Monday, December 15, 2014

Head Pins and Spirals

Headpins are an expensive finding to buy when you are making dozens or hundreds of dangles for a piece of jewellery.  Not to mention the frustration of locating a head pin the exact shape or style that is required for the specific bead in the right metal.  Especially when working with fine holed beads, what a nightmare!

With a wire cutter, round needle pliers and some continuous wire, a head pin can be made in under a minute for a fraction of the cost, especially if using silver, gold filled or gold wire.


Basic head pins out of continuous wire still have a small hole at the bottom.  It's a half basic loop that has been pinched closed.  It isn't a well formed eye pin, though.  An eye pin should resemble a lollipop with a perfect circle at the end, not a wonky oval.

Head Pin Instructable Link



The head pin above is the starting point of how to do a spiral as well so a good starting point for practicing first.


I really like to use spirals as a head pin, and just use spirals in my design in general.  The extra little glitz of metal uses up space and is a cost effective way to emulate another metal bead.  Spirals also make interesting dangles off hinges and clasp connections.

The next instructable I've created starts off with a basic spiral and then shows how to make them into head pins.


Spiral head Pin Instructable Link

Happy Wiring!

A tight spiral makes a great dangle by itself.
Spiral with space between the coils.

A take on earrings worn by Lieutenant Ohuru of original Star Trek.
Open spirals give spaces to fill up with beads.
Spirals here hide where two main components (bail and bottom coil bead) are twisted together and tidy up loose ends.

Spiral in action being used as a fibular pin head.

 

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