Easter Basket Necklace

Designer Jamie Hogsett
Skill Level Intermediate

Materials
Clasp - 1 set
20 gauge Soft Flex Craft Wire in Peacock Blue, Purple, Yellow and Fuschia Colors
3mm Sterling Silver Jump Rings (or jump rings made of 22 gauge Soft Flex Craft Wire as shown here) - 40 pcs

Tools
Cutters
LoopRite Looping Pliers
Nylon Jaw Pliers
WigJig Olympus Lite
Wonderful, Wearable Wire Book
Wire Whacker

Instructions

Note: The Flower Link, the Zigzag Oval Link, and the Many Ovals Link designs are from Wonderful, Wearable Wire. These designs are copyrighted by the WigJig company and have been used with their permission. Please visit their website at WigJig.com.

Step 1: Make nine Flower Links (page 25 in the book), two each in purple, peach, ice blue, and amethyst, and one in yellow, using 6 inches of wire for each link and 6 pegs. Begin by using the 3mm spot on the wire looping pliers to form a loop on one end of each wire.

Step 2: Place the pegs as show below:

Step 3: Place the loop of one wire on the left center peg, with the wire wrapping counter-clockwise from the wire end. Wrap the wire clockwise around the bottom left peg, then counter-clockwise around the top left peg. Wrap the wire clockwise around the bottom right peg, then clockwise around the top right peg. Wrap the wire clockwise around the left center peg and form a loop.

Step 4: Remove the link from the jig and cut off the excess wire after the final loop. Use the Wire Whacker to work-harden the link.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 3 and 4 eight times to complete nine links.

Step 6: Make five Zigzag Oval Links (page 40 in the book), one each of the five colors of 20-gauge wire, using 5 inches of wire for each link and 8 pegs. Begin by forming a loop on one end of each wire.

Step 7: Place the pegs as shown below:

Step 8: Place the loop of one wire on the bottom center peg, with the wire wrapping clockwise from the wire end. Bring the wire up and around the two left pegs, then wrap the wire clockwise halfway around the top center peg. Bring the wire down to the left of the peg just below the top center peg, then bring the wire down to the right of the peg below it. Wrap the wire counter clockwise halfway around the bottom center peg, then bring the wire up and around the two right pegs. Wrap the wire counter clockwise around the top center peg and form a loop.

Step 9: Remove the link from the jig and cut off the excess wire after the final loop. Use the Wire Whacker to work-harden the link, then form the link back into shape, if necessary.

Step 10: Repeat Steps 8 and 9 four times to complete five links.

Step 11: Make five Many Ovals Links (page 41 in the book), one each of the five colors of 20-gauge wire, using 7 inches of wire for each link and 12 pegs. Begin by forming a loop on one end of each wire.

Step 12: Place the pegs as shown below:

Step 13: Place the loop of one wire on the top center peg, with the wire wrapping clockwise from the wire end. Bring the wire clockwise around the three pegs below the top center peg, then around the top center peg again, forming a small oval. Bring the wire clockwise down around the two far right pegs and halfway around the bottom center peg. Bring the wire clockwise around the three pegs just above the bottom center peg, then around the bottom center peg again, forming a small oval. Bring the wire clockwise up around the two far left pegs. Wrap the wire clockwise around the top center peg and form a loop.

Step 14: Remove the link from the jig and cut off the excess wire after the final loop. Use the Wire Whacker to work-harden the link, then form the link back into shape, if necessary.

Step 15: Repeat Steps 13 and 14 four times to complete five links.

Step 16: Use 2 jump rings to attach one half of the clasp to the purple zigzag oval link. Attach links as follows using 2 jump rings between each pair of links: fuchsia flower link, peacock blue many ovals link, amethyst flower link, yellow zigzag link, purple flower link, fuchsia many ovals link, peacock blue flower link, amethyst zigzag link, yellow flower link, purple many ovals link, fuchsia flower link, peacock blue zigzag link, amethyst flower link, yellow many ovals link, purple flower link, fuchsia zigzag link, peacock blue flower link, and amethyst many ovals link. Use 2 jump rings to attach the final link to the other half of the clasp.

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Jamie Hogsett is a bead lover, jewelry designer, beading instructor, freelance editor, and the co-author of Show Your Colors. She is the author of Stringing Style and co-author of the Create Jewelry series: Pearls, Crystals, Stones, and Glass. Jamie's work has been published numerous times in Stringing and Beadwork magazines as well as in Beadwork Creates Beaded Rings, Beadwork Creates Beaded Bags, Beadwork Creates Beaded Earrings and other books and magazines from Interweave Press.