An easy to create and inexpensive wire ring!

I posted this a few years ago on a jewelry forum and people seemed to enjoy it, so I thought it would make a great instructable. I sold a lot of these when I started making jewelry - I called them "Bellybutton Rings" and it was one of my very first designs.

I usually made them out of 20 and 18 gauge soft wire (half-hard is too brittle and the "bellybutton" isn't as tight because the wire springs out a little).

You'll need a ring mandrel (or suitable equivalent), a flat-nosed jewelry pliers, a wire cutter, a small metal file, and a length of wire (the example is made with 14 gauge soft sterling silver).

Step 1: Initial Wrap

Wrap some wire around a ring mandrel twice so the ends shoot out in opposite directions.

Before I had a ring mandrel I used socket bits from a ratchet set - being metal they worked pretty well and it was easy to hold the ends of the bit while twisting wire to make the bellybutton. I tried a wooden dowel too but it would get all hacked over time.

Step 2: Creating the Swirl

This is the only real tricky part because the tightness of the center dictates how smooth the "bellybutton" looks. The best way I've found to get a tight center is to use your thumb and forefinger in a twisting motion - almost in the same way you use a screwdriver only you're making a little twirl of wire where the screwdriver usually is. It also helps to have the wires wrapped around the mandrel in a direction that allows you turn the imaginary screwdriver clockwise (or counter-clockwise for left-handers). You'll figure out what I mean the first time you wrap one the other way - it's clumsy...

Step 3: Completing the Swirl

Then you just wrap a nice smooth arc around the initial center - sometimes it helps to press down on the center with the thumb of one hand and wrap the wire with the other hand (between your thumb and the mandrel). The nice thing about soft wire is it's pretty easy to get a nice smooth arc once you've done it a few times - you get the feel of how the wire will bend.

You can make your swirl a little wider by going around the ring again if you like - I like two wraps because it matches the double-wire band.

Step 4: Adjusting the Ring

The ring will most likely appear crooked at this point - I've found that a good way to even it out is to slide the tip of my flat-nosed pliers under the "bellybutton" while the ring is on the mandrel nice and snug. The pressure will straighten out the ring a bit - you should do this on the opposite side as well.

Watch your fingers! If your plier slips you will get gouged unless you position your hands out of the way - it may also help to hold your thumb over the tip of your pliers and the "bellybutton" while you apply pressure.

Step 5: Removing Excess Wire

Now you can cut the excess wire off - you want to leave a little bit that extends past the center of the "bellybutton" as you'll need some to curl under. You should also file the ends at this point - remember to file away from the ring rather than towards it or you run the risk of slipping and cutting into your lovely ring.

Both cutting and filing are best done off the mandrel - I just put it there for easy display.

Step 6: Tucking in the Ends

Finish off your ring by tucking under the filed ends - you can use the flat-nosed pliers like you did in step 4 to do this. You can also use your pliers to tighten the "bellybutton" by lightly squeezing any arcs that need it - be careful not to scratch up the wire though... (and don't forget to mind your fingers around that pliers - especially with thicker wire because it will take more pressure to straighten the ring and curl under your wire ends)

The two wire loops of your ring may be slightly misaligned when you first take it off the mandrel - to fix this just pull slightly out on the appropriate sides of the two loops using your fingernails until the wires line up.

Well that's it - this is a great little ring and I couldn't make 'em fast enough back when I was actively selling in stores and art/craft shows. Please tweak and embellish the design at will and I don't mind if you sell what you make, just please don't sell the instructions as they've always been free.

Hope you like the instructable!

You can also start your ring with only one wrap around the mandrel rather than two. I like two because it's more interesting and it allows slightly more room for the wire ends as they curl under the "bellybutton." You can also pull them out and flatten your completed ring to make a bracelet by linking them together. You should use a minimum wire size of 18 gauge for the bracelet though - the 20 is a little too yankable.