DIY Lampwork Beaded Earrings

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So by now, you guys know that I have delusions of grandeur.

Einstein once said “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” I’m pretty sure he had some deep and profound thought behind that, but it’s painfully accurate on so many levels. Take for example, my limited knowledge of how jewelry is made. I have a basic understanding of the process, mostly based on looking at my own jewelry. Beads are held together by small twirly pieces of wire, then strung onto earring hooks, bracelet clasps and necklace closures. Easy peasy right? I mean, anyone could twist up a bit of wire…couldn’t they?

I have grossly over estimated my crafting abilities.

You guys! It turns out that wire twisting bit is difficult as woof! How do these jewellers make it look so…tight and tidy and flat?! My first attempt was a hot mess. My second attempt? Well, it looked like the dog’s breakfast. But lucky attempt number three? It was…beautiful! Resplendant even! That third attempt it was… ok, let’s get real. My third attempt was almost passable. If I wear the earrings somewhere dark or where I can only be seen from a distance, it’s probably OK…right? :/

Ok…super crappy photo. Let’s try this again.

It turned out OK, if I do say so myself!

, so I bet you’re wondering why there’s only one, right?

Well…um…It’s a new fashion trend! Like when Micheal Jackson wore one glove or dresses that have one shoulder. One earring! It’s the next big thing. It’s gonna be huge!!

(Is anybody buying this?)

Ok, the truth is? I suck at making jewelry. It was hard and I didn’t like it, but just in case anyone want to torture themselves give it a try, I wanted to tell you how I kind of, almost, sorta of made my own jewelry.

Step one: Buy Supplies. I bought the super adorable dog themed beads on Etsy for less than $5 and the wire wrapped black beads at Micheals for less than $5, as well. While you’re shopping, pick up some jewellers wire. Buy more than you think you’ll need. I blew through this stuff like crazy. I would twist it until it snapped, mangle it into a jumble and worse. Don’t skimp on the wire. Beads can be reused every time you pull your piece apart and start again, the wire is only good once.

Step two: Design your piece. Once you have beads you love, decide how you want to lay them out.

Step Three: Mess around with the wire. Ugh. This is the worst part. I HATE WIRE. I hate twisting wire. I hate clipping wire. I hate wire. BUT if you’re going to give it a try, here are a few tips.

• Use jewelry pliers and wrap the wire tightly to get a nice, clean curl.
• Use metal jewelry snips to snap the wire cleanly off.
• Use a small, stiff file to scuff off any sharp wire edges.
• I’m not fancy. You’re probably not fancy either. Don’t try to do fancy wire work. In this case, a simple loop gets the job done. Embrace it. (Katalina Jewelry has a great tutorial on how to make wrapped wire loops. I would try to teach you, but it would just be the unskilled leading the gullible here. Go check the tutorial out.)
• Make sure you don’t forget to connect the next wire onto the last before you wrap it around. Otherwise, you might end up with the most perfect loop you ever twisted and have it be USELESS because you forgot to connect it to the rest of the earring. Holy woof that was annoying.

Step Four: Once you’re beads are wire together, add on earring hooks. I used hooks that have a simple u shaped bend at the bottom, so they just slipped on, but, if yours have loops that are fully enclosed, you can make jump rings (or you can buy them. Whatever suits your fancy.) Jump rings are basically a metal loop circle that you can use to connect two end loops together.

Repeat with second earring…or not. I didn’t. I’m going to just wear the one as a fashion statement or maybe match it with a plain black earring and see if people even notice. LOL. Anything to get out of twisting wire again. Please don’t make me do it. PLEASE!

Optional Step Five (for those of use who have recently learned that they suck jewelry making): Grab your credit card, then head over to Blue Lamb Designs or For Love of a Dog and just buy something. You’re worth it.

Have you ever tried jewelry making? How did it go?

Do you still want to try your hand at jewelry making?

Check out some of the coolest beads for dog lovers over on Etsy.

Click on the image to see the whole, totally awesome Etsy collection.