A few weeks ago, at our family Easter party, all of the girls got to learn how to make earrings. I’ve never really made any kind of jewelry before. Well, okay, that might be a lie…I did make beaded flower necklaces back when I was a kid….but those aren’t too glamorous for anybody over about the age of 7. So, I was pretty excited to be able to make these beauties:

Pretty good I thought, for my first go at it (of course my cousin may have had to help me bend the wires in the right spot…I kept messing up. Don’t laugh, it was hard!)

I’m hoping to be able to make a few more…it was so much fun! (I seriously think I could get addicted) Plus I think homemade earrings would make perfect gifts!

My newest obsession are cabochons. These bright and colorful rosebuds are similar to buttons but without a shank (the loop on the back) and the instant I saw them I had to have some. They make adorable earrings, which is exactly what I’m making.

Attach a little E-6000 to a brass post and the back of the cabochon and you get this – a beautiful rainbow of happy colors.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to learn how to make beaded necklaces (something I would never have attempted on my own). Being the blogging nerd that I am, I took pictures of the learning process to share with you!

Basic Necklace Needs:

• flexible wire
• 2 crimp beads
• chain nose pliers
• clasp
• pretty beads
• wire cutters (or sharp scissors, but wire cutters work better)

Step 1: cut wire to desired length plus about 4 extra inches (to go around the clasp and in case of mishap…).

Step 2: tape one end (so beads don’t fall off).

Step 3: figure out design. The easiest way to do this is by laying out beads on a cloth (we used dish towels) so beads don’t roll around. If you get stuck, try putting the beads on the wire to see how it looks and adjust accordingly or ask a friend (that’s what I did!).

Step 4: put beads on wire in desired pattern.

Step 5: put on your first crimp bead (on the end without tape) and one end of the clasp.

Step 6: thread the end of the wire through the crimp bead, pull tight (either with your fingers or pliers), use pliers to “crimp” the crimp bead. Cut the extra wire as close to the crimp bead as possible (if it ends up being sharp you can always sand it down).

Step 7: repeat steps 5 & 6 on the other end of the necklace (the side with the tape… but first take off the tape). Make sure to not leave too much extra wire between the last bead and the clasp.

Step 8: model your beautiful creation.

Tips: Seed beads are a girls best friend. Being the novice that I am, I didn’t think I would need them, but boy was I wrong. Seed beads help offset the bigger stones and jewels and can make or break a design.

A while back I was in desperate need of a way to organize my earrings. Out of necessity, this earring display was born. Luckily, I love it. It is made out of an embroidery hoop, an old knit shirt (stretched very tightly), ribbon and lace scraps, and hot glued together. Very easy and functional. Another idea to spruce it up would be to paint the embroidery hoop before assembling.