Instructions

Making the Box Frame

1. Lay the object down on the work surface. As you form the initial square frame outline (in step 2), lay it around your object to make sure the height and width will hold your object. You can build in as much or as little space as you want for your object to move around, but due to the nature of the wrapping, the bottom crossbars and the top arms need to be similar lengths to each other (i.e., you can’t make a wide flat rectangle).
2. Use wire cutters to flush trim the tips of the 22-gauge wire. Use chain-nose pliers to form a 90°angle about 3-1⁄2" (8.9 cm) from one end. Bend another 90° angle about 5⁄8" (1.5 cm) away from the first bend so the sides are parallel (see photo). Straighten the sides with your fingers. In general, keep pulling the wire straight with each bend.
    
   
3. About 1" (2.5 cm) up each side, use chain-nose pliers to bend the wires towards each other at 90° angles to block out a rectangle (see photo). Your object needs to fit within this outline, so adjust measurements if needed.
    
   
4. Bend the short tail straight up at a 90° angle from the center of the top edge to form a stem (see photo). The distance from the top rectangle corner to this stem is what we refer to as the top arm length; there will be four of these.
    
   
5. Use chain-nose pliers to hold the long wire where it crosses the stem, creating the second arm (see photo). Form a 90° angle that sits perpendicular to the stem.
    
   
6. Holding the chain-nose pliers at the top arm-length distance, bend another 90° angle in the long wire so it points straight down to form the third side (see photo). Try to make this top edge arm about same length as the two others.
    
   
7. Use chain-nose pliers to bend the long wire at a 90° angle so it crosses under the rectangle frame (see photo). Try to get these bottom wires to touch if possible.
    
   
8. Use chain-nose pliers to bend the wire at a 90° angle so it’s pointing up towards the top again (see photo). Try to make the bottom cross bars the same length.
    
   
9. Straighten the side and bend the wire at a 90° angle towards the stem to form the fourth top arm. Form the bend so the wire hits the stem above the first wire you bent around the stem (the third arm) in step 3.
10. Use chain-nose pliers to firmly hold the wire in position at the point where it meets the stem. Coil the long end snugly around the stem, using chain-nose pliers to tighten the coil after the first wrap, and then coil twice more. Use wire cutters to flush cut the wire and use chain-nose pliers to tuck in the tail (see photo).
     
    

Wrapping the Box

11. Use wire cutters to flush cut 24" (61 cm) of 26-gauge wire. Starting at the bottom of the box, leave a short tail and wrap the wire diagonally at the crossing point of the two cross bars to secure them together (see photo).
     
    
12. Use wire cutters to flush cut the tail and use chain-nose pliers to tuck it to the inside.
13. Establish the bottom center of the box by wrapping the wire over and once around each rib (see photo). Support and hold the frame by putting a finger inside if possible; try not to squeeze the ribs from the outside or the frame will distort. Hold the point where the wrapping wire crosses the rib and pull the wrapping wire tightly around each rib, lining up the wraps closely.
     
    
14. As the center grows to about the midpoint of the bottom crossbars, start to open up the wrapping and occasionally thread a bead onto the wire between wraps. Still pull the wrapping wire tight, but space the wraps away from each other by holding the wire as you wrap around the rib. Note: Keep sliding the crossbars so they are centered. If one bar becomes a lot longer, make a double coil around that rib to keep the wrapping fairly even to the corners.
15. Wrap the bottom until each corner is covered. Leave the wrapping wire dangling.
16. Coil the end of the remaining 26-gauge wire tightly around one of the top arms. Choose a long arm and one that is in a low position compared to the others. Be sure to coil the wire so that the working end will be wrapping in the opposite direction as the bottom wrapping wire when looking down from the top (see photo).
     
    
17. Use wire cutters to flush cut the tail and use chain-nose pliers to tuck it to the inside.
18. Wrap the top in the same way as the bottom, starting tight and then opening up (see photo). Wrap in an open manner and occasionally thread beads onto the wrapping wire to the corners and then down the sides one or two times around the form.
     
    
19. Your object should still fit easily through the openings, so now wrap one or two times around the box with the bottom wrapping wire, adding beads as desired, making sure your object can still fit inside (see photo).
     
    
20. When there’s just enough room to fit your object, pop it inside the box. Be sure to block the large unwrapped openings with your fingers so the object doesn’t fall out. Continue wrapping with the bottom wire to the midpoint, and then wrap with the top wire to the midpoint, threading beads onto the wire for some of the wraps.
21. End the wrapping wires by coiling them tightly around a rib. Use wire cutters to flush cut the tails and use chain-nose pliers to tuck them to the inside.

Finishing Up

22. Adjust the spacing of the wrapping wires and use chain-nose pliers to add kinks as desired. Choose the side that you want to face front and bend the top stem at a 90° angle facing that side. Use wire cutters to flush cut the stem wire to loop length and use round-nose pliers to form a simple loop.
23. Pass the ribbon through the loop and trim to desired length. Finish the ribbon ends with foldover crimps. Add a clasp with jump rings.

Ideas for Variations