Paddle Ring That I Made

It is very hot and humid and I do not want to leave my bedroom, the only room in the house with air conditioning. I could watch TV and sleep-- and don't get me wrong, there's a lot of that going on-- but that would make me look like the lazy schlump that I am. So I made a ring for no one and for no reason. I call it a Paddle Ring for reasons that are obvious. At least to me.

In my bedroom I had a flower crystal, 18 and 26 gauge copper wire and tools. The tools have names but they are names I have given them because I can't call everything 'thingie' (even though I do). Look, let's do this the easy way. Here's a picture of everything I used to make the ring.

O.K., I think I can give the official name of all the thingies in the picture: Ring mandrel, side cutters, round nosed pliers, chasing hammer and bench block. Gotta say Flatface, my name for the hammer, makes more sense.


Cut, oh, I don't know, about 5 or 6 inches of the 16 gauge wire (do you see a ruler in the picture of all the thingies I used? No. Should I have used one? Most definitely. Do I always ask questions I already know the answer to? Those are the best types of questions). Use the pointy pliers to make a loose loop.

Fit the bead in the loop.

Curlicue the other end.

More than that, dolt!

Both ends.

More! MORE! MORE CURLICUES!!!

Now beat those damned curlicues flat!

While you're at it, beat the loop too.

Cut about a yard of 26 gauge wire and wrap it about three or four times around the flattened loop.

Put the bead on and wrap it on the other side.

Now take all that extra wire and weave it around the two legs of the ring. I use a simple weave because I'm a simple person. A simpleton, even.

See? Simple over and under. Squeeze it tight to make it pretty.

And end it with 3 or 4 wraps around one leg.

Neaten it up. Cut extra wire. Tuck the ends. Shape it up nice then wrap it around the ring mandrel or any appropriately sized cylinder you have at your disposal.

 The End.