Elizabeth’s Wire Tendrils
- Floral or craft wire – I’ve used 8cm of green 24 guage paper-covered stub wire
- Craft (jewellery) pliers and wire cutter
- Pattern or template
Use a piece of the wire to form a shape that pleases you. When making anything out of wire it is best to turn the ends into a tight curl so no sharp bits are exposed. Put the wire shape on some thick cardboard and draw round it to make your template. Pierce a hole through the template at one end of your drawn shape. This is the end you’ll start so if you’re right handed you’ll begin working from the left towards the right and right to left if left handed.
Cut your length of wire and curl the end tightly around the craft pliers. Put a pin through this tiny loop and then through the hole you’ve made in your cardboard template. Make sure you have a pad under the cardboard so you don’t pierce your French-polished, antique, dining-room table. A helper is always useful and Jasmine is my chief assistant.
Once the wire is anchored with the pin use the fingers of your left hand (or ask your assistant to help) to hold the wire against the cardboard as you use the other hand to shape the wire to the template.
Remove the pin, use your fingers to smooth out any kinks and make sure there are no sharp edges in the tight curls of the ends.
Glue onto your name card.