wire. They are super easy to make. 

I used a different chain for the image below. I'm not sure which one I like better...

Anyway, if you have questions or comments, please let me know! I would love to hear what you think of this necklace/tutorial. 

And, if you enjoyed this tutorial, try some of the links listed below.

Wire Earrings Tutorial w/Nail Polish

Copper Wire Earrings Tutorial

Faux Stained Glass Earrings