Do you want to add wire weaving to your skillset? If so, you’ve come to the right place because wire weaving mastery begins right here at Door 44 Studios. My name is Wendi, and I’m the wire weaver behind Door 44. I love to teach and I’ve found that the best way to teach wire weaving is through clear instruction using simple, modular designs. I strive to create designs that are both accessible for beginners and fun for intermediate jewelry makers. So, regardless of your background or your primary jewelry making discipline, you’ll learn useful skills and techniques here. You’ll also find lots of fun wirework components that you can blend with your own designs to create truly handcrafted artisan jewelry. So, but sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter below and let's make something beautiful!
I 💖Sweater Pins!
Hi, Reader!
Do you like to wear scarves? I was never a fan until I learned to crochet a few years ago. But now I'm completely obsessed. They're the perfect crochet project when you need a little instant gratification. They make great gifts, and they're the perfect fall and winter accessory. The only problem is that I don't like wearing necklaces and scarves together. So, I always find myself debating between a scarf or a necklace when I get dressed in the morning. It's such a tough call some days! But then I started making some pretty pins that I could wear with my cozy scarves, and now I have a new obsession. Why did I wait so long to jump onto the sweater/shawl/scarf pin bandwagon?! 🤷♀️
I really hope you like pins and brooches as much as I do, because we're going to be making more of them before the weather warms up. That's not all we'll be making, so don't worry if pins aren't your thing. But for today's tutorial, I took my favorite variation of my Simple Heart Hoop Earrings from last week, and I scaled it up to an absolutely GORGEOUS pin made with 14g and 12g wire.
This elegant (but simple) wire-wrapped pin went straight to my top 10 favorite makes. Ever. So I hope you'll be as excited about it as I am. But even if pins aren't your jam, today's tutorial is packed full of helpful tips and tricks that you won't want to miss. And because this design originated with my light weight heart hoop earrings, it also gave me a prime opportunity to demonstrate my easy 3-step process for scaling wire jewelry designs up or down to any gauge of wire. This is my foolproof method for maintaining the correct proportions and making sure that I never run out of wire when I want to take a small design, like earrings, and scale it up to something much bolder, like a statement necklace or sweater pin. Just click on the video thumbnail below to watch today's tutorial.
My Favorite Jewelry Education Resources
Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite places to go for answers whenever I have a technical question. And, by far, my favorite resource is the Metalsmith Society. This is a wonderful community of jewelry makers, which was started by Corkie Bolton. The best place to keep up with their daily jewelry-making tips is on Instagram, but the blog is also tremendously helpful. And there's even a way to search for specific topics here on the main website.
Another jewelry blog that I really enjoy is The Beading Gem. This is wonderfully eclectic blog that talks about all things jewelry. So, if you're interested in branching out and experimenting with some different media, like resin, or polymer clay, this is a great place to find tutorials and resources. Pearl, the blogger behind this amazing resource, is a resin artist herself. So, she has some really wonderful insights and knowledge to share there. And she always finds the most innovative ideas. Like this recent post that tells you How to Make Bugle Beads from Recyled Plastic Bottles. 🤯
That's it for today, wire weaver. Until next week, go make something beautiful!
xo,
Wendi
P.S. In case you're looking for a quick, easy, and beautiful crochet scarf pattern to pair with the brand new Heart Pin that you're about to make, 😉 this pretty ruffled scarf is one of my favorite patterns. Jessica, the blogger behind Mama-In-A-Stitch, also happens to be a Colorado girl like me. We even live in the same city! I haven't run into her in the yarn aisle at any local stores yet, but I secretly hope to meet her one day because I really like her style.
Hey there, Jewelry Maker!
Do you want to add wire weaving to your skillset? If so, you’ve come to the right place because wire weaving mastery begins right here at Door 44 Studios. My name is Wendi, and I’m the wire weaver behind Door 44. I love to teach and I’ve found that the best way to teach wire weaving is through clear instruction using simple, modular designs. I strive to create designs that are both accessible for beginners and fun for intermediate jewelry makers. So, regardless of your background or your primary jewelry making discipline, you’ll learn useful skills and techniques here. You’ll also find lots of fun wirework components that you can blend with your own designs to create truly handcrafted artisan jewelry. So, but sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter below and let's make something beautiful!
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