If you want to diversify your home environment, it is interesting to decorate a child’s room and create something really original, do-it-yourself wire crafts will help you solve these problems.
Why wire?
This type of rolled metal can become a universal material for the manufacture of interior items, toys, souvenirs and jewelry. The convenience of working with this material is that it is able to take any shape and at the same time hold it securely.
The range of products made from it is incredibly wide:
- Exquisite and attractive solid jewelry, which was touched by the hand of a real master, can often cost no less than the vintage costume jewelry that is so popular today;
- A variety of decor - wall (paintings and figures), household items (vases, sculptures) in the interior look harmonious. And depending on the chosen plot, wire objects can give the atmosphere comfort and completeness;
- Massive furniture and fences. For beginners, this direction is not recommended. But with the acquisition of basic skills, you can make high-quality and durable chairs, dish holders, book stands or wine bottles;
- Original wire crafts that beginners train and children learn to develop artistic skills.
Wire: history of creation
Several millennia ago, this material was obtained by cutting metal sheets into narrow strips. To get rid of sharp edges, the strips were twisted in a special way or rolled between flat surfaces.
Modern methods of manufacturing wire are reduced to the drawing method. This technique consists of pulling metal rods through conical holes. This method was used in Persia in the VI century BC. e. However, the method of metal processing came to the territory of Central Europe in the 10th century AD. e. It was from this period that the industrial production of wire began. It was most widespread among artisans who repaired shoes, equipment and baskets.
The use of a steel analogue has become widespread. Chain mail was woven from it, brushes were made for combing wool, used in the manufacture of horse harness and chains, fishing gear and sewing accessories - needles. At the same time, the drawing method was also mastered to create wire from precious metals.
In the Middle Ages, flexible wires, similar to threads, made of gold and silver were used by needlewomen in France and England for rich embroidery. This continued until the middle of the 16th century. Gradually, the popularity of art began to decline. And not everyone could afford to engage in such a craft or hobby.
Produced wire and iron. For a long time, metal was not held in high esteem due to its tendency to corrode, but at the end of the 18th century, people nevertheless learned to protect such products from rust by tinning and black varnishing.
In America (first North) the wire arrived from England and Germany. But in 1812, when deliveries stopped as a result of a military conflict with Great Britain, the Americans began to develop their own production and build drawing factories. By the middle of the 19th century, thanks to the advent of the steam engine, the mass production of wire, fences and wire mesh was launched at full capacity.
The material became available, and since then the mass production of a wide variety of products by artisans began - from the simplest table accessories, decorations to furniture. Traditions of working with this material stopped with the advent of plastic. But today it is experiencing a rebirth.
Wire Techniques
With the vogue for an eco-conscious lifestyle, people have begun to think of easy ways to make great things without expensive technology. And today we learn about more and more original methods of creating beautiful and unusual, piece, not stamped on the assembly line interior items. Among the variety of working with wire, there are three main methods.
Depending on the type of product chosen, these methods can be combined with other types of needlework:
- Wire wrapping - weaving and twisting. Most often, a spiral shape is chosen. Fantasy curls, which gave rise to jewelry making techniques, look wonderful with any look;
- Beading is the creation of interior accessories and beautiful things from beads on a wire frame. Schemes - the most diverse. Start by simply stringing and forming air loops;
- Ganutel is the art of creating flowers for decor and stylish accessories (usually wedding) from fine spiral wire and silk threads. Such wire crafts are decorated with beads, beads and pearls.
Types of wire for artwork
Before you buy wire suitable for your crafts, learn about some of the features of its types.
Brass. The most popular material for creating beautiful jewelry. This species makes excellent brooches and hairpins. The material does not fade. That is why it is appreciated by lovers of needlework. This metal practically does not cause allergies. But keep in mind that sometimes it may contain a small amount of lead, a heavy metal that is harmful to health.
Copper. Its best use is the creation of the "tree of life", bonsai and other plant objects, including beaded flowers. It is very easy to work with this variety. It is recommended to start with it when your child shows interest in this fascinating type of creativity.
Silver. With its help, you can create premium jewelry. In the frame of such a wire, a variety of semi-precious large stones look very stylish - malachite, obsidian, amethyst and others. You can create a magnificent gift - a luxurious picture. Use this wire, ready-made patterns and beads.
Chenille or overcoat - this is the name of fluffy wire, which is still little known in our open spaces. This plush-covered "caterpillar" is a favorite with kids. It is good to make numbers, letters and other interesting things from such shaggy material. And the whole process will be full of notes of joy and fun. It bends well and cuts well with scissors. Products from it perfectly keep their shape.
Most of all, children like to create Christmas decorations and snowflakes, bouquets, funny animals and a lot of other things from chenille. A non-standard way of application was found by girls. They weave wire into their hair, thus creating amazing hairstyles that look like crowns.
There should be no problems with where to find simple and not very schemes for creating crafts of crafts of any wire objects. The possibilities of the World Wide Web are simply endless. And you can easily get simple diagrams with step-by-step instructions, freely available or buy author's drawings, as well as watch a thematic video.
Fix the image or appearance of the product you want to create, not only in your thoughts, but also on a piece of paper. Even the simplest "angel" or a house for a children's room needs to draw up a drawing or drawing. It will be much easier for you to work, seeing an approximate result in front of you.
Observe security measures. In this work, cutting objects (nippers) are used, and the wire itself is pricked. Therefore, young children, not older than 5 years, are not recommended to engage in such crafts.
Do not buy material in building supermarkets if you are going to create jewelry. For needlewomen, a special wire is produced, which is convenient to use and safe in terms of the origin of the raw materials for it. These recommendations will make your creativity a pleasant experience that can bring a lot of positive emotions.
Wire weaving was especially popular in Soviet times: then people, bracelets, rings, caskets, baskets, key chains, flowers were made from multi-colored flexible twigs. Today, any decoration and useful thing in everyday life can be bought, but it is much more pleasant. do it yourself and, for example, to give mom. Or surprise your peers with an original bauble made of beads and wire. Beginning needlewomen and needlewomen will benefit from an article from the old magazine "Family and School" about how how to weave wire. Here you will find schemes and methods of weaving from wire, get interesting ideas for creativity.
Material: pieces of telephone cable with insulation of various colors, and thicker wire that will be needed to make frames.
Tools: wire cutters, pliers, hammer and awl.
To make templates you will need: cardboard, paper (thick), ruler and compass.
Schemes and methods of weaving from wire
The first and second figures show different ways of weaving two, three or more pieces of wire. Weaving in the form of a braid (Figure 1, I a, b, c, d, e) . They take a piece of wire, bend it, fasten the second wire to the first one at the bend. For convenience, the upper part is fixed with a nail to the board and weaved, as indicated in the figure. You can make a rope out of two wires. Having connected two pieces, twist them to the right or to the left. Two "strings", twisted in different directions and put together, form a Christmas tree.
Wicker "path" (Figure 1, II a, b) . Taking a wire 1.5 mm thick, bend one end of it, and weave it with thinner wires at the bend until the width necessary for your track is formed. Having finished the first row, the end of the first piece of wire is bent, passing it between the ends of the entire braid, like the movement of a shuttle in a loom, and weaving of the second row begins. Having finished the second row, the end of the first piece is again bent and passed between the ends of the braid, but from the opposite side. In this order, weave the track to the desired size.
Braided round belt (Figure 1, III a, b, c, d, e, f, g, i, j) . The figure shows in sequential order the weaving of a girdle from the four ends of the wire.
When weaving, you need to remember that each row ends with threading the last end into the loop formed when the initial one is bent. A new row can be started from either end, but the last one must be threaded into the loop of the first, thus completing the weaving of the row.
The belt is woven from any number of wires. Figure 2 shows the weaving of two belts around the rod (front view and side view). The rod is made up of several wires laid in a row close to each other.
The first end of the wire is wound behind the rod and forms a loop on the side of the rod, and the second end of this wire, encircling the rod from the front side, is threaded into the loop formed and wound up behind the rod. Then the rod is encircled with the first end of the wire from the front side and threaded into the loop of the second end, and so, performing row after row, you can get a belt of any length.
The second exercise is slightly different from the first, the sequence of its implementation is shown in the figure.
Ideas: what interesting things can be woven from wire
Round wire stand:
On a board of small thickness, carnations without hats are driven in in a circle at the same distance. Then, with two pieces of wire 1.5 mm thick, the studs are braided around in opposite directions. The third piece of wire is placed radially between the nails, fastening the outer braid. The center is tied with a thin wire. The resulting frame is braided with a fourth, thinner piece of wire. Weaving on the frame starts from the center. Having fixed the end of the wire, weaving is carried out in a circle, alternately bending around from one side, then from the other, radially located threads.
Wire basket:
The frame is assembled from an even number of pieces of wire - 6, 8, 10 or more, depending on the size of the basket. First, a ring of the correct shape is bent, and then two risers, a bottom and a handle are made from one piece and fastened to the ring. Further, the rest of the risers and the base for the bottom are bent out of four pieces. Having bent the upper ends, they are hung on the ring, tightly secured with pliers.
First of all, weave the bottom. Having fixed the end of the wire in the center, several weaves are made in a circle, similar to the weaving of the stand, and then they switch to the weaving of the radial threads that form the bottom. In the same way, the risers of the sides are braided.
With this method of weaving, gaps remain between horizontally running threads. The base of the handle is braided with a thin wire, tightly fitting the spiral rings to each other.
Wire shopping bag:
For work, you will need a thick cardboard, equal in size to the intended bag. Points for the holes for attaching the handles and the frame of the bag are marked on it with a pencil. Holes are pierced in the designated places with an awl and two metal or wooden rings for handles are made. The finished handles are placed on the cardboard (at the attachment points on both sides) and fastened to the cardboard with a thin cord or wire, as shown in the figure.
In the manufacture of the frame, the wire threads are passed through the holes and thrown onto the rings of the handles. Then, in one of the ways, they start weaving from the bottom up. After the sides of the bag are ready, the cardboard is removed. For winding handles use a thin wire.
DIY colored wire flowers:
Figure 6 shows how to make flowers from spirals.
The flowers are collected in a bouquet and the "stems" are wrapped with thin wire, the ends are divided into separate bundles (8 - 10), which serve as a frame for weaving the base of the vase. The weaving method is the same as for the sides of the basket (see Figure 4).
Dog and deer:
The body and head of a deer are woven in the form of a round belt (see Figure 1).
The front legs are woven into the body and pass into the neck, made by the method of spiral winding. The doggy consists of a frame braided with a coil.
How to bend and join wire
Many different items can be made from wire - from the simplest hook to the most complex patterns. Suitable copper, iron, steel, aluminum wire and telephone cable with a different color coating. The wire is stored wound in circles. Of the tools you need: a hammer, a small vise, a file, pliers, wire cutters, pliers, pliers, round nose pliers, metalwork scissors, a soldering iron.
The wire is straightened by pulling it between two wooden blocks or by pulling it tightly around a round metal rod (door handle). Steel wire or thin bar metal is best straightened on a hard surface with a hammer or mallet. Small parts are bent with pliers or round nose pliers. Large and hard - bend in a vice.
Iron and copper thin wire is cut with wire cutters and pliers. Steel - in the place of the cut, it is preheated over a fire. Strip or sheet metal is first marked out, and then slightly incised at the marking points and chopped with strong blows.
Separate pieces of wire and other metal parts are connected by bending or soldering. In the first case, several turns are made, pulling the wire onto the rod. Before soldering, the surface of the parts is thoroughly cleaned with a file or sandpaper from dirt and rust. The wire is soldered by folding the two ends together, after twisting them for strength. A thin wire can be soldered using a paste - tinol, which is applied in a thin layer to the place of soldering and heated over a fire.
To learn how to do things from wire well and cleanly, you must first make some simple details:
- Spiral spring. A wire 1-1.5 mm thick is wound on a round wooden dagger of a cylindrical or conical shape (Figure 1, a).
- Rings and half rings. The spiral-spring is cut lengthwise (Figure 1, b).
- Flower. Six half rings are soldered to the ring (Figure 1, c).
- Gear. Six half rings are soldered together [Figure 1, d).
- Spiral. They take the end of the wire with round-nose pliers and twist it around by rotating the hand in a circle (Figure 1, e).
- Openwork of three spirals (Figure 1, f).
- Openwork leaf. On a blank of a conical shape, 4 - 5 rings are made (wire thickness - 0.5 - 1 mm). The resulting rings are shaped as shown in Figure 1, g, and soldered at the base.
- The shamrock is bent from one wire with pliers (Figure 1, h).
- Wave (Figure 1, i).
Star and ornamental stripe. On a board of small thickness, mark out the drawing and drive in nails without hats:
net:
Flower girl. A bracket with a spiral termination is bent from a two-millimeter wire. Separately, the ring is rolled up and fastened by intercepting the sides. At the top, the spirals are connected by three turns of wire (Figure 4).
Furniture. It is made from one and a half to two millimeter wire. Its parts are fastened together with coils. Thin-layer plywood or cardboard can serve as a seat and table top. For fastening in plywood, small holes are made with an awl (Figure 5).
Puzzle. It is necessary to separate its parts so as not to bend the wire anywhere and not to compress it (Figure 6).
Horse. From two pieces of wire 2.5 - 3 mm thick, the legs and two lower spirals are bent. From the third piece make the head, neck and upper spiral. From the fourth - a mane, turning on the back into coils fastening pieces of wire. The mane is soldered in several places (Figure 8).
Heron. It is made from one piece of wire (section - 3 mm) with spiral rings for a decorative vase (Figure 9).
I. Lyamin, Family and School magazine, 1971
We are starting a series of articles "Crafts from wire".
What can kids do with wire?
And the answer to this question depends on - WHY?
We will not consider here the option of making wire toys for the game - this is not serious. Nowadays, all children have so many purchased toys that there is no question of needing homemade toys. Therefore, we will consider working with wire only from the point of view of developing skills, especially since there really can be a lot of benefits.
So what are we going to do with wire to start with? And first, let's see what kind of wire we have. I found copper wire in plastic insulation - thick and thin and just uncoated wire.
To get acquainted, let's start with the one that is covered with insulation. I cut off pieces of thirty centimeters and distribute them to the students - straighten them! For myself, I take the wire twice as thick and begin to straighten all the bends.
Children ... are discouraged: in kindergarten, adults tint the background for drawing with them, warm plasticine on a radiator before sculpting and roll it into an even bar. Accustomed to service, the guys hold out their wire to me: help me!
Nothing, nothing! Straighten yourself! I assure you - you can handle it!
Here I was surprised: although I defiantly straightened my hard piece in front of everyone, the children behaved like a monkey with glasses - they tried to smooth it with their palms, pinched, wound the wire around their wrists ... In general, it became clear complete unfamiliarity with this material. And this is sad: children now easily manage with a tablet, build huge buildings from Lego, but now they see wire for the first time. Instead of real locksmith tools, the boys have plastic hammers and dummies of screwdrivers.
In this way, the wire was straightened for more than half the lesson.
Straightened? - Well done! Now make a triangle. Moreover, it should have straight sides and clear angular corners.
Well, now things have gone more fun - after all, the beginning is a dashing misfortune:
But for some reason, the ends of the wire do not interlock - the top diverges and the structure is not strong.
Okay, for the sake of being good people, I'll tell you - you need to make hooks at the ends of the wire and hook it like that.
We admired the triangle, now, without unhooking the ends of the wire, make a circle.
A circle? Straighten the folds again?
Yes, again.
Needlework is a unique way to create beautiful things and objects with your own hands. For example, weaving from wire, which will be discussed further, allows you to create beautiful jewelry, decor items, makes it possible to decorate your clothes, accessories, home and garden. What can be made from a material such as wire? What is the best place for beginners to start?
A little history of wire weaving
Wire products are valuable accessories and items that have always been very popular with both merchants and the fair sex. This is confirmed by the artifacts found by archaeologists and lovers of antiquities during excavations on ancient Russian burial mounds. In particular, the following decorations and objects were found from wire products:
- chain mail;
- bracelets;
- rings;
- pendants;
- chains;
- temporal rings.
It is interesting that each of the finds had its own individual wire weaving, which favorably distinguishes the exhibit from other household items and other utensils. Among the aforementioned objects, some were found that were made of thick forged wire.
Recall that the production of such material was previously considered a very complex and lengthy process. That is why the value of such items was equated to the price of products made of cast precious metals.
In the process of creating accessories, for example, one ring for a chain, blacksmiths first forged a kind of metal cord, then it was beaten with a hammer until it took the form of a cylinder. Accordingly, to create a complete chain, it was necessary to make many such rings and only then carry out weaving from wire. Today, the process of making products has become much simpler, therefore, with sufficient skills and some help, any Web user can make a beautiful ring or earrings.
What tools are needed for the job?
If you decide to make any wire product, pay attention to the standard set of auxiliary tools required for the job. So, you will need:
- pliers;
- wire cutters;
- round nose pliers;
- file for metal;
- hand or table vise;
- portable anvil.
What types of weaving are there?
At the moment, there are several weaving techniques that are used by craftsmen around the world. For example, one of the most popular is the Wire Wrap technique. It helps to beautifully braid a variety of beads, stones, accessories, create original earrings, cuffs, brooches, earrings and other jewelry. There is also a weaving technique that visually resembles similar needlework from ordinary yarn and thread. The simplest is also the "mail" technique, as well as Viking Knit. What is suitable wire weaving for beginners?
How to choose a weaving technique?
It is very difficult to be a beginner in any field of activity, including needlework and hobbies. There is always a risk of making the wrong choice, jumping to conclusions or making the wrong decision. Therefore, it is best to start with the simplest and most understandable technique for a beginner. Let's do it together.
Making a Viking Knit Bracelet: Tools
Viking Knit is a simple wire weave that does not require soldering each link individually and involves working with a large piece of wire. At the same time, each link is artificially "increased" until the moment when the entire chain closes. To do this, we need the following materials and tools:
- thin copper wire;
- simple pencil;
- scissors;
- ruler (preferably metal).
We create the basis for the product
Before you start weaving from wire (diagrams and photos can be found in our article), you need to prepare the base. To do this, take a ruler, cut a 40 cm long wire and wrap it exactly 6 times around your ruler. Next, remove the resulting loops and fix them using the free end of the wire. Then slightly shift the part of the attachment down, and make a flower out of the released loops.
Loop by loop: start weaving
At the next stage, we take a pencil, put it on top (from the unsharpened side), cut off more wires with a length of about 70 cm, put its free end into one of the first “petals” of our “flower”. Next, go to another "petal" and make the second, third and fourth loop. We pass to the second row, now clinging to the received loops of the previous one. We do this for a few more rows until the length of your working wire is reduced to 10-12 cm. This is how weaving from wire is done by hand.
We build up the wire and move on
To extend the weaving, it is necessary to artificially increase the wire. To do this, we fasten a new “working thread” to the small tip of the previous one, and hide its end under other links and loops. We cut off the excess and continue to create new rows and loops.
After it seems to you that the received loops will be enough, remove the weaving from the pencil and gently stretch. It turns out already a whole bracelet. Next, disconnect the excess, cut and fix. You can add such a product with beads and a clasp. The bracelet is ready. And you can also do such weaving from colored wire.
How to make a bracelet using colored wire?
In addition to jewelry, beautiful bracelets can be made from colored wire. For this you will need:
- scissors;
- rod for a pen;
- two- or four-color wire with a polymer layer;
- large and small beads.
Making the base for the bracelet
Take a small piece of wire (about 15-20 cm) and bend it in such a way that you get a kind of cross. Next, take a new piece of wire and start wrapping in zigzag movements. After 1-2 rows are “knitted”, transfer the resulting workpiece to the handle shaft (fix it on its back). Start weaving in a new wire in stages, making loops, as in the first example.
Once your bracelet is the right length, you can remove it from the stem, fasten it, cut off the excess, and add beads and a clasp for beauty. The bracelet is ready. The main thing is that it is easy and quick to make, and also has a bright color, so even children will like it.
Wire weaving (bracelets): what to consider when working?
When working with wire, safety precautions must be observed. For this purpose, it is best to wear gloves on your hands, and protect your eyes with goggles. When calculating the length of the product, remember that with dense weaving, the indicator will double if the wire is removed from the frame.
Work with scissors, round-nose pliers and side cutters should be done carefully, as there is a possibility of injury.
In a word, when working with wire, do not rush anywhere. Do everything without rushing. And then you will get the most beautiful wire products.
Wire is the material that is often used to create crafts. It is worth saying that even schoolchildren can make interesting crafts from such material. And all because this material is flexible. Wire today has several varieties. And each type of wire is suitable for creating certain things. Therefore, in this article we will tell you about which wire crafts are suitable for beginners. Also, these ideas can be suitable for schoolchildren.
Chenille wire and crafts from it
The most successful option for creating crafts is chenille or fluffy wire. This wire bends well and does not break, so it can easily take on absolutely any shape. In addition, in order to cut off a piece of chenille wire, you should use only scissors.
Chenille wire has another quality. It turns out that crafts from it will turn out unusually beautiful for you. Primary school students today make a variety of animal figurines from this material. And if you also want to make crafts from this material, then you should study a simple master class.
Progress:
- First, cut a small piece of wire from which it is worth forming a loop.
- Then, on one side, form a small ball, as in the photo.
- Wrap the part of the wire that remains on a felt-tip pen or pencil.
- Then, we remove the craft and form a tail on it.
- From the wire, cut a couple more pieces that should be formed, as shown in the photo.
- From these pieces you now have to make paws for the little animal. At the same time, the paws should be folded so that the chameleon can stand steadily on them.
- At the end of the craft - the chameleon should be attached with large eyes and a long tongue.
Pay attention to the scheme with which you can make funny little men or interesting little animals.
What crafts to make from copper wire
Copper wire is often used to create crafts. Basically, from this material, the guys make a frame, which is highly durable. And it is on this frame that various materials are mounted, for example, it can be beads, some beads and other elements for decoration.
Below in this article you will find diagrams that will help you see how to fold the wire in order to make interesting crafts with your own hands.
Wire flower craft
If you have patience and have at least a little experience in creating wire crafts, then you should try to take on more complex crafts, the manufacture of which should also bring you maximum positive. Such a flower can be made by older students of the lower grades. To create this craft, you must prepare:
- gouache,
- cotton pads themselves
- glass of water,
- starch, PVA glue,
- brush,
- wire,
- teip tape.
This craft is best done at home. And first the paste is cooked. And to cook this composition, you need to dilute one tablespoon in a small amount of water. Then pour this solution in a thin stream into a glass of boiling water. In this case, it is necessary to constantly stir everything. As soon as a homogeneous mass is obtained, it is worth taking cotton pads and moistening them well in this composition.
Progress:
- After such a procedure, the discs should definitely be dried, and then painted with paints, that is, with gouache.
- Once the paint is dry, cut out the flower petals from the discs. Together it is worth gluing 5 parts. After that, the middle is highlighted with orange paint.
- The core should be made from a small piece of cotton wool. The core is usually painted with white paint.
- A piece of wire for the stem should be wrapped with green tape. From the same tape it is worth making a couple of sheets. The stalk that turned out is worth attaching to the flower.
Finally
Now you know what DIY wire crafts you can make at home. And here we have collected the best for beginners who decide to do this kind of creativity.