Hi everyone!
As promised, I have started to work on some free jewellery tutorials for you to have a go at! I absolutely love making jewellery - it is therapeutic (unless you have lots of urgent orders to dispatch!) and the results are fast...once you have learned a series of basic techniques, the sky really is your limit to what you can create!
As it's that festive time of year, where looking glamorous and sparkly is a must, I thought I'd start off the tutorials with some fabulous over-sized hoop earrings! These are super-easy to make (honest!) and will take only ten minutes to make. I hope you enjoy the tutorial, and if you get stuck or have any questions, feel free to email me at
carabijoux@aol.com.
Step 1 - Gather the tools that you need to complete the earrings
To make these earrings, you will need two types of pliers - round nose pliers, and flat nose pliers. You could use only round nose pliers, however I recommend that you use both. Both types of pliers are relatively cheap to buy, and readily available on the internet or in hobbyist or beading shops.
Step 2 - Gather the materials you will need to complete the earrings
You will need the above materials to make the earrings. These include:
Fishhook earwires - I use Sterling Silver in all of my jewellery designs, however the wires come in many different materials and finishes - the most popular for beginners being Silver Plated.
Large open-hoop earring wires - These wires come in many different sizes. You need to ensure that the wires you buy are open at the top, ready for you to string on your own beads.
Selection of beads - This is the fun part! Choose an assortment of beads - get creative! Some of my most popular designs are made with 'bead soup' - a random mixture of beads that although totally different, seem to complement each other. Here I am using 8mm Swarovski Crystal Round Faceted Beads in a special effects coating, but you really can use any type of bead (so long as it has a hole running through the centre).
Again you can easily find all of these items online, or in your nearest hobby or craft shop.
Step 3 - Thread your beads on to the wires
Slide your chosen beads onto the wires. You can either totally fill the wires so the whole hoop is covered by beads, leave some of the wire showing, like the ones in my example.
Step 4 - Close the hoop wires together
Take the end of the wire hoop, and insert it into the slot at the top of the hoop. Don't worry if it's not secure - that's covered in the next step! To ensure the hoop wires don't come undone, you can put a little glue on the tip before inserting into the slot. I recommend a strong crafters glue, or a 2-part epoxy resin. E-6000 is a good 1-part epoxy resin, and you only need a very small amount. This is optional - you don't need to use glue if you don't want to!
Step 5 - Close the slots with your flat nose pliers
Take your flat nose pliers, and use them to squeeze the slot together around the wire. I also like to tighten up the other side too to ensure both slots are fully closed. The aim here is to ensure the wire does not pop out from the slot - although try not to press so hard that you dent the wire. A gentle but firm squeeze will be fine!
Step Six - Open the loop of the ear wires
Using your round nose pliers, gently open out the loop at the bottom of the ear wire. You only need to open them wide enough to insert the top of the wire loop.
Step Seven - Insert the wire loop into the ear wire
Insert the wire hoop into the ear wire.
Step Eight - Close the loop on the ear wire
Using your round nose pliers, close the loop of the ear wire so that it is fully closed and secure.
And that's it! You have yourself a gorgeous pair of sparkly earrings!
I really hope you enjoyed this first tutorial, and I am working on more projects to share with you! If anyone has a special request, or general jewellery-making question, please don't hesitate to email me!
Cerries x
