Things You'll Need
22 gauge jewelry wire
Round needle-nose jewelry pliers with wire cutter
12 beads
Beaded, wire-wrapped crosses are magnificent handcrafted items, seemingly unattainable for the average crafter. But you can make your own cross with a little knowledge. Jewelry wire comes in a variety of metals, gauges and colors. The gauge of wire is the thickness of the strand. The larger the gauge, the narrower the wire. Beads come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, made of glass, crystal or gemstones. The best choice for this project is a round 4-mm bead, although any size can be used.
Step 1
Cut three 10-inch lengths of wire.
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Step 2
Form an eye on one end of each of the three pieces of wire. Do this by gripping the wire a half-inch from the end with round, needle-nose pliers. Twist the end of the wire around the nose of the pliers to form an eye. Wrap the end of the wire twice around the long length of wire at the base of the eye.
Step 3
String three beads onto one wire length; this will be the vertical piece of the cross. Slide the eyes of the other two wires onto the first one, just under the three beads. These two pieces become the horizontal part of the cross.
Step 4
String two beads onto each of the horizontal lengths of wire. Form an eye and secure it in place, just behind the last of the two beads on each of the two wires. Leave the length of wire attached.
Step 5
String five more beads onto the vertical wire with the three beads and the two eyes. Form an eye and secure it at the bottom of these beads.
Step 6
Twist the remaining wire up and around each bead from the base of the bottom eye to the top eye base. Wrap the wire around at the base of the eye and cut off any excess.
Step 7
Wrap each of the two side pieces of wire in the same manner, stopping in the middle of the cross. Bend each piece of wire across the middle of the cross, forming an X on the front center of the piece. Bring the wires around to the back of the center and cut off the excess. With the pliers, tuck in the ends to prevent them from scratching or catching.
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