When I showed my roommate Nic that I was making one for Amy, she said she wanted one too! Two gifts in one shot, I'll take it!
What you'll need:
• 20 gauge wire (doesn't have to be gold plated, and can be another weight, but I wouldn't recommend anything less than 20, it will be too light to hold).
• Thread (whichever color you want the word to be, I used black)
• 2 Jumprings
• Jewelry pliers
• Large pliers & Wire Cutter (my large pliers have a wire cutter component)
• Chain of your choosing (with clasp, at whatever length you want the necklace)
• Sketch of your word, ensuring that there are two loops to hang the name from
1 / Cut your wire to your desired length. Mine was about 5 inches long for a 3-letter word (Amy required a bit more than Nic). This was a guesstimate. I'm not going to lie to you, I began without a plan and ran out of wire, had to straighten it out and start again.
2 / Using your pliers, make a loop at both ends of the wire.
3 / Tie one end of the string right below the loop in the wire. Wrap the string around and around and around the wire, very tightly, until you reach the end of your wire.
Tie off the thread.
4 / Using the pliers bend the wire based on your sketch into the desired shape. Loosely bend the wire first (no severe angles, more bubbly). When you see that you have enough wire and like the shape you achieved, go back through with the pliers and bend the angles into "sharper" shapes. BE CAREFUL NOT TO BEND AND BREAK THE WIRE. (I learned this the hard way and had to make Amy's over again!)
5 / Attach your jumprings to both or the loops you made in the wire and attach the chain.
To cross the "A" in Amy I just couldn't figure out how to bend the wire in a way I liked! The solution you ask?.... I wrapped a jumpring in thread and slid it over the A. Ta- Da!
They loved them! You could do initials, words (like LOVE, HOPE....) or names. This is such a versatile project, you can make them for so many people (and possibly a bracelet or ring!) and in whatever color you want! Who are you going to make it for?