Making a Lure Display Stand

Use a few simple tools to create a wire display stand for your carved lure

Bend decorative wire into a matching stand for your carved project

After you finish carving a lure, it can be difficult to display it. In Woodcarving Illustrated Presents Whittling, Lora S. Irish demonstrates how to whittle a decorative lure with just one knife.

But if you add the hardware to the lure, it can be difficult to display the lure.

While a simple wire ornament stand, which can be found in most craft stores, can be used to display your lure, it's a simple task to bend your wire of choice into a matching stand. I match the color of the wire to the color of the wire I use to make hardware for the lure.

Step 1: Make the stand base. Cut an 18” (457mm) length of 12- or 14-gauge copper wire. Place the wire against the side of a 2” (51mm)-diameter jar with about 2” (51mm) of wire extending past the side of the jar. Roll the long end of the wire around the jar once, returning to the starting point. Slide the wire circle off the jar. Bend the short overhang at a 90° angle so it sits inside the circle; if the short piece extends beyond the circle, cut it off.	Step 2: Create the upright arm. Use flat-nose pliers to grip the long wire end where the circle closes; bend the wire upward at a right angle. Cut the upright off about 6” (152mm) from the circle base.
Step 3: Shape the hook. Grip the end of the wire with round-nose pliers and bend the wire into a half circle that turns away from the base loop toward the back of the display.	Step 4: Finish the display. Using round-nose pliers, grasp the wire about 3/4” (19mm) from the end loop and bend it forward to form a loose S. Use your fingers to arc the upright so the hook points upward and is positioned roughly over the front of the base circle.

Materials & Tools:

Materials:

• 12- or 14-gauge copper, colored copper, or aluminum wire

Tools:

• Wire cutters

• Flat-nose pliers

• Round-nose pliers

• 2”(51mm)-diameter bottle or jar