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Wire

Celtic Knot
Necklace

A nifty forming tool makes it easy

to create elegant, even loops
for a classic necklace.
by Irina Miech

Celtic trefoil (three leaf) pattern is easy to

create with wire and a pair of step-jaw pliers.
Ill show you how to use basic wireworking

skills to make a focal trefoil knot, complementary wire

connectors, and pairs of figure 8 chain links. Youll also
learn how to make spirals and wrapped loops, which
youll use to connect the components. If you have a
little more time, follow my instructions to make a pair
of earrings to match.

2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in

any form without permission from the publisher.

www.A r t J e w e l r y M a g . c o m

Part 1: Focal trefoil knot

materials

Using the largest step of your roundnose step-jaw pliers, grasp the middle
of a 1012-in. (25.430.5 cm) piece of
16-gauge (1.3 mm) wire. Bend the wire
around the jaw of the pliers until the
ends cross, forming a teardrop shape.

Reposition your pliers to grasp one wire

tail adjacent to where the wire crosses.

Necklace:
Sterling silver wire:
24-gauge (0.5 mm), dead-soft,
8 in. (20.3 cm)
22-gauge (0.6 mm), half-hard,
3036 in. (76.291.4 cm)
18-gauge (1.0 mm), dead-soft,
3036 in. (76.291.4 cm)
16-gauge (1.3 mm), dead-soft,
1012 in. (25.430.5 cm)
2 sterling silver beads: 8 mm, large hole
1317 sterling silver beads: 4 mm
S-hook clasp
Extender chain: 2 in. (51 mm)
Earrings:
Sterling silver wire:
24-gauge (0.5 mm), dead-soft,
4 in. (10.2 cm)
18-gauge (1.0 mm), dead-soft, 810 in.
(20.325.4 cm)
2 sterling silver jump rings:
soldered, 18-gauge (1.0 mm),
4 mm inside diameter
Sterling silver ear wires

Bend the wire around the jaw of the

pliers, and pull the end of the wire
through the center of the first teardrop
to form a second, interlocking teardrop.
NOTE: If the wire kinks, use flatnose
pliers to gently reshape it.

Reposition your pliers to grasp the wire

tail where the wires cross at the point
of the second teardrop. Bend the wire
around the jaw of the pliers and then
through the triangular space where the
first two teardrops overlap, forming a
third interlocking teardrop.

toolbox, www.artjewelrymag.
com/toolboxes

Wirework

additional tools & supplies

Step-jaw pliers: roundnose

suppliers

Wire, metal beads (Eclectica Beads,

262.641.0910, www.eclecticabeads.com;
Rio Grande, 800.545.6566, www.
riogrande.com)
Step-forming pliers (Eurotool,
800.552.3131, www.eurotool.com)

See Safety Basics at

www.artjewelrymag.com/howto

Use the step-jaw pliers, flatnose pliers,

and your fingers as needed to adjust the
size and shape of the teardrops to make
the knot symmetrical.

Place the knot on a bench block. Gently

strike the knot with a chasing hammer
to work-harden (not flatten) the knot.
NOTE: Do not hammer the intersection
points too much; you could thin and
weaken them.

www.A r t J e w e l r y M a g . c o m

Spiral components (viewed

from the back of the necklace)
add stability and a decorative
touch to the focal trefoil knot.

Part 2: Spiral embellishments

Place a 4-in. (10.2 cm) piece of 24-gauge

(0.5 mm) wire horizontally across the
back of the knot and through the space
where the left tail of the knot wire
crosses under the teardrop. With one
end of the wrapping wire, make three
wraps around the tail of the knot wire.

With the other end of the wrapping

wire, make three wraps around the knot
wire inside the teardrop.

Using the tips of roundnose or chainnose pliers, make a tight loop at one
end of the wrapping wire.

Videos & Basics

Check out these bonus tutorials
for fundamental techniques used
in this project:
Making a wire spiral
Forming a wrapped loop
Making an S-hook clasp
Use flatnose pliers to grasp across the
loop. Using your fingers, bend the wire
into a spiral .

Using flatnose pliers, gently press the

spiral against the focal knot to conceal
the wraps. Using the other end of the
wrapping wire, make and secure
another spiral. Add a second wrapping
wire to secure the right tail of the knot
wire and add the spiral embellishments.

Basics, www.artjewelrymag.
com/howto
Videos, www.artjewelrymag.
com/videos

www.A r t J e w e l r y M a g . c o m

Part 3: Curvy connectors

Slide a large bead onto one tail of the

knot wire. Use flatnose pliers to make a
90 bend in the tail.

Grasp the wire tail in the second step of

the step-jaw pliers. Bend the tail around
the jaw of the pliers to form a U.

Reposition the pliers to make a second

U-bend (the same size as the first) in the
opposite direction. Grasp the wire in the
smallest step of the pliers and make a
third U. Then, using roundnose pliers,
make a loop at the end of the wire tail.

Place the wire on a bench block. Taking

care not to strike the bead, hammer the
wire to work-harden and slightly flatten
the loop and U-bends. Repeat the
previous steps to shape and hammer
the second wire tail.

18 gauge
(1.0 mm)
22 gauge
(0.6 mm)

24 gauge
(0.5 mm)

Youll need four different gauges

of sterling silver wire to complete
this necklace.
16 gauge
(1.3 mm)

16 gauge
(1.3 mm)
www.A r t J e w e l r y M a g . c o m

Part 4: Figure 8 links

Use the small step of the step-jaw pliers

to make a loop at one end of a 2-in.
(51 cm) piece of 18-gauge (1.0 mm) wire.

Using roundnose pliers, bend the tail

of the wire in the opposite direction
to make the smaller loop of a figure 8.
Use flush cutters to trim the excess
wire. Repeat to make a total of 24
figure 8 components.

Flatten and work-harden each figure 8

component, using a chasing hammer
and the bench block.

Part 5: Assembly
online extra
Want to make your own S-hook
clasp? Check out our video tutorial
to learn how at www.artjewelry

mag.com/videos.

Stack the figure 8 components in pairs, with the large loop of each top component
aligned over the small loop of each bottom component.
To connect a stacked pair of figure 8 components to the focal trefoil knot, thread a
4-in. (10.2 cm) piece of 22-gauge (0.6 mm) wire through one end of a pair, and make
a wrapped loop B
.
Then, slide a bead onto the wire, thread the wire through the loop on one side of
the focal knot, and make a second wrapped loop. Repeat to attach a pair of figure 8
components to the other side of the focal piece.
Repeat the previous steps to connect the six pairs of figure 8 components on each
side of the focal knot and to add an S-hook clasp and an extender chain to the ends of
the necklace. If you wish, add a bead to the end of the extender chain with a single
wrapped loop as a decorative dangle.

www.A r t J e w e l r y M a g . c o m

make
matching

earrings
A petite version of the trefoil knot provides
the focal point for matching earrings.

Using the medium step of your

step-jaw pliers, bend 18-gauge
(1.0 mm) wire to make a trefoil
knot as you did for the necklace. Use flatnose pliers to
bend the wire ends upward
so that theyre parallel.

Using 24-gauge (0.5 mm) wire, make

three wraps around the wire ends.

Using your roundnose pliers, make a

loop at the end of the 24-gauge (0.5 mm)
wire. Then, using your flatnose pliers,
make a spiral and flatten it against the
top of the knot.

Using flush cutters, trim the excess

wire ends, leaving approximately a
3 8 -in. (9.5 mm) tail.

Use roundnose pliers to bend the tail

toward the back of the knot. Slide a jump
ring onto the tail, and then tighten the
tail against the knot. Then, add an ear
wire to the jump ring. Repeat to make
a second earring.

Beautiful Wire
Jewelry
for Beaders

for beaders
Creative
wirework
projects
for all levels

more from this artist

For more quick and stylish wire
projects, check out Irina Miechs
most recent publication,
Beautiful Wire Jewelry for Beaders,
at www.beadandcraftbooks.com.
Miech

Irina Miech has authored a series of metal clay

books and a wirework book, Beautiful Wire
Jewelry for Beaders. She has written articles
for Bead&Button, BeadStyle, and Art Jewelry
magazines. She teaches wirework and metal
clay classes at her stores, Eclectica and The Bead
Studio, in Brookfield, Wis. Contact her via e-mail
at eclecticainfo@sbcglobal.net.

Irina Miech

www.A r t J e w e l r y M a g . c o m

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