Create bead and metal earring designs using your choice of head pins combined with colorful glass, crystal, wood, metal, shell or ceramic beads. Head pins are strips of wire with flat or embellished designs on one end. Head pins are available in a variety gauges and metals including sterling silver, silver-plated, 14 karat gold, gold-plated, copper, steel and gunmetal. To use head pins to make earrings, the flat or embellished end is the bottom of the earring dangle.
- Skill level:
- Easy
Instructions
Things you need
- 1-1/2 to 4-inch long head pins
- 3mm and larger beads
- Round nose jewelry pliers
- Bent nose jewelry pliers
- Flush wire cutters
- French ear wires
-
1
Slide your choice of bead(s) over the straight end of a 1-1/2 to 4-inch long head pin. The flat or embellished end of the wire will stop the bead from sliding off of the head pin. Leave at least 1-inch of wire free at the top of the bead(s).
-
2
Grip the head pin at the top of the last bead with round nose jewelry pliers. Hold the beaded section of the head pin steady with your other hand. Twist the pliers to bend the head pin wire at a 90 degree angle.
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3
Grip the bent section of wire near the angle with the round nose pliers. Push the excess wire extending from the pliers over the top of the pliers with your fingers to make a loop. Twist the pliers up slightly so that the loop sits directly on top of the bead(s). The angle disappears into a straight section of wire between the bead and the loop. The excess wire should be extending to the left or right of the head pin, just below the loop.
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4
Grip the loop with bent nose pliers. With your fingers, twist the excess wire around the wire stem exiting the bead(s). Make a coil with the excess wire. Cut any excess wire with flush wire cutters. Press the base of the twisted wire gently with bent nose pliers to fit it below the coil.
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5
Open the loop on the French ear wires with round nose pliers. Slide the loop atop the twisted coil head pin over the open loop on the ear wire. Close the loop on the ear wire. Follow the process to make a second earring.
