Wire Art Jewelry Workshop with Sharilyn Miller

Wire Art Jewelry Workshop is a comprehensive guide filled with the basic building blocks for creating wire art jewelry. From cleaning, straightening, twisting, and coiling wire to creating cage beads, heart-shaped ear wires, headpins, and bead connectors, Wire Art Jewelry Workshop gives you all the expert tips on creating solid findings and custom components. Jewelry artists will learn to combine these components into 16 original wire designs, including bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. Plus, each project can be made with your choice of wire, from classic silver or cost-effective copper, so you can customize each piece to your style and budget. You’ll be making stylish new wearable art jewelry in no time!

Choosing Wire Types and Gauges

“By working with fine-gauge wire (28-gauge through 22-gauge), you can make intricate little sculptures to dangle from your ear. Moving through the midsize gauges (20-gauge through 16-gauge) allows you to create wire links and bead wraps appropriate for numerous bracelets, anklets, necklaces, and chokers,” Sharilyn writes. “My personal penchant is for heavy-gauge wire—14-gauge through 10-gauge—because it is more challenging to work with.

“The type of wire you work with comes down to personal choice. You’ll find finished projects in this book made with both sterling silver and copper round wire. I always recommend purchasing at least some copper wire to experiment with before committing to working with the more expensive silver wire,” Sharilyn writes. “If you’re creating a brand new design and trying to determine correct measurements, use copper wire to work out the kinks in your design. There will be some waste, but the cost is minimal when working with copper.”

Sharilyn also offers detailed instruction the whole way, from plain wire to finished piece, so you’ll be sure not to miss a single loop, twist, or bend.

Be sure to check out the bonus video featuring Sharilyn’s signature tips and tricks to help all skill levels to improve their craftsmanship and strengthen their techniques. “Wire Art Jewelry Workshop also includes an instructional video featuring close-up instruction on some of the techniques found in the book,” Sharilyn adds. “For instance, you can watch as I twist fine-gauge wire in a drill and then use the twisted wire to form tapered ‘worm beads’ on a pointed mandrel. If you have trouble with knotless netting or double-coiling fine-gauge wire, watch these segments on the video and all will become clear to you. Additional chapters cover heavy-gauge wire used to make beautiful jump-ring rosettes, figure-eight links, and more.”

Wire Art Jewelry Workshop offers everything you need to get started creating beautiful one-of-a-kind jewelry and having fun making it!

Originally published April 7, 2011. Updated March 7, 2019.