How to Make Loops on Head & Eye Pins
Basic Loops:
- The loop size will depend on how much wire you leave past the end of your beads, and around which part of your pliers you bend the loop. A good loop size is usually about 1/3 of the way from the tip of your pliers, with about 8mm of wire.
- Use round needle-nose pliers.
- If using an eye pin, decide which way you want the loop to go - the same direction as the premade loop on the other end, or 90º off. Keep this direction in mind as you bend the rest of the wire.
- Cut off any excess wire (we suggest retaining 8mm above the top of your beads).
- Grip the pin just above the top bead (at the arrow above), and bend the wire sharply toward you.
- Grasp the tip of the wire with pliers, and bend smoothly away from you, around the pliers.
Wrapped Loops:
- Use chain-nose pliers to grasp the wire just above the top of the bead.
- Use your fingers to bend the wire sharply over the top of the pliers, at a 90° angle. You should have 2-3mm of straight wire between the bead and the bend.
- Use round-nose pliers to grasp a spot just above the bend, and use your fingers to smoothly bend the wire all the way around the tip of the pliers.
- Now use pliers to grasp the wire firmly across the loop. Use your fingers or chain-nose pliers to carefully wrap the wire around the stem. For best control, experts recommend you break this step into a series of half wraps.
- Trim excess with flush cutters.
- If you have a pair of crimping pliers, use the "rounder" portion to tuck in the last wrap.
1-Step Looper
And if that looks like too much work, there's another option! Check out the quick & easy 1-step looper tutorial in our blog.
Sep 15th 2021
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