How do you make loops with the Looper pliers?

One Step Looper Clips: How to Create Perfect Loops in a Single Step

Do you dream of making uniform loops without spending hours on them? The Looper pliers are perfect for you. Whether you’re just starting out in jewelry making or you’re already a seasoned designer, this all-in-one tool will transform the way you work. No more switching back and forth between cutting pliers and round-nose pliers—here, it’s all done in a single motion.

What is the Looper pliers?

The Looper pliers (also called the One Step Looper) is a jewelry-making tool that combines two functions into a single pair of pliers:

• It cuts the wire or post to the correct length;
• It forms the loop, perfectly round and even.

Unlike the traditional method using round-nose pliers, you only need to make a single motion. The result? Identical loops from one piece to the next, even without experience.

It works with flat-head, ball-head, or decorative pins, as well as with soft to semi-hard metal wire (brass, copper, etc.). However, it is not compatible with hard metals such as thick stainless steel.

How to Use the Looper Pliers, Step by Step

1. Thread your bead onto the pin or wire, leaving enough wire hanging free.
2. Make sure the bead touches the pliers as you position the wire in the jaws, moving from left to right.
3. Close the pliers in one smooth motion: it cuts the excess wire and forms the loop at the same time.
4. Gently open the pliers: your loop is ready, perfectly round.

Which size of Looper pliers should you choose?

Perles & Co offers several loop diameters to suit your designs:

• The 1.5 mm One Step Looper pliers— for right-handed users —for fine loops with an inner diameter of 1.5 mm, ideal for delicate jewelry and earrings.
• A left-handed version is also available for this same diameter.
• The One Step 2.25 mm Looper pliers, a good all-around choice for most projects. The loops will have an inner diameter of 2.25 mm.
• The One Step 3 mm Big Looper pliers, for wider loops with an inner diameter of 3 mm, perfect for charms and larger pendants.

If you’re just starting out and need to choose only one pair of pliers, the 1.5 mm version is suitable for most projects: earrings, charms, and bracelets made with linked tube beads.

What types of jewelry can you make with the Looper pliers?

This tool is particularly handy for:

• Making earrings with studs;
• Creating pendants and charms by forming a loop at the end of a post;

You can find step-by-step instructions for this technique in several of our tutorials, such as these multi-charm hoop earrings made with natural stones, these carnelian clover drop earrings, or these asymmetrical drop earrings.

What if you don’t have a Looper plier?

No problem: you can achieve the same result using flat-nose pliers and round-nose pliers by following our technical guide. For jewelry that’s subject to more tension, the pigtail loop provides a stronger hold.