Millinery wire gives shape to a hat's brim and crown. This wire has a natural curve to it, which helps in the hat-shaping process. Plastic millinery wire is used to create flexible brims, and rayon-covered millinery wire is used to create brims that have a set shape to them. When joining millinery wire together to make a circle, there are a few methods you can use.
- Millinery wire gives shape to a hat's brim and crown.
- This wire has a natural curve to it, which helps in the hat-shaping process.
Open the roll of millinery wire slowly and carefully. Since the wire has a natural curve to it and is wound like a coil, it needs to be unwound slowly to avoid any springing or twisting of the wire.
Measure the wire to the desired length. Add an extra inch, then cut the wire.
Take one end of the wire and insert it into the wire joiner tube. Take the other end of the wire and insert it into the other end of the tube. Overlap the wires by 1 inch.
Pinch the wire joiner closed using the needle-nose pliers.
Paint a coat on clear nail polish all over the surface of a steel wire joiner so that it doesn't rust.
TIP
If you use a plastic wire joiner, use a lighter to apply heat. The heat from the flame will shrink the plastic on the wire joiner to hold the millinery wire in place. If you would rather use millinery thread instead of a wire joiner, add an extra two inches to the measurement of the wire instead of the original 1-inch addition. Make a circle out of the millinery wire and then overlap the ends by 2 inches. Start at one end of the overlapped wire and begin sewing the thread tightly around the wire. Keep wrapping all the way to the other end and tie the thread tightly.