How to Make Pearl Earrings

Making your own jewelry is fun and is often the first small business a for a young person. It’s easy to learn, requires only a few simple tools and gives you the opportunity to use your own creativity. Start with something simple, like pearl earrings, to become familiar with the tools and components used for basic jewelry making.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ear hooks
• Headpins
• Pearls with pre-drilled holes
• Needle nose pliers
• Wire cutters

1. Select ear hooks and headpins from the craft or hobby store. They are available in gold, silver or hypoallergenic material suitable for sensitive ears. The headpins are available in different lengths and have a flat stop at the end, which keeps the pearl form falling off. Make sure the hole in the pearl is smaller than the stop at the end of the headpin.

2. Place a pearl on each headpin. At this point, decide whether you want to add other pearls or small beads.

3. Hold the stop end of the headpin pointing downward, place the tip of the needle nose pliers on the headpin, next to the bead. Roll the pliers to the side, bending the headpin to a 90 degree angle.

4. Keep the pliers in the same position and turn them back to the starting position to begin to form a small loop. Continue to turn the pliers until you’ve completed the loop. Where you position the pliers determines the size of the loop.

5. Use your pliers to straighten the loop, if necessary. Make sure everything is straight and in alignment.

6. Open the loop slightly with the needle nose pliers, slip the ear hooks on and close the loop back up. Enjoy your new earrings, and feel confident to use your imagination to create your own unique jewelry designs.
   
   

Tips & Warnings

• Work on both earrings at the same time. When you do something on one, perform the same task on the other so they’ll be more likely to be uniform.
• Use your wire cutters if the headpins are too long and need trimming.
• Avoid bending the headpin back and forth, since this could cause it to break. Have a few extras if you’re working on your first project until you get the feel of the tools and wires.