How to Make Wire Heart Jewelry

Use this free jewelry tutorial to make a heart shaped wire frame to use as a pendant or a base to add beads. It makes a perfect Valentine's Day jewelry DIY. 

I purchased some heart shaped wire beading frames (on the left) that I used as a template to make my own for Valentine's Day jewelry making projects. You can do the same by printing the outline of a heart as a template.

These heart shaped wire frames are perfect to add beads to, either with wire or by weaving on the beads with thread.  My wire heart is about 20mm wide and high, but once you get the hang of making these, you can make them any size you want.

Wire Heart Materials

I used 18 gauge copper wire to make my wire heart frames. If you want to use this as a charm without any further embellishment, you could use 16 gauge wire to make the frame a little heavier. Any craft wire, such as ParaWire, can be used.

You will need round nose pliers that are large enough to make the arc of the heart. I like to use bail making pliers or step pliers because it gives you a consistent sized mandrel. If you don't have bail making pliers, you can shape the wire around a sharpie, nail polish top or similar round object of the right size.

The links above will take you to Amazon to see the products. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.  

Read this article to see why I recommend six step bail making pliers to make consistent sized loops, especially for beginners.

Make the Heart Shaped Template

Start by making a heart shaped template on paper to use as a guide for shaping the wire. This will make it much easier to get the proportions and size correct for your finished jewelry.

I traced the heart frame on the inside and outside just so I could make a heart that was even and a similar size.  If you are particular about how the heart comes out, this is a good way to ensure it comes out the size and shape you want.

The 7 mm barrel of my step pliers provide the perfect size curve when I compared it to the sample heart frame and my template.  Using a little over 3 inches of 18 gauge wire, make the top curve of the heart using your pliers or mandrel.

Use the pliers to form a U shape in the wire. I used the middle sized barrel of the step pliers, which is a 7 mm mandrel.

Compare this to your paper template and mark the spot where the top center angle of the heart should be on the wire using a sharpie.

Make a bend in the wire on the mark with chain nose or square nose pliers so you can get a sharp angle.

Use the chain nose pliers to push the two sides of the wire close together until they are touching.

Comparing the shape of the wire to the template again, I can see that I have to separate the two sides of the wire in the center to straighten it and then make the second loop of the heart. Use your template to see what adjustments you will need to make.

After unfolding the wire in the center a bit, use the same barrel of the step pliers (or your mandrel) to make a curve that matches the first one.  Tuck the pliers right into the angle to get as close to the center as possible.

When the wire heart shape looks like you want it to, the next step is to trim and tuck the wires on the end.

Shape the wire heart just how you want it to be before trimming any of the wires at the bottom.  Trim the first wire so the end is flush with the other wire.  

The long wire end will be trimmed and wrapped over the end of the cut wire to secure the heart shape.

I flatten the part of the wire that will be wrapped over by smooshing it (technical term) in the jaws of my flat nose pliers.  It will only smoosh if you put the wire close to the hinge - and you should use your crappy pliers to do this since it could loosen the hinge. This isn't a required step, it just makes the wire fold a little flatter. It also helps to hold the wire in place.

Bend the wire tail around the wire that you trimmed and smooshed and then cut it so it is just long enough to hold the first wire in place.

Press the wire loop flat using your chain nose pliers and adjust the wires so everything is neat and looks how you want it to.

You can hammer the wire frame to work harden and flatten it a little.  If you have a rotary tumbler, you can also put it in the tumbler to polish and work harden the wire shape. The tumbler is optional, but it is a great way to finish several wire frames at once. Work hardening the wire frame helps it to maintain the shape, so either hammering or tumbling is recommended.

When the wire heart frame is done, you can put it directly on a chain to see how it hangs.

You can also add a jump ring to the heart shape and add it to the chain that way.

Wire Heart Pendant Ideas

Once you have mastered the basic frame technique, use this post to see how to make four of these frames at one time. This can be a real time saver, but it is more challenging and you still have to finish the wire shapes individually.

This post has some examples of how to add beads to the heart frames:  Wire Heart Jewelry Designs

You may also enjoy this free tutorial for a wire heart clasp 

or this free tutorial for a simple wire heart ring 

This heart pendant is one of my all time favorite jewelry designs. Make the heart frame the same way as in this tutorial, but instead of folding the second piece of wire over, make it into a decorative spiral at the end. Then use this tutorial to use wire to wrap beads to the heart frame. It's so easy and soooo pretty!

Do you love free DIY jewelry making projects? If so, follow me on social media including facebook or Pinterest.  You'll find more options, including getting my new projects via email on my Social Media & Contact page.

 And if you want to learn more wire jewelry making techniques, check out my book Wire Wrap Jewelry Making for Beginners: Step by Step Projects for Beaded Designs.