Lizard Brooch

How to create a Lizard Brooch using wire,small glass beads and an old coat button.

1.) 14 pieces of wire at 8" long each (20 ga craft wire was used, 7 of two colors each were used to help with visuals).

2.) 28 smalls glass beads

3.) One old plastic coat button (A larger bead would be fine i just used the button since i had it and it matched my glass beads).

4.) Assorted jewelry pliers and cutters.

Gather 6 of your wires and set the other 8 aside. Find the halfway mark of one wire bend it into an "L" shape. Now start a tight wrap around the group of wire. This can be done pretty easily by hand until you get to the last little bit. Now use your pliers to flush the tip down to prevent unwanted poking. Next grab the next desired wire in the direction of the first wrap and do the same (I usually pick the wire under the end of the previous wrap to make it look a little more uniform). Carry on until you are down to 2 wires and you can twist them together. At the end of this phase you should have what resembles a small broom.

Now for the 8 wires. Right above your first wrap, circle a wire around the body, just a single wrap around will do try to keep it center as these will be the body and legs of the piece. Continue upwards until all 8 wires are used up. At the end of this step you should look like the last picture in this step.

Position your piece with the round parts of the 8 eyes you made are facing you. Starting with the top right wire slide one glass bead on and up against the project. Once the bead is on take that wire and go diagonal down to the opposite side, under and around leaving the wire position at the opposite bottom side of where you started. Next do the same with the top left wire (I started top right because I am right handed, left handers may feel more comfortable with top left first the only thing crucial is that you go opposite each time from top to bottom.) Alternate back and forth from top to bottom using 16 of your glass beads. If you opt to not use beads you will know when your done when your wire are all about the same length from wrapping.

With the wires you have sticking out to the side you can now start your legs. I separated these wires in 4 groups of 3 and twisted the legs ( You can do 4 groups of 4 for the legs if you desire, however I only had enough beads for a 3 toed lizard. Just make sure you allot for 4 more glass beads if you do so). The four spare wires not used for legs I took under the project and wrapped around the base of the tail. Slide a bead on each toe and bend the wire into a crook, if you find the bead is sliding on the toes you can give the foot a little twist until they are snug. Next at the top I slid as many wires as would fit through the button which left me two on the sides. I circled these around the neck and took the ones that went through the button under the head and circled and neck as well. The neck wraps were a little rough (my fault) so I added an extra piece of wire as a collar of sorts to cover it up. Lastly glue your lapel pin to the belly and show off your new lizard buddy!!! Hope you enjoyed this Instructable and enjoy creating!

A friend of mine found a little wire scorpion someone made a few years ago and by taking it apart and learning it in reverse along with a few YouTube videos and Instructables and a lot of wire, I came up with my version of the lizard. Keep your wire tucked, filed down and looped to help prevent unwanted poking, be safe and enjoy creating!