Wire loops are ubiquitous in wire projects. Because they are so common, well formed loops are essential for making a piece look cleaner and more professional.

Note: If you have thin, or particularly soft wire, you may need to wrap the loop to ensure it stays closed. Please see our tutorial on how to wire wrap a loop, if this is the case.

Common Wire Loop Problems and Their Solutions  

Tools Needed

To create wire loops, you will need:

Chain nose pliers, which can be regular or bent nose pliers
Round nose pliers

You will also need wire cutters to cut your wire to the needed length.

Steps:

1.	With a 5" length of wire, and your chain nose pliers, make a sharp 90° bend about 1/2" (12 mm) from the wire's end. The 1/2" is variable: for larger loops, make the bend farther from the end; for a smaller loop, make the bend closer to the wire's end. The thickness of the wire can also effect this distance.
2.	Hold the the bent wire vertically, with the bent section pointing towards you, in your non-dominant hand (your right hand if you are left-handed; your left hand if you're right-handed). Hold your round nose pliers in your dominant hand (your left hand if you're left-handed; your right hand if you're right-handed), with your palm facing away from you. With the round nose pliers, grasp the very tip of the bent wire.
3.	To start forming the loop, gently twist the pliers away from you. Keep the wire in contact with the pliers at the same distance from the plier tip. Turn the pliers about a half turn.
4.	After about 1/2 a turn, possibly less, your hands and wrists were probably in an awkward angle. To continue the loop, release the wire and rotate the pliers back to the starting position, with your dominant hand facing away from you. Grip the wire the same distance from the plier tips, and turn again.
5.	Continue with step 4, until the loop is formed. When rotating the pliers, be sure the loop has full contact with the pliers (also known as the pliers "filling" the wire). This will ensure the loop forms uniformly.
Suggestion:
	Draw a mark on your pliers with a permanent marker. Use this mark as a guide for placing the wire when making a loop. By the time the mark wears off, you'll know exactly where to grip the wire for perfect loops!

Troubleshooting  > >  Common Wire Loop Problems and Their Solutions  

Next Technique >> How to Wire Wrap a Loop