How to Make a round bead cage

This video clip from The Crafts Channel shows how to make a bead cage. A bead cage is where a piece of wire is wrapped decoratively around a large bead. For the example bead cage .8 mm wire was used. If the wire is too thin it will not hold its shape, but if it is too thick it will be hard to bend into the desired shape. Take some needle nosed pliers and make a complete circle, and then use some flat nosed pliers to begin forming a spiral going outwards. Now do the same thing beginning at the opposite side, eventually folding the two spirals on top of each other. Now you can pop the bead into the cage. Next attach the restraining pin. You will not want to use the actual bead cage to attach the bead to your jewelry or it will pull the bead cage out of shape. Form a small circle with your needle nosed pliers and put through the bead, then make another small circle at the other end.