How to Make a Loop for Earrings
Earring loops, or French wires, go through the hole in a pierced earlobe and provide a hook or loop for attaching a pendant, stone or decorative part of a pierced earring. Buying wire and making your own loops is much cheaper than buying them ready made, and it allows you to choose the look and the type of metal used. Knowing the basics can help you create beautiful earrings in your own style.
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Things You'll Need
- 22-gauge wire on a spool
- Small ruler with metrics
- 1 pair small wire cutters
- Coarse foam emery board for nails
- 1 pair small round-nose or needle-nose pliers
- Wooden or plastic kitchen spoon
- Small hammer
- Smooth cotton cloth or rag
- Thick melamine cutting board
- Isopropyl alcohol
Instructions
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Choose your base metal. The best choice is half-hard sterling silver, which is much cheaper than a finished loop, usually doesn't cause irritation, and can be sanitized and polished. If you must have gold wire, you can order it pre-cut in 14k to 24k purity. The wire gauge, which indicates the thickness, should be around 22. Lower gauges (such as 18) will be too thick, and higher gauges (such as 26) will be too flimsy.
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Measure out 7mm twice and cut, so that you have two pieces of wire of equal length. Using the emery board, gently file each end of both wires to smooth sharp edges.
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3
Gripping the two wires side by side in your pliers 2/3 of the way to the end, make a 90° bend in both wires.
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Use the round handle of the spoon to bend the top 2/3 into the loop that will go into your ears. Hold the pliers in the hand you write with, as you would hold scissors, and grip the two wires, side by side, by the top about 1mm down. Position the wires so that the 1/3 below the 90° bend is pointing down toward your lap, and the top 2/3 is pointing to the right, perpendicularly (or left if you are left handed). With your other hand, place the spoon handle midway across the top 2/3 of the two wires, carefully bending the wire around the handle. Smooth the bend with your thumb until the plier nose holding the top meets the right angle bend.
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Release the wires from the pliers grip and the spoon. You now have a U-shaped loop, with a slight bend to the very tip from the pliers, with a sharp angle at the bottom to form the attachment loop. Grip the very bottom tips of the straight part of both wires below the angle, and slowly roll it, up towards the outside or closed back of the loop (not toward the opening and the other tip of the wires.
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Temper your ear loops after making any adjustments, by placing them side by side, on top and covered by the cotton cloth, with the cutting board under them. Using your hammer, tap gently on the ear wires (which you should be able to see under the cloth) moving the hammer all along the S-shaped length of the ear wires to temper, or harden them so they will hold their shape. Turn them over and tap the other side.
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Sanitize the ear loops by rubbing them gently with a cloth or cotton ball soaked in alcohol. You now have two S-shaped wire ear loops, with a closed loop (the rolled one on the bottom) and curving in the opposing direction, a large open loop with a slight bend in it that can be slid into the pierced ear holes in your ear lobes. You can now attach whatever you like to the ear loops.
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Tips & Warnings
Wire, even sterling wire, can be found in most craft stores, along with jewelry making tools. Start with inexpensive tools, but order or buy good quality wire (see resources). Cheap floral or utility wire of a similarly thin gauge, can be used to practice, so that you don't waste your expensive silver or gold wire.
Decorative wires are available in craft stores, but are not good for earring loops because they may cause an allergic reaction or irritate the skin of the earlobe when inserted. Silver and gold plated or filled wires are also cheap, but they can be hard to bend, and the plating will wear off in time.
