Twisting Copper into Art: Simple Wire Craft Ideas

One of my favorite crafty projects right now is bending wire to make pot stickers. There’s just something so satisfying about seeing a piece of copper wire turn into something decorative to stick into a plant. From hearts and “I love you” hands to cats and words, I’ve been experimenting with new shapes. Learn how to bend copper wire into beautiful plant stakes and decorative shapes with this beginner-friendly wire art guide!

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Twisting Copper into Art: Simple Wire Craft Ideas

Materials Needed:

• Copper Wire
• Round Nose Pliers
• Nylon Pliers

Things to Know:

• Copper wire comes in gauges. The larger the number, the thinner the wire. 16-gauge copper wire is my current favorite because it is sturdy yet workable for crafts like wire bending to make plant stakes. It holds its shape well but is still easy to bend with pliers.

• Round Nose pliers are helpful because they allow me to bend, curl, and shape the copper wire without creating hard lines.

• Nylon-coated pliers are good but not as useful as I had hoped. Some people will say that these pliers can straighten wire and make it brand new and perfectly straight. But in my experience, that’s not the case. They do help straighten wire so you can reuse it, but they are not a magic cure.
• Wire Cutter pliers are a must. I raided my husband’s toolbox and found a pair of needlenose pliers that work great for bending and cutting the wire.

• Follow patterns to create shapes and words. You don’t need elaborate patterns; simply draw out what you want to create or write out the word in cursive and then use it to help bend the wire in the right shapes. If you can’t draw it yourself, then search for the shape online and use it as a pattern.

I wanted to try to make the shape of a cat but couldn’t imagine how to draw it, so I found this cute idea here. I simply followed the pattern and created my version of a cat to poke into a potted plant.

Words are tricky but not difficult.

I wanted to try to create word art with the copper wire so I wrote out the words in cursive and used that as a pattern. It took a little work to create the bends and shape the letters but I think they turned out really nice, don’t you? I can imagine these would be really nice as Christmas ornaments next year too!

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