Quick Dangle Earrings Video Tutorial
Here’s a quick dangle earrings video tutorial for you, now that you know how to make the quick-change earring posts. After all, what are findings without some earrings to go with them? 🙂
What’s nice about these earrings is that even though the basic design is very, well, basic, you can change it up in all kinds of ways to make something to suit your needs. And it’s really fast — in fact, it normally takes me longer to pick out the beads I want to use, than to make the earrings themselves!
The design is versatile in that you can make them very dainty with a small drop and no dangle, all the way up to over-the-top. Your choice!
Earring Supplies
In order to make these earrings, you will need some supplies. If you’re new to beadwork and wirework, I suggest you make these once first with an inexpensive wire before you try it with sterling silver or gold-filled wire. In the video, I am using copper wire. Here are the supplies you will need.
- 2 eyepins, about 2.5 inches long, in 22 gauge copper wire. You can buy the eyepins or make them yourself.
- 2 lampwork beads (or beads of your choice), about 14mm in diameter.
- 4 Swarovski bicone crystals, 4mm in size. You can use any color that coordinates with your lampwork beads.
- 4 corrugated copper round beads, 4mm in size.
- 2 round copper beads, 5mm in size.
- 4 copper daisy spacers.
- Pliers — a pair of round nose and a pair of chain nose.
- Wire cutters.
- 2 pieces of squiggled wire.
- Earring findings.
As to the squiggled wire, what I’ve done is take two pieces of leftover copper wire that I have bent around my round nose pliers. The design doesn’t really matter — just whatever pleases you. (Making the dangles is fun, and a good way to use up those odd pieces of wire that are too big to throw away, but too small to do much with.)
Quick Dangle Earrings Video Tutorial
Now that you know the supplies, it’s time to make the earrings. The video is only about 7 minutes long, so it won’t take you long to watch it, and then you can enjoy making your own. 🙂
And if you like the video, please feel free to “like” me on Facebook (thank you kindly).
P.S. — you might also want to check my projects page for more jewelry tutorials.
Quick-Change Post Earring Findings Tutorial
This quick-change earring finding tutorial is for people who prefer post-style earrings as opposed to the usual french wire. After all, not everyone can easily wear the french wire style. Not to mention that there are times when a post earring is more practical, like with the heavier earring styles.
At any rate, I see very few video tutorials that show how to make post earring findings. So not only will I do that for you, but I will also show you how to make them in a quick-change style! This will let you quickly (in just a few seconds) change out the earrings you wear.
One of the great things about this style is that if you’re one of the people that needs to wear sterling silver, 14 kt gold (or gold-filled), niobium or other such expensive metals, you can make one pair to quickly change out. And that will save you plenty of money. 🙂
NOTE: After I published this post, I got some messages that something very similar had appeared in the Step-by-Step Wire magazine. Since I don’t read it (although perhaps I should), I didn’t realize someone else had made post-style. Mine are slightly different at least!
Supplies Needed for Quick Change Post Earrings
Here are the supplies that you will need to have on hand to make these earrings. If you plan to use a precious metal for these earrings, I strongly suggest that you make these at least once in a cheaper wire (copper, brass) beforehand. This way you’ll have a better idea of how much wire you will actually need. (No sense in wasting expensive wire.)
Here are the supplies and tools that you will need to make these earrings.
- Wire, 20 gauge. Two pieces, each about 3 inches long. Half-hard is best, but you can use dead soft if needed. Note: You can use 21 gauge wire, but if you do, I recommend that it be full-hard.
- Earnuts, two. I use small rubber earnuts in the tutorial, but you can also use larger rubber or plastic if preferred. You can also try regular metal earnuts, but they may or may not fit 20 gauge wire.
- Round nose pliers
- Needle nose (also called chain nose) pliers
- Flush cutter
- Metal file (for smoothing the ends of the post).
The video is about 12 minutes long, and once you’ve done it a time or two, you will be able to make a pair of these quick-change post earrings in just a few minutes.
Sit back and enjoy! And if you have enjoyed this video, I’d appreciate you “liking” me on Facebook (thanks!).
Right Angle Weave Bracelet Tutorial – Slink Stones
Here’s a right angle weave bracelet tutorial for the beaded jewelry piece I call “Slink Stones”. It’s made with one of the most unique and difficult to use beads – gemstone chips. Gemstone chips are inexpensive and very textural, but they can be difficult to incorporate into finished jewelry. Here’s a video tutorial for a bracelet done in right angle weave (RAW) that I have titled “Slink Stones”.
(The bracelet style name came about because it has a very slinky feel on the wrist.)
RAW is such a versatile beading stitch, with a variety of looks. It’s most often seen with a square-ish structure (like the right angle weave earring tutorial). However, by using gemstone chips and seed beads, RAW takes on a whole new look.
Supplies Needed
Here are the supplies I used in making the bracelet.
- 16″ strand of gemstone chips; mine are of a gemstone called “autumn jasper”. I used most of the strand, but had some left over.
- Size 11 seed beads, around a gram’s worth.
- Sterling silver toggle clasp.
- Size 10 beading needle.
- PowerPro line, 8lb test.
- Scissors.
A note on the thread; I used PowerPro fishing line for this bracelet since it is rather heavy. PowerPro is strong, but thin enough to go several passes through the size 11 seed beads. It also doesn’t stretch. Fireline or Wildfire can also be used, at 8 lb test. I do not suggest using anything like nymo, as I can just about guarantee your bracelet will break if you do!
So here you go — the video tutorial for making the “Slink Stones” bracelet. It’s about 26 minutes long, so grab yourself something to drink, put up your feet and relax as you watch.
And as always, if you enjoy the tutorial, I’d appreciate if you click the “Like” button on the sidebar. 🙂
