Wire-Wrapping Stones Without Holes [FREE Tutorial]

When I first started making wire jewelry, I couldn’t wait to learn how to wire-wrap stones without holes.

It all seemed so mysterious to me and I couldn’t wait to try it once I had learned some basic wire wrapping techniques.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to wire wrap a cabochon.

This design is very basic and it can be used as a base for other designs when making wire-wrapped pendants.

What is a Cabochon?

A cabochon is a gemstone (or other material such as resin) which has been shaped and polished. They have a smooth rounded top and a flat back. Cabochons are EXTREMELY POPULAR in wire-wrapping (see photo below).

WARNING: This blog post is very long with over 70 photos so I definitely recommend grabbing the printable version (FREE BONUSES).

Print at home and store in a binder for easy reference.

LEVEL: ADVANCED BEGINNER / INTERMEDIATE

WIRE-WRAPPING STONES WITHOUT HOLES

MATERIALS + TOOLS

• 3 X 10″ strands of 20 gauge copper wire (or wire of your choice)
• 20″ copper wire – 26 gauge (1 strand of 6″ and 1 strand of 14″)
• Small cabochon (I am using a Labradorite cabochon which measures approximately 0.75″ x 0.50″)
• Needle nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Liver of sulfur (optional)

Step 1

Using your 6″ piece of 26 gauge wire, start wrapping in the middle of one of the base wires (20 gauge). (fig. 1)

Step 2

Stack your base wires together and start wrapping around all wires. At this point, you can use any wire weaving pattern that is suitable for 3 base wires.

For the purpose of this wire-wrapping tutorial, I’m keeping it simple.

Wrap around base wires about 14-15 times (approx. 1/4″) and finish off by wrapping around top base wire. (fig. 2a, 2b)

Step 3

Trim off excess wire on both ends and tuck ends in using a pair of needle nose pliers. (fig. 3a, 3b)

Step 4

Using your fingers, start bending the wire (fig. 4a).

Place cabochon along the inside of the bend in the wire and make sure that it fits snuggly against the wire (fig. 4b, 4c).

Start forming the base wires around the cabochon as shown (fig. 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g).

Remove cabochon from frame – make sure that base wires are straight and not crossed over one another (fig. 4h, 4i).

Step 5

Using your 14″ piece of your 26 gauge wire, start wrapping around all base wires (fig. 5a, 5b). Make 5-6 wraps (fig. 5c).

Step 6

Bring end of wire around top 3 base wires and bring through frame (fig. 6a). Using wire cutters, trim off excess wire and tuck end in with needle nose pliers (fig. 6b, 6c).

KEEP READING…

Page 1 (Materials, Steps 1-6)
Page 2 (Steps 7-9)
Page 3 (Steps 10-11)
Page 4 (Steps 12-14)
Page 5 (Steps 15-17)
Page 6 (Steps 18-20)

RELATED CONTENT

• How to Wire-Wrap a Crescent Moon Wire-Wrapping Tutorial
• How to Wire-Wrap Crystals: Wire-Wrapping Tutorial for Beginners
• Wire-Wrapping Tools & Supplies for Beginners
• Wire-Wrapping for Beginners
• How to Wire-Wrap a Briolette: Wire-Wrapped Swarovski Crystal Pendant Tutorial