Call me paranoid. But when I designed the
All Tied Up in a Bow necklace for a recent Prima Bead post, New Year's Eve. I didn't want to do what I usually do with cord ends - make a coil and shove up the cord with a bit of glue inside. This design was made up of many cord ends so I wanted to make sure every single one stayed put.
Once I decided on the length of the necklace, I bound the ends up tightly with grey Fireline. Modified surgeon's knot at the start and finish. See what did I tell you - paranoid!
I used Super New Glue (a different formulation from the kind you get in your local stores) which is very liquid. Not only did I apply it to the knotted Fireline but also allowed it to soak beneath into the cords. Be careful not to over soak with glue as it could spread much further than you'd like.
Trim off the cords just above the tied bundle.
Next wrap some wire (I used 20G) around the bundle. Starting off with a hook shape helps get the wrapping going.
Next make the two wire coil ends with 20G wire. I used the largest mandrel of my Artistic Wire Worker - you can use any other mandrel so long as the coil is big enough for your wire bound necklace ends.
When you get to the length you want, trim off the wire. Carefully unwind the wire end that was used to secure it to the mandrel and straighten it with nylon jawed pliers.
Use pliers - I find the broad nose pliers handy for this - to make that wire end perpendicular to the wire coil.
Feed the necklace end through the prepared coil.
Position both wire ends (the coil itself as well as the inserted one) at opposite sides. This is a more pleasing arrangement than if there was only one wire end as is typical with handmade wire coil ends. Wrap one around the other and form a wrapped loop. Do not cut off any wire ends.
Trim the wire ends so they are of approximately equal length.
Now make spirals or scroll starting at the very ends with a short loop around your chain nose (see tutorial below for spirals if you need it). The spirals not only add a decorative touch but also partially hides the cut ends of the cord inside. I made mine quite large but you could make them smaller if you prefer.
Last thing, bend down the end of the coil to help hold the cords together - extra insurance for the paranoid!
These cord ends are never coming off!
Before You Go: ______________________________
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