This classic homemade necklace and earrings set is an ideal starting place for anyone just starting out in jewellery making, and it will make a lovely unique homemade gift.
Although I’ve used round glass beads for this particular project, it will also work well with other bead styles. And using two different colored threads knotted together also makes for a very interested look.
Making The Necklace
What you will need for the necklace:
- Jewelry Beads – 6mm round glass beads, for a 27inch necklace you need aprox 72
- Jewelry Findings – 2 calottes, 1 Necklace clasp, 1 Jump ring
- Silk thread – 0.7mm
- G-S Hypo Cement or strong glue
- Jewellery pliers
- Flexible beading needle
How to make the necklace:
- First think about the length you would like your necklace to be then double it.
- Thread a beading needle with the required length of thread and tie a knot in the end.
- String on a glass bead then tie a slip knot in the thread getting the knot as close to the bead as possible. You may find it easier to ease the knot into place using a thin object such as an eye pin or beading awl.
- Add another glass bead followed by another knot. Repeat this process until your necklace reaches your desired length finishing with the knot.
- Dab the two end knots with a little strong glue and leave to dry. This gives your end knots a little more strength.
- Lay the glued knot inside the hollow of the calotte and squeeze it tightly closed. Trim the loose strands that stick out at the very top.
- Open one of the loops on the calotte and fix it to the clasp. Open the other loop on the calotte and add a jump ring.
Making The Antique Style Earrings
These long dangly earrings have a gothic look due to the black antique chain thats been used for them.
By substituting the black antique chain with a gold or silver plated chain and maybe pale pink or blue beads they become very pretty and feminine.
What you will need for the earrings:
- Jewelry Beads – 14/16 Round glass 6mm beads
- Jewelry Findings – 14/16 Head pins in black antique, 2 earring wires, 2 jump rings
- Jewelry Making Chains – Light weight chain in black antique
- Flat/round nosed pliers
- Wire cutters
How to make the antique style earrings:
- Cut the chain into 2 x 2 1/2 inch pieces and 4 x 2inch pieces, then set aside.
- Slide one of the glass beads onto a head pin. With the round nosed pliers bend the pin directly above the bead at a right angle and then bend the head pin back over the top jaw of the pliers with your with your thumb and forefinger, as it meets the bead remove the loop from the top jaw of the pliers and place it onto the bottom jaw.
- Continue to bend the head pin until you have a completed loop, then trim any excess wire with the wire cutters. Your first attempts may appear a little rugged, this is absolutely normal and really isn’t that important.
- Repeat steps 2/3 until you have 14 to 16 finish beads (7/8 for each earring).
- If needed slightly open the loops on the beads with the round/flat nosed pliers and hook one onto the bottom link off each chain then tightly close each loop back up to secure them.
- Hook the reaming beads to the chains in various places until you are happy with the arrangements.
- Open a jump ring and slide on one of the shorter chains, followed by the longer chain, and another shorter one, then close up the jump ring. Repeat this step for the other earring.
- Open the loops on the ear wires and slip the jump rings with the chains attached on to them. Reclose the loops with the flat/round nosed pliers.
- You can add as many beads as you like, so if you think you’d like to see a few more, go for it.
When learning the basics of how to make homemade earrings, size and weight need to be considered, but apart from that, anything goes.
Flexible beading wire is most used for necklaces and bracelets, but here is a way to make simple, modern swing style earrings.
