If you need to bend wire for artistic or practical reasons, even fairly thick wire like heavy coat hangers or brass rods as I have in the photos, the wire bending jig is amazing.
This is how I make supports to hold my one cup coffee filters up over the coffee cup, rather than letting the filter sit down in the water. I love these filters, but someone needs to start a business selling these "in-the-cup" supports.
The Wire Bender Jig costs $6. I got mine from Lee Valley Tools