DIY Network

Loopy Earrings by Shari Bonnin From "Jewelry Making" episode DJMK-409

Guest artist Shari Bonnin shows you how to make loopy '60s style earrings that are easy to make and fun to wear.

Materials --

8 extra thin silver head pins
6 pieces of 1-1/2" long 20-gauge silver craft wire
2 size 6mm silver open end jump rings
2 silver ear wires
Eight 6mm or 7mm round glass beads

Tools --

Jewelry wire cutters
Flat nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Ruler
Round baseball point pen
Glass beads and wire

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

1. Take a piece of wire and curve it around the ballpoint pen (figure A) base until the ends are about 1/8" apart. Slide it off the pen. Repeat this step for all six wire pieces.

2. Using round nose pliers, curve one end of one piece of wire to form a small closed loop that is perpendicular to the large curve of the wire. Again, this small closed loop should be just big enough for the wire to slide through. Repeat this step for each piece of wire.

3. Place one bead on a head pin. With flat nose pliers bend to a 90 degree angle. Cut with wire cutter to leave a 1/4" tail. Using round nose pliers, loop this tail around to form a small closed loop. Loop should be just big enough to slide the silver wire through (figure B). Repeat this step for all beads and head pins (eight times total).

4. Take a curved wire piece and string one beaded head pin. Close the other end of the wire to form a small loop.

5. Make sure all loops are closing in the same direction. Check when stringing the head pins to make sure that they are closed in the same direction as well.

6. Take the second piece of curved wire and string one end of the wire from Step Four (figure C), then a beaded head pin, then the other end of the wire.

7. Make a loop on the end of the second piece of curved wire. Repeat with last wire.

8. Open a jump ring and slide through one end of the looped wire, a beaded head pin and the last loop of the wire. Close the jump ring.

9. Attach ear wire to jump ring (figure D) and then close the jump ring.

   Note: You can make as many dangles as you want -- you can make it longer or larger, etc.

10. Repeat from Step Four to complete second earring.

RESOURCES :

Beads, crystals, pearls, jump rings, head pins & tools
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
Website: www.firemountaingems.com

Chain, Wire and Findings
Rio Grande
Website: www.riogrande.com

GUESTS :

Shari Bonnin
Owner
Bonnin Designs
Phone: 714-308-1632
E-mail:bonnindesigns@yahoo.com
Web site: www.bonnindesigns.com