Okay, so I’ve been seeing these “gold tree of life” rings everywhere lately, and I finally caved. I wanted to see if I could make one myself instead of buying one. Gotta say, it was a bit of a rollercoaster, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!
Getting Started
First things first, I needed supplies. I grabbed some:
- Gold-colored wire – I went with a medium gauge, something I could bend but that would still hold its shape.
- A ring base – Just a simple, plain band.
- Wire cutters
- Pliers – Needle-nose were super helpful for the tiny bends.
The Messy Middle
Alright, this is where things got… interesting. I started by cutting a bunch of wire pieces. I didn’t really measure, just eyeballed it. Some longer, some shorter, for the branches and roots.
I took the longest piece and wrapped it around the ring base a few times to secure it. This was my “trunk.” Then, the real fun began. I started twisting and bending the other wire pieces, trying to make them look like branches. Honestly, it looked like a tangled mess for a while there. I kept adding more wire, twisting, turning, and cursing a little (okay, maybe a lot).
The pliers were my best friend here. I used them to make little loops and curls at the ends of the branches, trying to give it that “tree of life” vibe. I also used them to wrap the smaller wire pieces around the bigger ones, to make the branches look fuller.
I’m sure some people have a really fancy technique on this, that invovles math and measurements. I just played with it until I was satisfied.
For the roots, I did basically the same thing, but I wrapped them around the bottom of the ring base. I wanted them to look like they were spreading out and grounding the tree.
The (Almost) Finished Product
After a lot of fiddling and adjusting, I finally had something that resembled a tree! I trimmed any sharp ends with the wire cutters and used the pliers to tuck them in so they wouldn’t snag on anything.
It’s definitely not perfect. It’s a little wonky, and some of the branches are probably uneven. But you know what? I made it! And it actually looks pretty cool. It’s got that rustic, handmade feel that I really like.
It’s also my new favorite acessory, and I like seeing it on my finger and know the work and care I put into it.
