If you’re looking to find some new tools and materials for your wire-wrapping I would like to share some of my favorites with you. This list is beginner friendly, as well as intermediate. Many of the materials I will be recommending helped me cross over to smoother-experiences and re-ignited my curiosity towards what copper-wire can do.

Copper wire, let’s start there.

My first go-to will have to be Parawire. Specifically their Non-Tarnish Copper Wire. It’s as malleable as warm-butter being greeted by a butter knife. I also use Silver-Plated Copper Wire from them, as well as the matching Half-Round and Square Wire. I personally do the wire-twisting with Square wire myself, but they also have the option to order it pre-twisted.

The second recommendation comes from Hippie Coyote, who once gave beginner-Lily a golden nugget of knowledge that I will always be grateful for. And that was how well Zebra Wire’s tarnishing Copper moved in your hands. It bends effortlessly, so every movement counts. Zebra Wire is sold through Fire Mountain Gems. Sadly they only offer Round wire, but you can get tarnishing Half-Round (Round as well) or Square wire through Rio Grande.

When it comes to what wire gauges I work with: I recommend starting with 18-28 gauges. 18-24 for base wire, 24-28 gauge for weaving wire. Half-Round I typically work with 18-21 gauge.

The main difference between Parawire’s Copper and Zebra Wire/Rio Grande’s is all in the fact that one remains naturally bright while the others do not. If you were to wrap with tarnishing Copper you can either dip it into some Liver of Sulfur water right after creation, or you would let it naturally darken over time. Taking the route of giving your wire a patina comes with many steps, so please watch this video I’ve created to learn more.

Then if you are ready to work with Sterling Silver, or even Gold-filled wire, I again recommend browsing through Rio Grande’s Sterling Silver and Gold sections. If you are working with these materials for the first time I would go for soft/dead-soft. Once you get the hang of it: keep the soft wires for your smaller gauges and level up to half-hard for the thicker, base wires.

You can’t bend metals without some pliers.

If I can remember correctly my wire wrapping journey began with the Jewelry Plier Set by Bead Landing— but they only lasted me for so long. They are a great beginner plier set if you are wanting to see if wire-wrapping is for you.

As I continued wrapping I found myself looking for a thinner chain-nose plier and some sharper cutters. So after some looking I came across the wonderful Plato Cutters and a plier set similar to the Beadsmith kit. The main tools I use are the Chain Nose Plier, Round Nose and Cutters. A tool that has also helped me immensely are Bail Making Pliers. They are not required, but definitely recommended.

Wanna add some textures to your work?

Place your already-shaped wire onto a Jeweler Anvil and hammer it with this Chasing Hammer. If you finish hammering and have some sharp edges file them down to smooth. If you have no experience working with these tools and want some help you can schedule a one-on-one class with me, or wait to see if I have a tutorial pop up.

I hope you found this information to be helpful! If you have any questions about the what’s been mentioned, or unmentioned rather, feel free to contact me.

Sunday's Jewels Recommended Tools and Materials

Copper wire, let’s start there.

You can’t bend metals without some pliers.

Wanna add some textures to your work?