Beginners Jewelry Making using Beads, Tools, Wire & Supplies Page 8

Jewelry Making -- How to Make a Wire Figure 8 Connector

A figure 8 connector is a jewelry wire component in the shape of the number 8. It is made of two loops oriented opposite one another. Both of these loops can be opened and closed using the techniques that we discussed on page 5. The figure 8 connector is made by making a simple P loop, then with your round nose pliers gripping the wire tail next to this initial loop and making a second loop in the opposite direction. For pictures and directions on how to make a figure 8, please select here.

One significant advantage of using a figure 8 connector instead of a simple jump ring (an open circle of wire) is that the figure 8 connector can allow a connection of two wire components without changing the orientation of the connection for the two wire components being connected. By contrast connecting two wire components by a jump ring will change the orientation of the connection by 90 degrees. This concept will be hard to understand until we start connecting bead dangles to earring findings to make simple earrings as discussed in page 9.

This WigJig jewelry making project is provided as part of WigJig University - College of Jewelry Making Designs. We try to provide interesting jewelry projects using beads, jewelry wire and other jewelry supplies. We hope that these pictures will provide you enough information for you to learn these jewelry making skills. We have tried in these pages to discuss the skills necessary for making jewelry in the detail that beginners need. We also suggest that beginners to jewelry making might need to visit the WigJig University College of Jewelry Making Techniques for additional information about some of the skills and techniques shown.

Most, but not all of the jewelry supplies shown here can be purchased in our WigJig store. We try to have a complete selection of jewelry supplies in our store including chain, wire, glass beads, findings, watches, tools, etc.