Fun Wire, Fun Jewelry: Make Wire Lace Flowers Using the FunJig + A Giveaway

Ever since I got back from Tucson a few months ago, I've been looking forward to making wired lacy flowers using WireLace and my new FunJig from AlaCarte Clasps. The instructions are clear and easy, plus I had a wonderful demo in Tucson from the FunJig's creator, Linda Hartung.

If you aren't familiar with WireLace, you can get a pretty good idea of what it is by its name. It's enamel-coated fine wire mesh that's available in 31 colors and four widths. The three larger sizes are tubular and you can expand them by pulling them apart to create unique effects and ruffles. It's waterproof and heat-resistant, making it a beautiful addition to wire, metal, metal and polymer clay, glass, enamel, mixed-media, and other jewelry. You can even bake it in and with polymer clay. Thin/narrow strands of it secured together make a gorgeous necklace, and I like to pull apart and ruffle the wider strands into interesting necklace and bracelet additions. I've even made fairy wings using short pieces of wide WireLace and resin.

Back to the FunJig . . . Linda created the FunJig to be a versatile, easy and, well, fun way to make WireLace flowers. It basically consists of multiple pins and a base with patterned holes for the pins–much like other wire jigs–but the FunJig has sweet upgrades like long pins that stay in (even when the base is upside down), extra pins, easy-to-use pins that require no tools, and more. Plus, the FunJig comes with free WireLace-specific instructions including the careful technique that Linda developed to help FunJig users make flowers in a variety of sizes and styles, just by moving the pins to different holes in the base and wrapping the pins with WireLace. You can use multiple colors and/or widths of WireLace to build your flower and then embellish them with beads, crystals, buttons, clay, or whatever your heart desires. You thread the WireLace over craft wire before you begin with the FunJig, so the resulting flower is pretty sturdy and the petals can be bent and arranged to suit you.

In addition to making gorgeous brooches, pendants, and cuff bracelet accents, the WireLace flowers would be great accents on headbands, purse, ballet flats or sandals, gift boxes, lampshades, and just about anywhere else a flower would look lovely. And just imagine a decadent necklace made entirely out of WireLace FunJig flowers attached with ribbon or jump rings, perhaps all silver or white flowers for a bride or multicolor flowers for a festive look all spring and summer. What a stunning sight that would be! I better get started making more WireLace flowers.

For more fun and inventive ways to use wire in jewelry making, subscribe to Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry magazine. Packed with project ideas and tutorials from the industry's best wire jewelry-making designers and experts, it will provide you with a steady stream of great wire jewelry joy!

The giveaway has ended, thanks for participating!

P.S. Speaking of great products, wouldn't you love to win this stylish collection of new products from our friends at Nunn Design? Just leave a comment below to be entered to win this gorgeous prize, valued at $75! You can make one of these WireLace flowers and then use epoxy clay to attach it to a Nunn Design ring bezel, brooch bezel, or screw-back bezel for attaching on a belt, headband, cuff bracelet, or…

(Enter before midnight ET on Sunday, June 2, 2014. One comment per person, please. Duplicate entries will be deleted.)