Green Leaves Earrings

For my birthday my mother gave me a gift certificate to Beadworld and a box full of jewelry making tools. I rushed over to the bead shop and signed up for my first class. While over there, I picked out beads for my first two projects. Without even knowing it, I designed a very popular style that is time tested: the chain dangly earring (see Wire 1: Part 2). Instead of just ending the chain in beads, I worked up the chain with several beads.

Required Technique

• Wire 1 - Basic Loop Tutorial

Tools

• round-nose pliers,
• chain-nose pliers and
• side cutters.

Supply list: wire, chain, beads and earhooks.

Supply List

• 22 Gauge, Half-hard, German Jewelry Wire
• 3 inches of chain
• 8 each green leaf beads
• 8 each silver/glass beads
• 2 each silver ear hooks

These green leaf beads require a different strategy then what I learned in my first wire class. They are top drilled, instead of being drilled all the way through the center. We learn the wire wrapped loop technique in the Wire 2 class (tutorial upcoming!). This technique is good for more delicate beads and top drilled beads. I was eager to make these earrings, though, and made the purchase any ways. Here is how I made them.

Steps

Step 1: String the bead onto the wire and bend the stem and tail up over the bead so they crisscross each other.	Step 2: Trim the excess tail so that it is flush with the stem.
Step 3: Make your basic loop (click for a tutorial!) with the stem by bending the stem over your needle-nose pliers and rotating the loop, and trimming.	Step 4: Next make a double beaded eye pin (click for a tutorial!) with the silver/glass bead. Thread one end into the eye of the green leaf and the other end into the last loop of the chain.
Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 for the other three pairs of beads, stringing each set such that the bottom of the leaf overlaps the glass bead below it, and the bottom of the green leaf just barely touches the top of the green leaf below it. Alternate which side of the chain the bead combo is attached to.	Step 6: Repeat steps 1-5 for the second pair of earrings, attaching the beads to the other end of the earring chain.
Step 7: Cut the chain to the desired length attach earhooks.

Check out my Google+ album for a few more pictures.

You're done!

This is a really a simple design that can be used for any number of beads and combinations. I've also made a matching necklace!

Inspirational Projects

Check out below for some similar projects.

   

For more inspiration, check out Pinterest and Fusion Beads.