DIY Gift Idea: How to Make Beaded Drop Earrings

I have been making and selling handmade jewelry for seven years and nothing has flown off my displays as fast as simple but fun drop earrings. This tutorial will show you how to make drop earrings for Christmas presents or just for yourself! With a few simple techniques, you can make an infinite number of earrings with an infinite number of designs.

What You’ll Need

• Assorted beads of your choice
• Wire (I suggest getting 20 gauge wire or larger for durability)
• Rosary pliers or needle nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Earwires (the part that you put through your ear)

Instructions

1. The first thing you need to do is design the earrings you are going to make. It’s a good idea to lay out the beads before you string them to make sure they’re in the order you want them.
2. String the beads on the wire, starting with the top bead of your design and working your way down. I prefer to leave the wire on the coil while I string the beads so that I waste less wire. More on that in a minute.
3. When you have all the beads strung in order, it is time to finish the end of the wire. As shown in photo 3 above, start by grabbing the very tip of the wire with your pliers and bending the wire away from you, holding it against the pliers with your thumb. Bend the end over on top of itself and smash it together with the pliers to make a finished end like the one shown in 3b.
4. Push the beads up against the end you just finished and grab the wire just above the top bead with your rosary pliers. Use your index finger to push the beaded part away from you at a 60° angle (as seen in photo 4). Let go with the pliers and wrap the wire around the circular part of the pliers or another small tube, as shown in photo 4b. This creates the top loop you’ll attach the earwire to.
5. Use your pliers to hold the loop as shown in photo 5. Wrap the wire around the bottom of the loop 2-3 times and cut. See? No leftover wire scraps!
6. Hold the earwire in one hand and open its small loop with the pliers, as shown in photo 6. Slip the beaded loop on to the earwire loop and close the earwire loop again with your pliers.
7. Enjoy your new earrings!
8. Practice, practice, practice. These techniques get easier and easier with time, and before you know it you’ll be able to make these quickly and easily.

Variations

Knowing these few simple skills will make it possible to make all kinds of earrings. All the earrings pictured below are ones I made using the skills described above. For more inspiration, check out your favorite stores, fashion magazines and Pinterest. Let your imagination go crazy!

What do you think?

Do you make jewelry? Are you making your own Christmas presents this year? Are you going to make some jewelry for yourself, too? Let me know in the comments!