Tree Bling Ornaments

By: Jamie Hogsett for Soft Flex.

Jazz up your Christmas tree this year with sparkling tree bling ornaments.

Materials:

Soft Flex Beading Wire .019 Medium - 99 inches of wire in one to three colors
Artistic Wire 20-gauge - 20 inches of wire in one color
Artistic Wire 28-gauge - about 36 inches of wire in same color as 20-gauge (or coordinating color)
3mm x 3mm Soft Flex Sterling Silver Crimp Tubes - 3 crimps
4mm CZ rondelles - 31 to 41 in color A, 20 to 24 in color B, and 22 to 27 in color C
7x5mm CZ briolettes - 4 briolettes
Long Soft Flex Professional Flush Cutter
WigJig Olympus-Lite plus extra Olympus Metal Pegs
Wire Looping Pliers
Chain-nose pliers
Nylon Jaw Pliers
Wire Whacker
Mighty Crimpers
Bead Stoppers

Steps:

Prep the Wigjig by placing pegs in the following holes: e4, e6, E9, F9, c10, g10, d12, e12, f12, C13, H13, a14, d14, f14, i14, C15, H15, d16, e16, f16, c18, g18, E19, F19, and e22.
Use the Wire Looping Pliers to form a starter loop on one end of about 20" of 20-gauge Artistic Wire. Place the starter loop on the peg in e4. Wrap the wire as shown in the photos below (blank pattern sheets are available at www.wigjig.com). End by wrapping around peg e4 to form a loop.
Remove pegs from the Wigjig to release the wire piece. Place the starter loop and the final loop on the Wire Looping Pliers. Use the remaining tail wire to form a wrapped loop around the base of the starter and final loops (the bail). Trim tail wires.
Use Nylon Jaw Pliers and/or the Wire Whacker to wire harden the pendant.
Use about 18" of 28-gauge wire to form three coils around base of the petal just below the bail, leaving a 1 1/2" tail wire, and securing the 28-gauge wire to the 20-gauge wire flower. String 1 CZ in color C and, working counterclockwise, wrap the 28-gauge wire twice around the 20-gauge wire.
String 1 CZ in color C and wrap the 28-gauge wire twice around the 20-gauge wire. Repeat adding 1 CZ and two wraps in the following order: C, A, B, A, B, A, B, and A. Wrap the 28-gauge wire around the wrapped 20-gauge wire at the bail, then move down the other side of the petal, adding CZs (with two wraps between each) in the following color order: A, B, A, B, A, B, A, C, and C.
Wrap the wire clockwise around the flower, passing the wire through the base of the small petal, then through the base of the next large petal. Wrap the 28-gauge wire around the base of the large petal three times. String 1 CZ in color C and, working counterclockwise, wrap the 28-gauge wire twice around the 20-gauge wire. Move counterclockwise around the petal, adding CZs (with two wraps between each) in the following color order: C, C, A, B, A, B, A, B, A, B, A, B, A, B, A, C, and C.
Repeat Step 7 twice more to cover the remaining two large petals and adding more 28-gauge wire as needed.
Wrap the 28-gauge wire twice around the base of one small petal. String 1 CZ briolette and wrap around the base of the petal two or three times to secure. Continue, moving clockwise around the flower, to add 1 CZ briolette to each small petal.
Trim wire and tuck any tail wires into the back of the pedant.
Use about 3" of 20-gauge wire and the wire looping pliers to form a jump ring or split ring to attach to the bail: wrap the wire around the largest section of the wire looping pliers. Wrap the wire one complete time to form a jump ring or two times for a split ring. Use flush cutters to trim the ends, and attach the ring to the bail.
Use one to three colors of Soft Flex Medium .019 diameter wire to make the ornament hanger. Cut nine wires to 11" each (Note: to make a necklace instead of an ornament, simply extend the length of the wires). Use a bead stopper to hold the ends of three wires and braid the wires together. Repeat twice more. Use a Bead Stopper to hold all nine ends of wire (from the three braids) and braid the three braids together.
Use all nine wires to string one 3mm x 3mm crimp tube. Crimp the tube. Trim the tail ends of five of the wires, leaving the remaining wires intact. Remove any remaining Bead Stoppers and repeat step for the other ends of the wires.
Use one end of the wires to string one 3mm x 3mm crimp tube. Use the other end of the wires to string the ring on the pendant's bail. Pass the other end of the wires back through the crimp tube to form a ring of wire. Crimp the tube and trim all tail ends.
Use about 12" of 28-gauge wire to wrap a few times around the cluster of crimp tubes to secure. String 1 CZ in color A and wrap twice around the crimp tubes. Repeat to add 10 to 12 CZs, covering up the crimp tubes with sparkle.