Working With Wire
 

Could someone please tell me how to work with wire? How do you get it to stay on the cs? Do you really need to purchase new tools to work with wire? Please help out a new stamper. :D

Bamboo skewers work really good for wrapping the wire around and making all kinds of spirals and other shapes. You can also use other "finds" to help shape the wire. The only other actual tool I use is a small pair of wire cutters that I think I got for around $5. You shouldn't really have to buy a bunch of other tools to work with, but you can if you want.

Try this!
 

I tape the wire on the back of the cardstock then feed it through a hole to the front of the card.
Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks so much for the help!

I wrap it around the butt end of a small paint brush to get my curls. Experiment with starting a small, tight curl/coil, then pinch it between your thumb and forfinger- now, use your other hand to wrap the wire around making a gradually increasingly big coil.

I've also used it on a candy pouch as a "handle", shaping a heart in the top after the ends are fed through the 1/16in. holes. Customers love this heart idea!

I like to have a pair of round nosed pliers and a pair of wire cutters. Most of the time, I use my hands for shaping the wire, but the pliers are great for dealing with the ends and tight turns.

You can attach wire lots of ways!
1. Use the mini glue dots. Either put them behind an area with crossed over wire, or roll and put behind a single strand of wire.

2. Punch small (1/16") holes and bend the wire around the back. (You can also just bend the wire around the edge of the page if it goes all the way across).

3. Stitch it on with matching or clear colored thread.

4. Put it through eyelets. This is great especially if you have coordinating colors with the rest of your project.

5. Hide it under another layer. Punches are great for this!

Thanks for the help! But at the risk of sounding ignorant, what are mini glue dots and can I get them at a local store?

Mini glue dots can be found in the SU catalog (they're new :D ) or at most craft or scrapbook stores.

They come in the mini size, plus in larger and thicker sizes. They're safe for scrapbooks, too.

They're a great adhesive for all sorts of lumpy things...wire, buttons, metal charms, just about anything! I don't know how I lived without them now that I have them.

Thanks for all the help, ladies!

You can also use CE to affix the wire to a card.