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How To Make A Pair Of Beaded Earrings
Give your new costume an attractive finished look by making
a pair of beaded earrings to match your bra and belt. Achieve the look of being
in costume from head to toe. Delight the other members of your troupe by making
earrings for them that match their troupe costumes.All it takes is a few
inexpensive bugle beads and seed or rocaille beads, strong beading thread, thin
beading needle, and scissors.
These instructions describe how to make a pair of simple
beaded earrings like the pair pictured here. Included is a brief explanation of
the supplies used for such a project, plus some suggestions for variations you
can try after finishing your first pair.At the end of this article is a list of
instruction books offering designs for other styles of beaded earrings. If you
enjoyed making the ones here, you'll enjoy the many ideas that they offer for
additional projects.It takes someone who is experienced at making this type of
earrings about 35 minutes per earring to make these. As a novice earring maker,
you can expect to take a while longer, but after you've made a few pairs,
you'll find that they go together quickly!
Supplies
These supplies are common and easy to find in craft stores
like Michael's, or the craft department of a major fabric store. If you live in
a rural area that doesn't have such stores available, there are many craft
mail-order places on the Internet that sell these supplies.
· 28 size 2
gold bugle beads. Size 2 bugle beads are about 3/16 inch (4 millimeters) long.
Bugle beads are long glass tubes.
· 14 size 5
gold bugle beads. Size 5 bugle beads are about 3/8 inch (1 centimeter) long.
· 6 gold
rocaille beads, size 10 or 11. Rocaille beads are glass or plastic beads that
have a shiny silver lining. Seed beads may be substituted instead. If you're
new to beading, you may find size 10 easier to work with than size 11, because
it's slightly larger in size.
· 198 red
rocaille beads, size 10 or 11. Seed beads may be substituted instead.
· Nymo, size 0.
This is the special nylon thread sold specifically for beading.
· Beading
needle. This is a special long, very thin needle especially used for beading.
· Pair of
gold kidney wires.
Making The Earrings
The Foundation Row
The first step is to make the foundation row. This is the
row of bugle beads that will anchor everything else in the completed earrings.
The stitch used to make the foundation row is called the ladder stitch.
Step 1
(Begin Row 1)Cut a piece of the nymo thread about 60 inches
(152 centimeters) long. Thread it through the beading needle. Thread two of the
bugle beads onto the needle. Leave a tail at the end of the thread about 4
inches (10 centimeters) long.
Step 2
Hold the two bugle beads side-by-side. Thread the needle
back through the first bead that was threaded, entering at point 1 and exiting
at point 2 as shown in this diagram. Thread the needle again through the second
bead that was strung, entering at point 3 and exiting and point 4. Pull the
thread taut so that the two bugle beads are held in place snugly against each
other.
Step 3
Thread a third bugle bead onto the needle.
Step 4
Thread the needle through the second bead you had added,
entering again at point 3 as shown in the above diagram and exiting again at
point 4. Bring it a second time through the third bead, entering at point 5 and
exiting at point 6 as shown in the diagram to the right. Pull the thread taut
so that the bugle beads are held snugly next to each other. Thread a fourth
bead through the needle.
Step 5
Bring the needle through the third bead another time,
entering again at point 5 and exiting again at point 6. Thread it through the
fourth bead, entering at point 7 and exiting at point 8. Pull the thread taut
so that the bugle beads are held snugly against each other. Continue like this
until you have a row of 7 bugle beads snugly nestled against one another.
Step 6
To complete the foundation row, thread the needle back
through each bugle bead once again as shown by the dotted line in the diagram,
to give added strength and reinforcement to the row of beads. Go all the way to
the beginning, until you have passed the needle through the starting bead a
final time. Pull the thread taut so the bugle beads are held snugly against
each other.
The Header
The header is the top of the earrings. It's the next thing
you make after completing the foundation row. The stitch used to make the
header is the brick stitch or Comanche stitch.
Step 7
(Begin Row 2)Thread two red rocaille beads onto the needle,
and draw them down next to the foundation row. Place the needle so that it
passes under the threads connecting the tops of beads 2 and 3, between the two
beads. Draw it all the way through, and pull the thread taut.
Step 8
Pass the needle upward through the bottom of the second red
rocaille bead that was strung and pull the thread through. Note the close-up
detail in the diagram to the right. Thread one gold rocaille bead onto the
needle, and attach it under the thread that joins beads 3 and 4. Add one more
gold rocaille, then two red rocailles. There will be a total of 6 beads on this
row: 2 red on each end, and 2 gold in the middle.
Step 9
Thread one red, then one gold rocaille bead onto the needle,
and attach the same way you attached the first two beads on row 1. Attach a red
rocaille, followed by a gold rocaille, then one more red. You will end up with
a total of 5 beads on this row, alternating between red and gold. For Rows 3
Through 5, continue adding rows of rocaille beads, following the colors shown
on the chart to the right.
Step 10
(Hanger)String 4 red rocaille beads onto the needle. Bring
the needle down through the other bead on row 5. For added strength, bring the
needle back up again through the first bead on row 5, through all 4
"hanger" beads, and down through the second bead on row 5. Note the
path that the dotted line takes in the diagram.
The Dangles
Step 11
You have completed the header. It's time to make the
dangles, which are the fringe that hangs down from the foundation row. Run the
needle down through the holes of the rocaille beads along the side of the
header, and out through the bugle bead below them in the foundation row.
Step 12
String 3 red rocaille beads, then 1 size 2 gold bugle bead,
then 3 more red rocaille beads, then 1 size 5 bugle bead, then 3 rocaille beads
all onto the thread. Next, run the needle back through the size 5 bugle bead,
then all the rocaille beads and bugle above it. Run it back through the bead at
the top of the foundation row, then down through the adjacent bead on the
foundation row. The three rocaille beads at the bottom of the dangle will form
a little triangular fleurette. Pull the thread taut so that there is no bare
thread between the foundation row bugle bead and the first rocaille, but don't
pull it too tight or the fringe won't dangle properly.
Step 13
(Finish Off Working Thread)String the remaining fringe. For
each column, come down through the foundation row bugle bead, string the
rocailles and bugle beads, come back up through them, and back up through the
foundation row. The second column of fringe will have 4 red rocaille beads,
then a gold size 2 bugle bead, then 4 more rocaille, a size 5 bugle bead, and 3
rocaille beads for the bottom fleurette. Each column adds 2 more rocailles, one
on each side of the size 2 bugle bead, until you reach the center column, which
is the longest. From there, reduce by 2 rocaille beads, one on each side of the
size 2 bugle bead, until you reach the other end.
Step 14
(Finish Off Starting Thread Tail)After coming back up
through the final foundation row bugle bead, run the needle up through three of
the rocaille beads along the edge. Tie a knot around the thread that lies
between rows 3 and 4 to anchor it, and finally run the thread back down through
some of the other rocaille beads. Cut the thread off close to the beads so that
the tail isn't visible.Thread the starting tail of thread through the needle.
Draw it up through the bugle bead on the foundation row next to it, and through
some of the rocaille beads in the header. Cut the thread off close to the beads
so that the tail isn't visible.
Place the hanging loop on a kidney wire.
The first earring is now complete. Make a second earring to
match it.
Variations
Color Variations
Experiment with varying the color placement, as shown in the
diagram to the right. For example:·
All one color· Reverse
the red and the gold· Make the
"V" shape in the header upside-down· Keep
the original color scheme, except make the foundation row
One variation is to make the earrings either larger or
smaller. This illustration is based on the basic design described in the
instructions above, but it shows a foundation row that uses 9 bugle beads
instead of 7. The fringe is also longer, using about twice as many beads as the
design above. Of course, there are some disadvantages to making the earrings
larger:
1. They're
heavier and therefore more uncomfortable to wear
2. They use
more beads and therefore have a slightly higher cost of materials
3. They take
longer to make
4. They may
overpower a petite dancer If you're planning to make earrings to sell, then
you'll want to charge more if you make the larger ones.
Suggestions for color combinations include: ·
Gold with
almost anything ·
Silver with
almost anything ·
Coppery
brown with orange, peach, green, blue, or red ·
Black with
either red or white ·
"Autumn
Leaf" colors (brown, red, gold, and orange together) ·
The colors
of your country's flag ·
"Christmas"
colors (red, green, and gold together) ·
Fuschia
with turquoise ·
Fuschia
with lavender ·
Turquoise
with lavender ·
Emerald
green with royal blue ·
"Halloween"
colors (black and orange) ·
The entire
earring made out of only one color·
Two
different shades (one light, one dark) of the same color, as shown in this example
of blue earrings
Important Note:
Beware of using seed beads in the colors fuschia and royal
purple. The dyes used to make these beads can react with some people's skin
chemistry and rub off the bead. It is best to wash one's hands frequently to remove
natural skin oil when making beads in these colors, and avoid wearing the
earrings when perspiring heavily.
Give your new costume an attractive finished look by making
a pair of beaded earrings to match your bra and belt. Achieve the look of being
in costume from head to toe. Delight the other members of your troupe by making
earrings for them that match their troupe costumes.All it takes is a few
inexpensive bugle beads and seed or rocaille beads, strong beading thread, thin
beading needle, and scissors.
These instructions describe how to make a pair of simple
beaded earrings like the pair pictured here. Included is a brief explanation of
the supplies used for such a project, plus some suggestions for variations you
can try after finishing your first pair.At the end of this article is a list of
instruction books offering designs for other styles of beaded earrings. If you
enjoyed making the ones here, you'll enjoy the many ideas that they offer for
additional projects.It takes someone who is experienced at making this type of
earrings about 35 minutes per earring to make these. As a novice earring maker,
you can expect to take a while longer, but after you've made a few pairs,
you'll find that they go together quickly!
Supplies
These supplies are common and easy to find in craft stores
like Michael's, or the craft department of a major fabric store. If you live in
a rural area that doesn't have such stores available, there are many craft
mail-order places on the Internet that sell these supplies.
· 28 size 2
gold bugle beads. Size 2 bugle beads are about 3/16 inch (4 millimeters) long.
Bugle beads are long glass tubes.
· 14 size 5
gold bugle beads. Size 5 bugle beads are about 3/8 inch (1 centimeter) long.
· 6 gold
rocaille beads, size 10 or 11. Rocaille beads are glass or plastic beads that
have a shiny silver lining. Seed beads may be substituted instead. If you're
new to beading, you may find size 10 easier to work with than size 11, because
it's slightly larger in size.
· 198 red
rocaille beads, size 10 or 11. Seed beads may be substituted instead.
· Nymo, size 0.
This is the special nylon thread sold specifically for beading.
· Beading
needle. This is a special long, very thin needle especially used for beading.
· Pair of
gold kidney wires.
Making The Earrings
The Foundation Row
The first step is to make the foundation row. This is the
row of bugle beads that will anchor everything else in the completed earrings.
The stitch used to make the foundation row is called the ladder stitch.
Step 1
(Begin Row 1)Cut a piece of the nymo thread about 60 inches
(152 centimeters) long. Thread it through the beading needle. Thread two of the
bugle beads onto the needle. Leave a tail at the end of the thread about 4
inches (10 centimeters) long.
Step 2
Hold the two bugle beads side-by-side. Thread the needle
back through the first bead that was threaded, entering at point 1 and exiting
at point 2 as shown in this diagram. Thread the needle again through the second
bead that was strung, entering at point 3 and exiting and point 4. Pull the
thread taut so that the two bugle beads are held in place snugly against each
other.
Step 3
Thread a third bugle bead onto the needle.
Step 4
Thread the needle through the second bead you had added,
entering again at point 3 as shown in the above diagram and exiting again at
point 4. Bring it a second time through the third bead, entering at point 5 and
exiting at point 6 as shown in the diagram to the right. Pull the thread taut
so that the bugle beads are held snugly next to each other. Thread a fourth
bead through the needle.
Step 5
Bring the needle through the third bead another time,
entering again at point 5 and exiting again at point 6. Thread it through the
fourth bead, entering at point 7 and exiting at point 8. Pull the thread taut
so that the bugle beads are held snugly against each other. Continue like this
until you have a row of 7 bugle beads snugly nestled against one another.
Step 6
To complete the foundation row, thread the needle back
through each bugle bead once again as shown by the dotted line in the diagram,
to give added strength and reinforcement to the row of beads. Go all the way to
the beginning, until you have passed the needle through the starting bead a
final time. Pull the thread taut so the bugle beads are held snugly against
each other.
The Header
The header is the top of the earrings. It's the next thing
you make after completing the foundation row. The stitch used to make the
header is the brick stitch or Comanche stitch.
Step 7
(Begin Row 2)Thread two red rocaille beads onto the needle,
and draw them down next to the foundation row. Place the needle so that it
passes under the threads connecting the tops of beads 2 and 3, between the two
beads. Draw it all the way through, and pull the thread taut.
Step 8
Pass the needle upward through the bottom of the second red
rocaille bead that was strung and pull the thread through. Note the close-up
detail in the diagram to the right. Thread one gold rocaille bead onto the
needle, and attach it under the thread that joins beads 3 and 4. Add one more
gold rocaille, then two red rocailles. There will be a total of 6 beads on this
row: 2 red on each end, and 2 gold in the middle.
Step 9
Thread one red, then one gold rocaille bead onto the needle,
and attach the same way you attached the first two beads on row 1. Attach a red
rocaille, followed by a gold rocaille, then one more red. You will end up with
a total of 5 beads on this row, alternating between red and gold. For Rows 3
Through 5, continue adding rows of rocaille beads, following the colors shown
on the chart to the right.
Step 10
(Hanger)String 4 red rocaille beads onto the needle. Bring
the needle down through the other bead on row 5. For added strength, bring the
needle back up again through the first bead on row 5, through all 4
"hanger" beads, and down through the second bead on row 5. Note the
path that the dotted line takes in the diagram.
The Dangles
Step 11
You have completed the header. It's time to make the
dangles, which are the fringe that hangs down from the foundation row. Run the
needle down through the holes of the rocaille beads along the side of the
header, and out through the bugle bead below them in the foundation row.
Step 12
String 3 red rocaille beads, then 1 size 2 gold bugle bead,
then 3 more red rocaille beads, then 1 size 5 bugle bead, then 3 rocaille beads
all onto the thread. Next, run the needle back through the size 5 bugle bead,
then all the rocaille beads and bugle above it. Run it back through the bead at
the top of the foundation row, then down through the adjacent bead on the
foundation row. The three rocaille beads at the bottom of the dangle will form
a little triangular fleurette. Pull the thread taut so that there is no bare
thread between the foundation row bugle bead and the first rocaille, but don't
pull it too tight or the fringe won't dangle properly.
Step 13
(Finish Off Working Thread)String the remaining fringe. For
each column, come down through the foundation row bugle bead, string the
rocailles and bugle beads, come back up through them, and back up through the
foundation row. The second column of fringe will have 4 red rocaille beads,
then a gold size 2 bugle bead, then 4 more rocaille, a size 5 bugle bead, and 3
rocaille beads for the bottom fleurette. Each column adds 2 more rocailles, one
on each side of the size 2 bugle bead, until you reach the center column, which
is the longest. From there, reduce by 2 rocaille beads, one on each side of the
size 2 bugle bead, until you reach the other end.
Step 14
(Finish Off Starting Thread Tail)After coming back up
through the final foundation row bugle bead, run the needle up through three of
the rocaille beads along the edge. Tie a knot around the thread that lies
between rows 3 and 4 to anchor it, and finally run the thread back down through
some of the other rocaille beads. Cut the thread off close to the beads so that
the tail isn't visible.Thread the starting tail of thread through the needle.
Draw it up through the bugle bead on the foundation row next to it, and through
some of the rocaille beads in the header. Cut the thread off close to the beads
so that the tail isn't visible.
Place the hanging loop on a kidney wire.
The first earring is now complete. Make a second earring to
match it.
Variations
Color Variations
Experiment with varying the color placement, as shown in the
diagram to the right. For example:·
All one color· Reverse
the red and the gold· Make the
"V" shape in the header upside-down· Keep
the original color scheme, except make the foundation row
One variation is to make the earrings either larger or
smaller. This illustration is based on the basic design described in the
instructions above, but it shows a foundation row that uses 9 bugle beads
instead of 7. The fringe is also longer, using about twice as many beads as the
design above. Of course, there are some disadvantages to making the earrings
larger:
1. They're
heavier and therefore more uncomfortable to wear
2. They use
more beads and therefore have a slightly higher cost of materials
3. They take
longer to make
4. They may
overpower a petite dancer If you're planning to make earrings to sell, then
you'll want to charge more if you make the larger ones.
Suggestions for color combinations include: ·
Gold with
almost anything ·
Silver with
almost anything ·
Coppery
brown with orange, peach, green, blue, or red ·
Black with
either red or white ·
"Autumn
Leaf" colors (brown, red, gold, and orange together) ·
The colors
of your country's flag ·
"Christmas"
colors (red, green, and gold together) ·
Fuschia
with turquoise ·
Fuschia
with lavender ·
Turquoise
with lavender ·
Emerald
green with royal blue ·
"Halloween"
colors (black and orange) ·
The entire
earring made out of only one color·
Two
different shades (one light, one dark) of the same color, as shown in this example
of blue earrings
Important Note:
Beware of using seed beads in the colors fuschia and royal
purple. The dyes used to make these beads can react with some people's skin
chemistry and rub off the bead. It is best to wash one's hands frequently to remove
natural skin oil when making beads in these colors, and avoid wearing the
earrings when perspiring heavily.