Coiled Wire Wreath, Candy Cane and Icicle Ornaments DIY

 Are you ready to trim the tree? Or do you need some quick gifts for co-workers, teachers or friends?  I've got you covered with some simple and fun ornaments made using coiled wire. The shapes in this tutorial are a wreath, candy cane and icicle.

All three shapes are based on the same simple wire technique - a wire coil.

To make wire ornaments, you will need 18 gauge or 20 gauge wire. These wire ornaments come out great in a wide variety of types of craft wire - so don't limit yourself to gold or silver wire.

The tools you will need are wire cutters and round nose or flat nose pliers.

In addition, you will need a consistent sized rod or mandrel to wrap wire around. If you have bail making or step pliers that have one or more sections of a consistent sized round jaw, they work great for this project. Otherwise, a round dowel, thin round pencil, cuticle stick or any other round rod that can be used to coil wire around will work.

To make a coil, leave a short tail of straight wire to hold on to and wrap the wire around your mandrel or rod. You don’t need to be super precise but try to keep each wrap close to the prior one to make la coil or spring.  Slide the coil off the rod when complete.

One of the best parts of this project is the measurements are flexible. You can coil some wire and then trim off a section the size that you need.

To make a wreath, start with a tight coil 1 to 1.5 inches long.  This works best if you have a straight tail of wire on either end of the coil. Grip the coil on each end and gently stretch it out, wrapping it around a circular object to make the wreath shape.

Use one side of the straight wire to make a hanging loop and the other to secure the ends of the coil together. Glue on beads, ribbon or other wire shapes to finish the ornament.

Candy cane coiled wire ornaments are a treat for all ages.  To make, elongate a coil and shape it with a shepherd’s hook on one end.

Wire icicles are super easy to make and help add a bit of unexpected sparkle to Christmas. Start with a coil. Pull the ends apart slowly until you have a long wavy coil. Make a loop and add a wire hanger.  If you have a longer tail of wire, make the loop fancy with additional curls or coils.

Bend wire hooks to hang your ornaments or add ones made from ribbon. You can also try making other shapes to decorate your wreaths.

I also have a video of how to coil the wire and make an icicle ornament.

Enjoy!