Make Your Own Earrings Using Beads
The best place for earring supplies is a bead shop, since they will have everything you need, and they will let you use the tools you need while you are in the shop. The other option is to buy or borrow the few simple tools needed for jewelry making. There are lots and lots of online stores for beads, with great prices and often with purchasing assistance available.
Type of Earrings. Instructions are included here for chain drop earrings. Decide on the type of earrings you like before heading to the store, since the choices will be staggering. Chain drop can be one or 2 different lengths of chain with a bead at the end. These will have a lot of movement and be fun to wear. Most of the fun of making your own jewelry is in designing and selecting your earrings. The assembly is simple and straightforward.
Tools. A wire cutter is a necessity, since the pins you’ll work with will need to be trimmed to the right size. This needs to be sharp, so you can make a clean cut, or your earrings will have an unprofessional look. You’ll also need either round-nosed pliers or rosary pliers. Beginners can buy a tool set that at a craft store like Michael’s that includes all the tools you need for about $8. . If you enjoy the jewelry making you can upgrade to better tools after you’ve made some pieces and know what type of tools you prefer.
Selecting Your Beads.
First, select beads that you like for the look you want. Remember that some contrast makes a more attractive earring. The earrings should also contrast with your hair. I’m often disappointed when I choose a light, earthy tone that gets lost in my light brown hair. If your hair is light, go with dark beads, and if it’s dark, select light beads. Otherwise, you can add contrast with findings and silver or gold beads or spacers (small decorative disks that are used between beads to add interest.) If the beads are fragile, such as crystal or a fragile stone, purchase a few extra so you won’t be short if you accidentally crack one with your tools.
The findings. The great thing about making your own is that you can have exactly the right length for you. Measure a pair that you like and determine the length of the chain that you will need. Allow an extra inch for cutting the links. The instructions here can also be used to create ear threads, which are purchased easily online, http://www.firemountaingems.com/search.asp?skw=ear%20threads but harder to find at craft and bead stores.
Deciding between ear wires or posts is just a matter of taste. Remember to look carefully at the ear wire. Do you want it plain at the top, or perhaps with a metal ball or other decorative element? Remember that those elements will add length, and move the beads further from your ear lobes. Take a look in the mirror and see where earrings you like fall.
Choosing the metal type. Sterling is pretty but a bit more fragile than silver-plated or stainless steel, and is easy to snap and break when you are learning to work with it. Most of the gold color is gold plated or gold filled. If you want solid gold you’ll have to shop around or order online.
Headpins and Eye Pins. These are the pieces of straightened wire with an end that keeps the bead from falling off, and attach the bead to the ear wires, the chains or to other beads for a dangle. Buy the headpins in the same color and type of metal as your ear wires. If you buy sterling ear wires and steel pins, for example, you will see the difference in the finished earring and you will not be happy. Most important is to check that the thickness of the wire fits through the opening of the bead. Try it! It is impossible to tell just by looking, and very disappointing when you are trying to assemble your earrings and the pin does not do through. While you are in the store, check each bead by sliding a pin through the bead. Sometimes holes are not properly drilled and again, you can’t finish your earrings. If you are using more than one bead, or adding spacers, be sure your headpin is long enough. Longer is always better, because you can trim.
Always use a headpin for the bottom bead. There are decorative headpins too if you want a small ornament at the bottom of the bead. Eye pins already have one loop created for you. These are used to connect 2 parts- chain to bead, earwire to bead, bead to bead for longer earrings. With these, you only have to make one loop. The existing loop opens in the same way as one you have made yourself.
With chain or threads, test that the pin goes through one of the middle links, not just the end link. The reason for this will become apparent during the assembly stage.
Practice first.
It’s a good idea to buy some extra inexpensive headpins and practice first, without a bead on them. Do not try to use sewing pins because they are too hard to bend and your will not be able to bend them nicely, plus they will probably be too short.
Now you are read to assemble your earrings. If you are using chain, measure by counting the links: Lay the chain down and count the links with the point of your eye pin to help keep track. Put the eye pin through your bottom bead. Hold the bottom of the pin against your bead with your index finger, and then measure off about the width of your pinky. The hold the end of the wire snuggle and close to the end of your round nosed pliers, and bend it into a circle, towards the straight part of the wire. Now grasp it from the side with the flat pliers, and bend it backwards, away from the opening of the loop. Put the round nose pliers back in and close the loop. Repeat on the other bottom bead.
To connect to a chain, grasp the bead with the flat pliers and twist it gently to the side, just enough to slip it on the chain, then twist it shut, taking care not to uncurl the loop.
For chain drops, grasp the loop on the ear wire or pin and twist to the side. Slide end link of the chain onto the wire. If you are using sterling you need to be very careful not to snap off the loop when you twist.
Take a good, close look to be sure your loops are closed- examine with a magnifying glass if you have one, and try to get the finished loops to touch the straight part. This will keep your earring from coming apart if they are accidentally tugged on or you catch them in a hairbrush.
Now your earrings are ready-to-wear. You’ll be the only one with this distinctive pair of earrings. Experiment with more complicated designs and come up with your own look. You can get exactly
the look you want, the colors you like, and the textures that are you, at a small fraction of what you would pay for store bought earrings.
