How to Make a Bird's Nest Necklace - Just in time for spring!

I ran across this craft while I was "stumbling" in Stumble Upon. I did not have silver wire at the moment, but still had lots of colored craft wire, so I decided to make it and do a hub. I am also not a fan of clasps that have to be opened, so I changed this up a bit to make it even easier for you to make.

To make the exact necklace I made:

• 3-4 beads with holes big enough for craft wire. Spare beads & left overs are great!
• one shank of colored craft wire. Very cheap in small quantities, I had some plastic coated copper wire left over, but the colored copper wire is also great. 24 or 22 gauge is best.
• one necklace blank with clasp (the one I used is leather cord with copper toggles) very inexpensive at Crafts 2000 or other craft store.

Tools:

• one wire clipper or toenail clipper
• needle nose pliers (optional, I did not use)

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Please remember that this is supposed to represent a birds nest. They are not neat so yours does not have to be neat, tidy or symmetrical!

1. Select 3 or 4 beads and choose your wire.
2. String the beads onto end of wire, twist the end back around the bead closest to end.
3. Slide the beads back to end bead & fold in half so that two are next to two.
4. Grasp beads 2 & 3, twist 1 & 4 so that the wire is twisted one full turn between them.
5. Wrap as many wire wraps around your fingers as you like, with the bead bundle at the tips of your fingers (I used eight).
6. Press the wire wraps together pulling the bead bundle to top center of nest.
7. Clip wire off about 4" & thread the end from the bottom through to the top of the wire bundle & one of the wire loops of the bead bundle (like sewing a button) while holding the whole bundle then wrap once more securing the first wrap.
8. Pull the wire across bottom to opposite side.
9. This time pull the wire to the outside and thread through the wire and bead bundles once and flip over.
10. Bend the wire end in a curve shape around half of your finger and use the curve to thread under the cross wire twice pulling tight to secure.
11. Clip the wire to about 1/8" and press the cut end toward the middle of the nest with thumb nail or the needle nose pliers. Wire is soft enough to do this with your nail.
12. Now cut a piece of wire about 11"-12" long.
13. Thread the wire end through the wire bundle only at a place where you do not have a wrap and wrap two to three times (I did three). Twist wire together about three twists, trim short end & pull remaining length across back side.
14. Thread wire over outside and into center same as before and wrap three times.
15. Turn to back side and thread end of wire under the cross wire and pull tight. Flip back over.
16. Thread wire in middle of one side of the circle that has wire wraps and add enough to equal the ones you just did.
17. Bring wire across back and repeat making enough wraps so all are equal. If you only did two you do not need to do the side that already has two.
18. Flip over and thread under a cross wrap.
19. Form a large loop that will be big enough to thread the necklace blank through after twisting. Twist as much as you like making sure you leave room for threading the necklace through and make sure the hole faces to the side of bird nest.
20. On back thread the loose end under several cross wires and pull tight, then thread under a wire several times again pulling tight each time.
21. Trim the wire very close and push the cut end towards middle (using thumb nail or pliers). This will keep the loose end from scratching you.
22. Now you just have to insert the necklace blank through the "bail loop" and put it on!