Page 5      Fun Beads & Jewelry Wire Earrings Jewelry Making Project

As indicated previously, these earrings are made from two wire components that are interconnected instead of one more difficult to make wire component.  These earrings also use an ear wire finding. 

Begin making these earrings by cutting a segment of 20 gauge round 1/2 hard wire 3 inches long.  Make a full loop in one end of the wire and straighten the wire as we do with almost all projects.  This wire segment will be used to make the top wire component for the earrings roughly in the shape of an inverted "V".  The peg pattern for making this wire component is shown at left.  Start by adding pegs 1 and 2 to your pattern.  Place your initial loop on peg 1 and wrap the wire around peg 2 in a counter-clockwise direction, continuing to push the wire until it remains adjacent to peg 3 with no pressure applied.  Then add peg 3 and wrap the wire around peg 3 in a clockwise direction.  Remove the wire from your jig and cut the excess wire.  Close the loop made on peg 3 with your bent chain nose pliers.  We now need to first convert both loops make on peg 1 and 3 into eye loops and then rotate the loops 90 degrees.  Please visit the top of this web page to see how this is done.  The bottom wire component for these earrings is made without using the jig.  First make an eye loop as described here.  Then add your bead or beads to the wire.  Push the beads so that they rest against the initial eye loop and then make a second open loop as described here.  The bottom wire component is connected to the top wire component by first opening one loop connecting that loop to the top wire component and then closing that loop.  For the opposite side, you will need to open the loops on both the top and bottom wire components, connect the two loops then close both loops.  Finishing this earring is accomplished by opening the loop on your ear wire finding and connecting that loop to the earring body that you just made, then closing the loop.  As an option, you can wrap fine gauge wire around the neck of the earring body.