Wire-Working: Simple Loop or Wrapped Loop?

How to Choose Which Wire Loop to Make For Your Jewelry Project

The most helpful jewelry wire-working technique you can know is making a loop in a piece of wire. If you can create the basic loop, you will have a place for a link or connection in your design.  

A common earring, for example, consists of beads on a headpin (which is basically a wire with a flattened end). The top of the wire is turned into a loop, and then that loop connects to an earwire. Another classic use of the loop is the link. Put a bead (or beads) on a wire, make a loop on either side of the bead and you now have a link – you can connect to both sides of the beads, like a rosary. Once you are comfortable with making a loop, the possibilities and variations are endless.

There are two types of loop that you can make: the simple loop (aka “open loop”), and the wrapped loop (aka “closed loop”). The simple loop is just that. The very end of the wire is simply turned into a circle until it meets itself again. This loop can be opened and closed, like a jump ring. The wrapped loop is similar except you start turning the wire not at the very end of the wire but deeper in.  This way you have a tail of wire that can be coiled, or wrapped, under the loop. Once your wire has been coiled this lop is closed and cannot be opened.

Related: “How To Make Earrings (Tutorial)

So which loop is the best one for my project?

Whether you are making earrings, a linked bracelet, a connection for a clasp, or whatever else you’ve dreamed up, there are pros and cons for each method. As you can see,  some elements of each technique can be a pro OR a con depending on what you need for your design.

The simple loop

• has fewer steps, and is therefore easier for some people (+)
• uses less wire (+)
• can be opened and closed so the component can be moved (+)
• can open up and potentially fall off (-)
• will be weak if the wire is too thin or too soft (-)

The wrapped loop

• appears a little bit more professional (+)
• is closed and won’t slip off (+)
• can utilize the coiling as part of the design (+)
• uses more wire (-)
• is more difficult for some people (-)
• is closed so the component can’t be moved (-)

Ask yourself these questions when choosing a simple loop vs. a wrapped loop.

• Do I have enough wire? For instance, if you only have a 1/4″ left on a headpin, you’ll have to go with the simple loop.
• Is my wire thick enough? If you are making a simple loop, you’ll need at least 22ga wire so the chances of it opening up are reduced.
• Is my wire stiff enough? Some craft wires are very soft and even the thicker gauges are easy to pull open. If your wire is soft, stick with a wrapped loop.
• Do I want to move this looped component around? For example, if you are making a charm bracelet or necklace and expect to move the charms around you will need to make open (simple) loops. [An alternative: used closed loops but connect with jump rings.]
• Am I connecting to something thin that can slip through an open loop? If you are making a drop that will hang from beading wire or thread, for instance, there is a very good chance that the stringing material will slip through the opening of the simple loop – even if it seems well closed.
• Is there room for me to maneuver the closed loop? If you are clustering several drops in a tight space, sometimes it is just too crowded to make a good wrapped loop. Either attach wrapped loops with jump rings, or if that’s too much hardware, go with the simple loop.
• Will either loop add to the look of the design? Sometimes, a wrapped loop looks more professional, or maybe an extra-long coiled wrap will make the piece look more unique. On the other hand, perhaps you need something simple and less noticeable.
• Do I like making one style more than the other? Sometimes that’s all it takes to make the decision!