How To Make Wire Work Beaded Earrings: Glamorous Glass Bead Earrings

You can make glamorous wire work beaded earrings in a flash using this simple wrapped-loop technique! And if you’d like to watch our video showing how to make these earrings step-by-step, click on this link at Curious.com.

How To Make Wire Work Beaded Earrings

Materials

2 faceted crystal rondelle beads, 7mm
2 large silver bead caps, 8mm
2 small silver bead caps, 5mm
2 silver beads, 3mm
2 silver earring wires
2 silver headpins with ball head
24 gauge silver-plated wire

Tools

chain-nose pliers
round-nose pliers
flush cutters/wire snips

Steps

1. Slide a small bead cap, a crystal rondelle, a large bead cap, and a silver bead onto a head pin.

2. Grip the headpin wire just above the beads with the round-nose pliers. Bend the wire over the pliers 90 degrees. Reposition the pliers, gripping the wire at the 90-degree bend. Grab the end of the wire with your fingers and wrap it around the pliers to make a partial loop, using the pliers like a mandrel. Shift the pliers again and continue wrapping the wire around the pliers to form a loop.

Here’s a pro tip: To make your loops the same size, mark the jaws of your round-nose pliers with a Sharpie, then wrap your wire along that line every time.

3. Grasp the loop flat in the jaws of the chain-nose pliers. Without moving the pliers, grab the end of the wire with your fingers and wrap it twice around the neck of the headpin. Trim the end.

4. To finish your earring, open the loop at the end of an earring wire using the chain-nose pliers. (Open the loop as you’d open a door so the loop doesn’t lose its shape.) Slide on the beaded headpin and close the earring wire loop.

You can make all kinds of earrings using this basic wire work technique. Let us know what you make!
Happy Crafting,
Jennifer & Kitty