I'm using a wooden dowel and crafters wife for my mothers wall hanging. How do you go about getting the wire to stay put on the dowel?

crafters wire*

You could sand or cut a narrow slot on underside of dowel for wire to catch and it should hold.

I don't use wire. The dowel is slightly longer than the sleeve and it rests on two nails, one on each side. If your sleeve is split in the center, you only need one nail.

I make 2 sleeves, same size and leave a gap about an inch long for hanging, works fine for me.