Handmade silver wire wrapped Celtic knot heart pendant

I often get customer orders where I'll be asked to replicate an item that was lost or broken. This was the case when a customer recently asked if I could make a copy of a Celtic knot heart necklace she'd once owned and had misplaced.

To get started, she sent me a photo of her old necklace. This piece had been made with thick silver, which had been cast and soldered. I explained that I don't solder and could do a version that's wire wrapped instead. I noted that while I wouldn't be able to do an exact replica, I could make something in a similar design.

I've never made any pieces involving Celtic knots and they're pretty complicated. My way of working through this was to tackle the pendant piece by piece. I had to do a lot of adjusting so that I could incorporate the wraps. I swear, sometimes I feel as if I'm a structural engineer...

My first challenge was creating the heart within the heart. The original consisted of a much larger outside piece and then inner knots kind of "floated" within the frame. However, I needed them to be close to the edge so I could effectively wrap and attach them. Because of this, the double heart is a bit smaller than the original.

Next, I needed to make and attach those outside scrolls. Making them wasn't too difficult, but securing the 14-gauge wire took some trial and error. At first, I centered the scrolls on top of the heart and wrapped them with a bundle of thin wire. Unfortunately, the scrolls looked "bunched up," as my customer noted, and the wraps were way too bulky. Also, the thin wire I'd used was a shade darker than the thick, which gave the piece an industrial look -- definitely not what she wanted.

I purchased 26 gauge wire in a lighter shade so it would blend more easily and reoriented the scrolls so they were closer to the initial design. They now flow outward and are not squished in the center.

Those loops on each end are actually open curls in the original, but I had to close them so the chain will stay attached to the pendant. I also added an extra loop on the innermost scrolls so they'd be easier to wrap.

I put a lot of time into creating this piece and hope the customer likes it. As I said before, it doesn't look exactly like the original, but there was no way for me to make an exact replica when using different techniques. I'm always nervous when showing a finished result to someone who'd ordered a custom piece. Hopefully, it's close to what she wants!

Though I've been spending most of my time on glass jewelry, I'm still learning new ways to work with wire. Even if the customer ultimately rejects my work, I feel that I have at least gotten something out of the experience by trying something different from what I've done.

Check out the rest of my handmade jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Handmade custom jewellery: Silver wire wrapped giant flower necklace with fancy wire wrapped clasp

I have a couple of "regulars" on Etsy who come to me every few months with ideas for custom orders. One customer, in particular, really likes pieces with fancy earring hooks or clasps. I'll admit -- I don't pay as much attention to jewelry findings as I probably should. I usually just create simple earring wires or a standard hook clasp for necklaces, so I've enjoyed her suggestions.

One of the latest pieces she had me design was this giant flower silver wire wrapped necklace:

I have many flower pieces in my shop, but they're all pretty small; the flowers are part of a ring, bracelet or anklet. She asked me to take my design and create a flower that's at least three inches across. She also wanted six petals instead of eight.

These probably sound like small requests, but I've made literally thousands of these tiny daisies and have it down to a science! Honestly, if a petal is slightly out of wack, no one will notice when the flower is stuck in the middle of an anklet chain. But with this big, focal daisy, the dimensions and petals had to be as perfect as possible.

I didn't want the petals to be "floppy," so I used extremely thick 14 gauge silver plated wire. You can't even cut this stuff with standard wire clippers; you need the industrial strength pair. I then worked on this daisy for a couple of hours, measuring out every angle. The petals are not 100 percent... but I'd say they are at least 95. Not too bad since I do all of this by hand and don't use a machine.

Next, I worked on the clasp. Even though she wanted something unique, she still wanted it to be practical and easy-to-use, so I made a variant on the hook clasp I usually do.

In the end, she was pleased with my design. Whew! I'm always a little nervous when doing a custom order. I'm confident in my skills, but I still fear that the customer won't like my final product. So I'm always relieved when they're happy! Still, I enjoy collaborations and am impressed with the ideas my customers think up.

Do you have an idea for a custom piece? Give me a shout at Naomi's Designs! Also, check out my kids' jewellery line at MayaGirl Creations.

Making Wire Wrapped Jewelry: Designing Custom Orders

Some possible clients have asked about how I work with requests for custom orders. It really depends from order to order, but for the most part, it's something that I really enjoy.

Though I'm always coming up with new jewelry designs, I obviously can't think of everything! Many times my customers have great ideas for pieces and I'm happy to make them come to "life." Most simply ask me to tweak one of my already-existing designs. For instance, one woman asked me to add specific colored Swarovski crystals to a few of my pairs of earrings (pictured below). Another had me lengthen a couple of my bracelets so I could turn them into anklets. Then there are some clients who request that I make one of my pieces, say a ring, in silver instead of copper or gold instead of silver, etc.

A couple of clients have actually e-mailed me sketches of the pieces they had in mind. This was the case with the ring that's pictured. The woman lost an antique and asked me to replicate it; she then drew me a picture to show what it had looked like.

Then there are customers who give me a lot of freedom. One recently had me make wire wrapped lapis lazuli earrings with a note, "I'm not picky about what they look like, so just do something pretty." Another asked me to make a gold-colored bracelet with black and red beads, but was open to the actual design of it.

There are some instances when I can't honor a person's request -- and I will be very honest with them. One woman asked me to make her a vest from copper wire. I don't know anything about making clothes -- in copper or any other material! Not to mention, I probably would've have had to charge her about $1000 for materials and labor. Perhaps she would've been willing to pay this which would've been great for me, but I didn't think I could do a good job and wasn't about to rip her off. I found a couple of chainmaille artists on Etsy and sent her the links.

In general, I'm very flexible. Plus, it's fun coming up with new ideas and doing a collaboration. I do my best to keep the costs down and let customers know if a certain material won't be worth using. I do list the new design once it's made unless a customer specifically asks me to make a one-of-a-kind piece.

So if you're interested in hitting me up for an idea, simply click on the "custom order" link on my Etsy pages: Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. Meantime, check out some of the custom-made pieces I've done: