How to Make Earrings

Making your own beaded earrings is a fun, rewarding and stress-relieving activity. There are so many beads, wires and other findings to choose from to create your design. Learn how to make basic, drop-style earrings by following the steps below.

Things You'll Need

• Long flathead pins or eye pins
• Large beads
• Medium beads
• Cutting pliers or wire cutters
• Round-nose pliers
• Earring hooks
• Chain-nose pliers

Instructions

1. Choose two long pins-either flathead or eye pins, which have a small loop on one end. Decide whether you want to use silver or gold.

2. Select two large and two medium beads for each earring. Choose any colors you like, but make sure the beads for each earring in the pair match. Hold one pin so that the flathead or loop is at the bottom, and thread onto it one large bead and one medium bead. The earring, when dangling, should have the large bead at the bottom and the medium or smaller bead at the top.

3. Use jewelry cutting pliers or wire cutters to trim off all but a half inch of the exposed pin.

4. Hold the pin firmly with one hand, and with the other use round-nose pliers to gently bend the exposed length of pin, above the the medium bead, away from you at a 90-degree angle.

5. Continue bending the pin end over until you form a loop, but leave a small opening. Thread an earring hook through the opening. Use your chain-nose pliers to close the pin loop opening so that the earring hook will not fall off.

6. Repeat steps two through five to make the second earring for your pair.

Tips & Warnings

• You can add up to three small spacer or seed beads between your large, bottom bead and your top, medium-sized bead. These will accent and space out your jewelry design.

• When buying earring findings, make sure they are gold-filled or silver-plated as they can tarnish over time. If you have sensitive skin, look for hypoallergenic or nickel-free findings.

Resources

• More Tips for Making Beaded Earrings
• Other Earring Projects