• Making chainmail is a challenging silver wire project.chain armour image by Sergey Goruppa from Fotolia.com
  
  Many projects can be crafted from silver wire, which is often chosen for its affordability and quality. Silver wire comes in two grades: fine silver, which is 99.9 percent pure; and sterling silver, which is 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. Fine silver is prized for its ability to bend without springing back and its resistance to tarnishing. Sterling silver adds strength while retaining silver's malleability. Most silver jewelry findings are made from sterling silver.
  
  

Wire-Wrap Ring

• Silver wire can be wrapped to make jewelry and art pieces. Stones and beads are often added to enhance the pieces. To make a simple wire-wrap ring you will need an 8-mm bead, 12 inches of 20-gauge wire, bent-nose pliers, wire snips and a ring mandrel. String the bead onto the middle of the wire. Place the bead on the mandrel at the chosen ring size. Wrap each end of the wire once around the mandrel and back past the bead. Cross the wires around the circumference of the bead four or five times, keeping the wire taunt around the bead. Clip the wire on each side of the bead, leaving about 1.5 inches on the ends to finish the sides of the ring. Wrap each end four or five times down the side of the ring, keeping it taut and neat as you go. To finish, cut the excess off and squeeze with the pliers, pressing the end down so it does not catch on anything.
  
  

Bent-Wire Name

• Silver wire can be bent with tools or a jig. A jig is a flat surface such as a board or metal plate that has holes at equal intervals. Pegs are placed in the holes, and wire is bent around the pegs to manipulate the wire to the desired shape. Bent-wire techniques are used to make a variety of items, such as jewelry pieces, napkin rings, and wall art. To make a bent-wire name for a pendent or decoration you will need a wire jig, round-nose pliers, wire snips and an adequate length of silver wire (depending on the length of the name). Place the posts in the jig for the first letter. Cursive writing works best to keep the name in a continuous line. Bend the wire to form the first letter using the round-nose pliers as needed to assist. Take the posts out and replace them to form the next letter. Continue this until the name is spelled out in wire.
  
  

Chainmail Fabric

• Silver wire can be made into jump rings, which are open-ended wire rings, and put together in sequence to create chain mail. Chainmail is used to make eye-pleasing jewelry as well as chainmail fabric that can be used to enhance armor. For chainmail to be sturdy and hold together, each ring needs to be soldered after placement. To make simple chainmail fabric you will need sufficient jump rings for the size of the project, two needle-nose pliers, a soldering iron and solder. Attach several jump rings together and solder each closed, forming a single chain. Attach two jump rings in the chain with a single jump ring and solder. Continue this process back and forth across the width of the chain to form the desired length of chainmail fabric.
  
  

Knit and Crocheted Wire

• Silver wire can be crocheted and knitted when used in a small enough gauge, creating a lacelike look that can be enhanced with beads and findings. Use metal knitting needles and crochet hooks because those made from plastic or wood will get scratched by the wire. The process is also hard on your hands because the wire does not give like string or yarn. Follow a pattern or you can make a freeform piece. Some knitting patterns require a knitting jig, which can be made or purchased.