How to Make Beaded Swarovski Crystal Ice-Cream-Cone Earrings

Beaded crystal earrings in the shape of ice-cream cones can be made from cone beads, round Swarovski® crystals and a few basic beading supplies. Because Swarovski round crystal beads come in a variety of sizes, you can create small ice-cream cone earrings or large ones, or mix and match different colored crystals with different cone beads for a wide array of earring designs. Cone beads come in different metals as well as in minerals and rocks such as jasper, obsidian and agate. These earrings can be made in less than an hour.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 2 2-inch headpins 2 cone beads, approximately 12mm x 7mm 2 round Swarovski® beads 2-3mm larger than the cone bead circumference, about 10mm. Felt or flocked beading mat or board (optional) 2 3mm-4mm beads (optional) Wire nippers Needle-nose pliers Round-nose pliers 2 earring wires

1. Materials on the Work Surface

   Arrange all your materials on the work surface within easy reach. A felt or flocked mat or beading board will stop the beads from rolling around.

2. 4mm Bead on Headpin

   Slip the cone bead on the headpin, narrow end first. If the bead falls off the pin because the pin head is too narrow, add a small 3mm-4mm bead to the headpin first, then insert it into the cone bead.

3. Cone Beads and Crystal Beads Added to Headpin

   Slip the round Swarovski® crystal bead on top of the cone bead to resemble an ice-cream cone.

4. Headpin Bent Ninety Degrees

   Bend the end of the headpin coming up through the round bead to a ninety degree angle in preparation for making a simple loop.

5. Round-Nose Pliers Grip the Wire

   Use the round-nose pliers to grip the bent headpin and, with your fingers, push the headpin wire up and over the top jaw of the round nose pliers to create a loop.

6. Wire Bending Over the Round-Nose Plier Tip

   Rotate the round-nose pliers in the direction of the bend and continue bending the wire until it crosses itself in a full circle.

7. Simple Loops Complete

   Cut the excess wire with the nippers at the point where the wire crosses itself, and use the round-nose pliers to adjust the shape of the loop so it closes with no gap. Alternatively, you could cut the wire first, approximately 3/8" from the 90-degree bend, then grip the end with the round nose pliers and curl it into a simple loop.

8. Earring Wire Loop Opened

   Use the needle-nose pliers and the round-nose pliers to grip the loop on one of the earring wires and twist it open just enough to slip it onto the loop of the Swarovski® crystal bead, then reclose it again with a "twisting" action, not pulling or squishing.

9. Finished Ice-Cream-Cone Earrings

   Repeat steps 2 to 8 for the second earring.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find that your earring beads tend to be a bit loose because the simple loop at the top isn't tight enough to keep them together, try using a wrapped loop on top of the crystal bead instead of a simple loop.

References

• How to make simple wire loop
• How to make beaded earrings

Resources

• Beading Basics
• Bead Unique Technique Guide
• Swarovski Crystal Beads