5 Tips for Beginner Wire-Wrap Artists

1. Choose a Metal that works for you. Each metal type offers it's own advantages and disadvantages! Copper is soft and malleable, making it easy to practice with and beautiful to wear. It is cost effective to work with but can also be easy to scuff/scratch! Sterling Silver is a more affordable alternative to Argentium or Fine silver, and is harder/more durable than copper. Full gold is incredibly expensive and also fairly soft/malleable, so personally I prefer to work with Gold Fill wire that has a thick layer of Gold on a sturdier alloy core.

2. Your Tools Matter

When you begin working any metal wire, (whether is be copper, sterling, or gold) you will quickly realize that with certain pressure, it's easy to scratch the surface of you wire. This is especially true with the thicker, harder to move guages. Investing in decent tools that are not already knicked/scratched themselves can help alleviate this problem! There is also rubbery tool protection products on the market for coating your tools, though this is not necessary. Having less knicks/scratches on your final pieces will make them appear cleaner and more professional. You can also polish these out after, but that requires another process/more tools, and of course more time.

3. Spend time on YouTube watching tutorials!

While some artists charge for tutorial packages, there is also an abundance of free tutorials on YouTube for various wirewrapped components. These videos are super helpful to help you understand how to build components, and can be a great jumpstart for your own practice and exploration.

Bonus tip: learn how to build components, not entire pieces! By doing this, you can utilize well known patterns and coils while also developing your own style!

4. Select your stones carefully.

When choosing stones for a wirewrapped piece, you have tons of options. However, it's good to know the limitations of the stones you are working with. Do your research on the stones hardness and special care instructions before beginning.

For example--apatite facets in various colors are popular and cost effective options to add some sparkle, however it's relative softness makes or fairly easy to fracture or crush with pressure from the pliers or wire. By making yourself aware of these limitations way you can avoid some of the heartbreak that comes from broken stones or settings!

5. Save all your metal scrap!

If you are throwing away any portions of wire, you are throwing away money! While copper won't yield huge scrap refunds, saving Silver and especially Gold will help your business better utilize the materials you've purchased. This is also a great tool if you get part way through a project and something goes wrong--at the very least you will get some value back toward more material!

Beyond these tips, the best advice I received when I started out was to just create. Work on a component over and over until it feels like second nature. There is no substitute for hours/practice put in!