How to Make Complex Bead Earrings
Beaded earrings can be simple and incorporate only one or two focal beads, or they can be complex and incorporate many beads of varying sizes and colors. The effects are very different but equally appealing.
Making more complex earrings doesn't necessarily mean they are more difficult to make, they just take a little more time to design and construct. Once you have your design planned, enjoy the process of creating your intricate earrings. They will be one-of-a-kind masterpieces when you are finished!
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Things You'll Need
- 2 chandelier earring drops
- Beaded headpins (number depends on the number of loops on your chandelier hoops)
- Crystal beads (3mm to 6mm size)
- Spacer beads (optional)
- Round nose pliers
- Wire cutters
- 2 earring findings
Instructions
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1
Design your earrings. Consider the shape of the chandelier drops you are using. Often these drops will have five or six loops along the bottom and one more loop in the top center. The loops on the bottom should have bead combinations hanging from them. The upper center loop might have a slightly larger bead (or beads) handing from it as a focal bead.
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2
Make the bead combinations you will be hanging from the lower chandelier loops. For example, you could place one 4mm crystal bead onto a headpin and then place a 3mm crystal bead on next. Form a wrapped loop on top of the 3mm bead with the round nose pliers. Trim off any excess wire from the headpin at the base of the wrapped loop.
Repeat to create as many bead combinations necessary to fill each loop of the chandelier findings for both earrings (you will most likely be making at least ten). -
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3
Attach the bead combinations to each loop of the chandelier drops with the pliers.
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4
Make the center focal bead combination for both earrings. For example, you could place a
6mm crystal bead onto the headpin. Add a spacer bead and another smaller crystal bead to finish this combination. Make a wrapped loop above the smaller crystal bead and trim the excess headpin wire to finish these combinations. -
5
Attach the focal bead combinations to each upper center loop of the chandelier hoops with the pliers.
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6
Attach the chandelier hoops to the earring findings to complete the earrings.
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