Bird's Nest Pendant Tutorial

I've been making bird’s nest pendants for several years. I've given many for gifts and sold a bunch in my Etsy shop. These make nice gifts for any woman, young or old. A lot of ladies who have children like to get them to represent their families with the number of eggs corresponding to the number of children they have. For example, if they have three children, they would request a pendant with three eggs. They’re not really eggs, obviously, but gemstone beads. Sometimes a mother might have only one child, but still want a nest with three eggs to represent herself and her husband as well. And I've also sold many to women who just like birds or nature in general and they don’t really care about the eggs representing anything. 

Today I am going to teach YOU how to make these pendants. They really do make such nice gifts and aren't very expensive to make. They do take a little practice to get it just right though, so expect the first couple tries to look a little wonky. I will include all the little tips and tricks I have learned to speed up the learning curve for you. If you prefer to skip the written tutorial, you can scroll down to the end and watch the video.  

If, however, after you've read through the tutorial and watched the video at the end you still don’t think it is something you want to tackle, but you still want one (or more), you can go to my Etsy shop and custom order one.

First you will need to gather your supplies. I can find everything I need at Michael’s, but I will also include Amazon links where you can purchase them online. Keep in mind that if you do use my affiliate link I will receive a small (tiny) commission, but it does not affect the price you pay at all. 

Supplies:

Wire-  I use 22 gauge wire. I have used both 20 and 24 successfully, but prefer 22. Two good choices are silver and bronze. 

Beads for eggs- I use 6 mm and 8 mm natural stone beads in white or 6 mm or 8 mm dyed turquoise. 

Screwdriver- with a round shaft that is somewhere around 5 mm in diameter.

Scissors

Pliers- Round nose or needle nose

Instructions:

First, cut your wire to about 3 yards. This is not exact. I hold the spool at my chest with one hand and pull three arm lengths out and cut with wire snips. You can get five or six pendants from one spool of wire.  

I apologize in advance for my ragged nails. I obviously wasn't thinking about how my hands would look in the pictures and video. I do NOT apologize for the awesome ring I am wearing. I didn't plan it, but it matches my little eggs perfectly. If you want one, I make them too and SOMETIMES have them in my Etsy shop so be sure to check those out if you're interested. I have many stone choices to choose from.

(When my husband proof-read this post for me, and got to this part, he said "I didn't notice your nails, but your hands look really old. I gave him 'the look' and he quickly followed with "for someone so beautiful." My daughter was standing there wide-eyed wondering if she was about to witness a murder. THIS is why girls need their girlfriends. We just don't need that kind of honesty in our lives. Am I right?)

Okay, back to the pendant... Men.

The first thing I do is make the bail. That is the part you string your necklace through. About eight inches in from one side, wrap the wire three times around the shaft of the screwdriver. Firmly grasp the wire below the coils and rotate the screwdriver 2-3 times. This allows a firm bail that is large enough for most necklaces to pass through easily. 

Then I take the wire that is left and wrap the entire length around the handle of the screwdriver to help it get in the shape it will need to be. It makes it easier to work with.

 Decide how many beads/eggs you want and slip them on the short end of wire. Twist it closed so the beads cannot fall off and start wrapping the tail that is left in a circle.

Imagine how a real nest looks. You see mostly grass and straw going in a circular line around the outside, but there are also cross pieces woven back and forth to hold it all together. That is what we are going to do.  With the long length that you wrapped around the handle of the screwdriver, begin forming the basic shape of your nest.

After you have used approximately 75% of the wire, then use what is left to start weaving it together and holding the pieces in place. You will wrap over the perimeter wires, then underneath across the bottom, back up and over the edge on the other side.

It is almost like you are darning a pair of socks with needle and thread.  Every so often make sure you are ‘catching’ the wire that immediately surrounds the eggs so that it is secure and doesn't flop out later. This is the part that will make most sense watching the video. 

When you have about twelve to fifteen inches of wire left, begin wrapping the base of the bail.  This is a nice way to finish it and give a polished look to your pendant. 

Keep in mind that it does take a little bit of practice learning to hold everything taut while you are weaving it all together, so don’t be discouraged if your nest isn't perfectly shaped. Each one will be a little different, no matter how much experience you have. I've made dozens of these (probably over 100) and sometimes mine still don’t turn out just the way I like. When that happens I will sometimes just take a wire cutter and snip the wire to salvage my beads and scrap the rest. 

When you are finished with your pendant, make sure you take the round nose pliers or needle nose and turn in the cut edges so that they are safely tucked inside where they won’t snag or scratch the wearer.

Now, be sure to watch me embarrass myself by watching my first YouTube video. Its obvious I haven't learned how to edit yet, as there are a few bloopers that I am sure will give you a chuckle. Just click the play button on the picture below.

I really hope you take the time to try this and if you do please send me a picture of your creation. But, if you’re not up to making it yourself, don’t forget you can still buy one made by me in my Etsy shop by clicking HERE.