How to Wire Wrap a Lampwork Vessel

Supplies you will need to start:

1 lampworked vessel
1 accent bead
1 cork
2 tiny sterling silver beads
1 bali silver spacer
1 sterling silver jump ring
2 lengths of sterling silver wire about 3 inches long
(I use 20 gauge round wire)
1 length of sterling silver chain about 2 and 1/2 inches long
1 sterling silver head pin.

Start by bending the two lengths of sterling silver wire at about an inch of the way from the end. I use 20 gauge half/hard SS wire here. But you can use whatever gauge would look best with your vessel.

Your two sterling silver wire pieces should now look like this.

Next make a loop starting right where the bend begins.
These are going to be your handles.

After you bend this loop you will have a bit of a tail left over, You will need to bend this little tail back down the length of the rest of the sterling silver wire.

2a.

The little tails coming back down the SS wires need to be pretty close to the same size. You may need to clip one so that they will be even.

Next, with both lengths of SS wire, you will bend another right angle where the SS wire tails end.

Your two SS wire pieces should now look like this.

Next, take one peice of the SS wire and nestle it up against the rim of your vessel.
While holding the loop end in place against the vessel, shape the rest of the SS wire around the rim of the vessel.
Do this with both lengths of SS wire, one on the right side, and one on the left.

Your work to this point should now look like this.
( I am just holding the SS wires in place here).

Now comes the tricky part! While holding the looped handles in place take the remaining length of SS wire from the opposite looped wire and VERY snuggly start wrapping around the opposing loop starting as close to the vessel as possible. Be sure to wrap the wire around both the tail and wire pieces as shown.
Basically you are interlocking the SS wire peices together this way.

It really does not matter if you decide to wrap over or under on this part as long as you do both sides the same way. Finish wire wrapping up to the beginning of the loops. Your work to this point should look like the picture above.

Now you just need to nip off the excess wire and tuck it in flush with your rounded needle nose pliers.
(Save these excess peices for a later
use I will mention).

1a.

Finishing off the top: I fit my cork inside the vessel and then make a small mark with my fingernail right where the cork comes out of the vessel.

With a razor tool I now cut the cork straight across where I placed my fingernail mark.

I have recieved so many requests to share instructions on how to wire wrap handles for a vessel so I decided to make a page. It is so much easier to explain with pictures!

Tools Needed:

Wire cutters
Rounded needle nose pliers
Regular needle nose pliers
Razor Tool

Your SS wire lengths should now look like this.

2b.

2c.

NOW FOR THE STOPPER!

1b.

Want to learn how to make a bead?
Click here:

Want to learn how to make a vessel?
Click here:

Then place one of the tiny SS balls onto your head pin. Then instead of plunging head pin through the top of the cork, come from the bottom this time.

Place on head pin in this order: your large bali spacer, your accenting lampwork bead, your small bali spacer, and your last tiny SS bead as shown.

With rounded needle nose pliers bend a right angle in the sterling head pin about 1/8 of an inch away from last bead.

Make a loop with the needle nose pliers in the head pin starting at the right angle that was just bent.

Attach one end of the length of silver chain onto the
loop before wire wrapping the loop closed.
You can also put small charms on at this stage if desired.