Welcome to gingerlily Beads! Delivery to a relay point is offered to mainland France from €60

How to Make a Pigtail with Metal Wire

How to Make a Pigtail with Metal Wire
Get your pliers, your primers...
With our previous tutorial, you learned how to create a stem loop.
Today, you will learn how to make a “pigtail” on metal wire. The pigtail secures your creation. It’s a technique that jewelers use every day.
Step 1: You will need several tools to create this famous pigtail:
- gold or silver wire (thickness depending on your pearl and stone hole)
- pearls and/or stones
- 1 conical pliers
- 1 fine flat pliers without teeth
JEWELRY PIGTAIL
Steps 2 and 3: Take your conical pliers and make a loop with your cabled wire
JEWELRY PIGTAIL
Step 4: Next, use your fine flat pliers by putting your loop between the edges of it. You will maintain it during the next movement.
JEWELRY PIGTAIL
Step 5: With the conical pliers in your left or right hand, while holding the flat pliers in your right (or left) hand, take the wire from the loop, and twist it around the perpendicular wire. Twist the wire at least 3 times to make a sort of spring. (the pigtail must be very tight otherwise the thread will snag your clothes and it will not look pretty)
JEWELRY PIGTAIL
Step 6: Thread your beads and/or stones onto your wire (depending on your creation).
Make a pigtail
Step 7: As before, make a loop with your conical pliers
Tip : when you make your loop, your stones must be positioned well on the first pigtail. Your loop must be close to your last stone when the movement is going to be made (if your wire is large, be about 2mm from the stone to avoid breaking it).
Make a pigtail
Step 8: To perform the pigtail movement, if you are right-handed:
- the fine flat pliers must be placed in the right hand on the loop and
- the conical pliers must be put in the left hand with the remaining thread of the loop.
Twist the wire around the wire being perpendicular
Tip : The pigtail should be at the bottom of the loop.
Make a pigtail
Step 9: Your pigtails are made.
Tip: Start with fine thread for learning.
Make a pigtail

Our shopping selection

Special instructions for seller
Add a promotional code

What are you looking for?