I must admit, I love how this pair of earrings turned out. Too bad I don't have much blue in my wardrobe.
Supplies:
2 sterling silver ear wires
2 sterling silver components (these, sadly, seem to be discontinued)
8 sterling silver headpins (2 inch)
8 Round Swarovski crystals in Montana (4 mm)
Tools:
Jeweler's pliers (one or two pairs, depending on your preference)
Flush cutters
Instructions:
1. Slide a Swarovski onto a headpin.
2. With the tips of your pliers, make a 90 degree bend in the headpin just above the bead. Repeat for the other seven headpins.
3. Trim a headpin so that it is just under 1/2 an inch long.
4. Use your "scrap" piece of headpin as a quick-and-dirty way to trim your other headpins. Line it up with an untrimmed headpin and cut so they are the same length. Repeat for the rest of the headpins.
5. Now you'll make your loops. Line the very end of a headpin 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. 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. Repeat for the remaining headpins.
6. Now you'll add your looped headpins to your components. Slightly open one of your headpin loops 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 loop should open.
7. Add it to the center loop of the component. Close the loop of the headpin
by reversing the twisting motion. Repeat for the other headpins, making sure they all "face" the same direction.
8. Open the loop of your ear wire and slide the top loop of the component on it, making sure the headpin loop openings are all on the backside of the earring. Repeat for the other ear wire.
Its kind of sad that I can't find these in sterling silver, but I do see them available in gold. I have one more set left and almost don't want to use them yet! Do you hold onto supplies too?
Supplies:
2 sterling silver ear wires
2 sterling silver components (these, sadly, seem to be discontinued)
8 sterling silver headpins (2 inch)
8 Round Swarovski crystals in Montana (4 mm)
Jeweler's pliers (one or two pairs, depending on your preference)
Flush cutters
Instructions:
1. Slide a Swarovski onto a headpin.
2. With the tips of your pliers, make a 90 degree bend in the headpin just above the bead. Repeat for the other seven headpins.
5. Now you'll make your loops. Line the very end of a headpin 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. 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. Repeat for the remaining headpins.
Its kind of sad that I can't find these in sterling silver, but I do see them available in gold. I have one more set left and almost don't want to use them yet! Do you hold onto supplies too?
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