Making Earrings

This is one of those things where you can really let your imagination run free. First you need to gather many different small elements - gemstones, ceramic, glass, wood or metal beads, fittings and so on - so you can later combine them successfully. Here I will show an example of how to easily make three different pairs of earrings.

You will need:

• 2 colourless pumice stones in a star shape, 2 reddish-painted wooden pieces and 2 blue round stones;
• 6 gold-coloured hooks;
• 4 gold-coloured pins with a closed end and 2 pins with a loop end;
• 6 stone beads - in blue, red and white;
• 4 wooden beads - in light blue and red;
• 2 gold-coloured metal beads;
• 4 gold-coloured decorative elements;
• 2 dark blue glass beads and 2 pearl-white glass beads;
• round-nose pliers;
• flat-nose pliers.

Making the "Blue Lagoon II" earrings.

Thread elements onto each pin in the following order: small light-blue stone bead, large light-blue wooden bead, pumice stone, white glass bead. Once everything is threaded, use flat-nose pliers to bend the end of the pin into a loop and attach the earring hook. If the pin end is too long to form a neat small loop, clip it with the pliers first. Finally, firmly squeeze the open end of the loop with flat-nose pliers so the earring hook cannot slip out. The earring is ready to wear!

Making the "Blue Lagoon" earrings.

Thread elements onto a pin with a loop end in the following order: large blue stone and white stone bead. Thread a dark blue glass bead through the loop of the pin. Secure everything together using flat-nose pliers as described above.

Making the "Cabaret" earrings.

Thread elements onto each pin in the following order: gold-coloured decorative element, red wooden bead, closing decorative element, red wooden piece, gold-coloured metal bead, small red stone bead. Assembly sequence as above.

Three different earrings for the spring/summer 2011 collection - done! :)