It's Maker's Monday! Today’s project is a pair of natural brass and Swarovski pearl earrings with a simple loop cold connection. Some people have sensitive ears so they may not be able to wear brass ear wires. Please substitute accordingly. I've linked supplies to where I have purchased them but you may buy them elsewhere.
Supplies:
2 natural brass fishhook ear wires
2 8mm Swarovski pearls in Night Blue
2 Vintaj Wandering Pathway embellishments
2 lengths of Vintaj 20 gauge Artisan Copper wire (about 5 inches each)
Tools:
Jeweler's pliers (one or two pairs, depending on your preference)
Flush cutters
Instructions:
1. With the tips of your pliers, make a 90 degree bend in the end of one wire, roughly 1/2 inch from the end.
2. Line the very end of that 90 degree bend up with the mark on your pliers. Make sure the mark is facing up and clamp the pliers around the end of the headpin—hold the rest of the wire tightly with your other hand. Line the headpin up on that mark and make sure the pliers are at the very end of the headpin. Hold the pliers tightly and "roll" them toward you to make a loop. You will notice that you can only roll them so far before you have to stop. Readjust your hands on the pliers and make sure the pliers are snug in the loop you've started. Finish rolling the pliers toward you.
3. Slide your bead down so that it is tight against your loop.
4. For these earrings, if you were to make your loops going the same direction, the embellishments
won't face correctly. In the photo below, notice how the loop goes side-to-side ad forms an 'O.' Hold the tips of your pliers tight against the bead and push the tail of the wire away from you to form a 90 degree bend.
Follow the same steps of trimming and lining up the pliers against the mark and rolling the pliers back toward you. When you're finished, your newly-formed connector will look like this:
Repeat for the other piece of wire and bead.
5. Now you want to assemble your earrings! Slightly open the ring of your fish hook ear wire by clasping it in the pliers with one hand and holding it firmly between your thumb and index finger of your other hand. Gently twist the pliers away from you and the ring should open. Slide a loop of your connector onto the ring and then close it by gently twisting the pliers toward you. Repeat these steps for the second earring.
6. Slightly open the unused loop of your connector. Slide the embellishment onto the wire and check to make sure that it "faces front." If it does, close your loop. If not, take the embellishment off and flip it around.
Again, the color combinations, metals used, and bead types are numerous with this pattern. I hope you found this little how-to useful and a bit inspirational! Do you make your simple loops a different way?
2 natural brass fishhook ear wires
2 8mm Swarovski pearls in Night Blue
2 Vintaj Wandering Pathway embellishments
2 lengths of Vintaj 20 gauge Artisan Copper wire (about 5 inches each)
Tools:
Jeweler's pliers (one or two pairs, depending on your preference)
Flush cutters
Instructions:
1. With the tips of your pliers, make a 90 degree bend in the end of one wire, roughly 1/2 inch from the end.
2. Line the very end of that 90 degree bend up with the mark on your pliers. Make sure the mark is facing up and clamp the pliers around the end of the headpin—hold the rest of the wire tightly with your other hand. Line the headpin up on that mark and make sure the pliers are at the very end of the headpin. Hold the pliers tightly and "roll" them toward you to make a loop. You will notice that you can only roll them so far before you have to stop. Readjust your hands on the pliers and make sure the pliers are snug in the loop you've started. Finish rolling the pliers toward you.
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| Practise your loops! The more you make, the better you'll become! |
3. Slide your bead down so that it is tight against your loop.
4. For these earrings, if you were to make your loops going the same direction, the embellishments
won't face correctly. In the photo below, notice how the loop goes side-to-side ad forms an 'O.' Hold the tips of your pliers tight against the bead and push the tail of the wire away from you to form a 90 degree bend.
5. Now you want to assemble your earrings! Slightly open the ring of your fish hook ear wire by clasping it in the pliers with one hand and holding it firmly between your thumb and index finger of your other hand. Gently twist the pliers away from you and the ring should open. Slide a loop of your connector onto the ring and then close it by gently twisting the pliers toward you. Repeat these steps for the second earring.
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| Gently twist the loop so you don't weaken the metal |
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| The scraps in the background are from a failed attempt at the connector! |
6. Slightly open the unused loop of your connector. Slide the embellishment onto the wire and check to make sure that it "faces front." If it does, close your loop. If not, take the embellishment off and flip it around.
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