Lustrous Pearl and Crystal Earrings

A sparkly necklace can make your special occasion outfit look stunning. But when you add some coordinating earrings, it can bring your whole look together! These elegant pearl and crystal earrings go perfectly with the sophisticated and sparkly Mother of the Bride Necklace. The lustre of both the real and the faux pearls plays beautifully against the sparkle of the crystal. These are truly elegant earrings, perfect for any Mother of the Bride or Groom. And with their neutral tones, they could easily be worn at less formal occasions.

But not all is as it seems to be: there's something a little bit unusual about these earrings. The flower component with the inset crystal is actually a box clasp! With one loop at the top and one loop at the bottom of the clasp, it is ready-made to be connected to the other components. I just love it when components can be used in different ways!

But back to the jewellery. This is the coordinating set: sparkly, elegant and perfect for Mother of the Bride or Groom. With its subtle colour, this set would even be lovely for a bride.

How to Make the Lustrous Pearl and Crystal Earrings

Here's what you'll need to recreate these easy earrings:
2 11x8mm Lt Grey Swarovski glass pearl teardrops
4 5mm white Keshi pearls - centre drilled
2 Clear 8mm Swarovski crystal rondelles
2 10-12mm Flower-shaped silver box clasps with inset crystal (these are similar)
2 Crystal encrusted silver earring wires
2 Beadalon silver plated ball head pins

Tools: flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, chain nose pliers, flush cutters.

String a teardrop, rondelle and two Keshi pearls on a head pin.

Bend the head pin just above the pearls using flat nose pliers.

Trim the head pin to 8mm (5/16").

Turn a simple loop with round nose pliers.

Open the loop sideways with chain nose pliers and hook on the box clasp. Close the loop.

If your earring wire has a closed loop, use flush cutters to cut the loop of the earring wire open.

Open the loop sideways and hook on the other end of the box clasp.

Close it again with chain nose pliers.

 Now make a matching earring with the remaining components.

As you can see, this is a quick design to put together, and yet the end result is a stunning pair of earrings that will add a touch of glamour to any special occasion. But why not also make the coordinating and very glamourous crystal and pearl necklace? It's an absolute show-stopper!

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Coloured Pencil Resin Stretch Bracelet

Do you love to colour within the lines? Or are you one of those carefree souls who likes to colour wildly, taking no care about the lines? No matter which you are, this quirky coloured pencil and resin bracelet would make a fun accessory for anyone who is into adult colouring.

This stretch bracelet would make an A+ gift for a teacher too! It's a great way to use up your child's coloured pencil stubs at the end of the school year. Or you can just buy a cheap set of children's  pencils from the dollar store.

You'll need two pencils for each bar of the bracelet. I made eight bars for this one, which makes a small bangle when strung with 5mm beads. For a larger bracelet, make extra bars or add more beads in between. If you only have one of these jewellery moulds, you'll need to make the bars over several days. But if you're impatient like me, buy some extra moulds so you can make all of them at once!

Here's what you'll need to make the Coloured Pencil Resin Bracelet:

Castin'Craft EasyCast Epoxy resin
Castin'Craft Mold Release and Conditioner
ETI Plastic Jewelry Mold - 11 shapes (buy extra moulds to make casting faster!)
Coloured Pencils
BBQ torch
Drill with 1mm drill bit
Coping Saw
Utility knife
Pencil sharpener (to sharpen pre-loved pencils)
Graduated plastic measuring cups
Wooden stir sticks
Disposable gloves
Ruler
Permanent marker
Adhesive tape

You'll also need:
1mm Stretch Magic Beading Elastic
Coloured beads of your choice (1mm hole or larger)
G-S Hypo Cement
Scissors or wire cutters

Prepare the Pencils and the Mould

Place a mark on each of the coloured pencils 1-5/8" from the tip. Tape the two pencils together with their marks lined up.

Pro tip: Centre the mark you made on the pencils on the tape. This will help prevent the pencils from chipping or splintering as you cut them.

Cut them on the line with the coping saw. Take your time and cut through them slowly.

Pro Tip: Place the pencils on a block of wood with a non-slip shelf liner underneath them. This will help stabilise them so they don't roll around as you cut them. 

Spray the mould with Mold Release. I like to give it a much heavier spray than what is suggested on the bottle and I use a tissue to mop up the excess liquid and then wipe that all the way around the inside of the cavity. I really want to make sure these pop out easily. And then leave the mold to dry completely.

Mixing and Pouring the Resin

Measure out equal quantities of the resin in one cup. (I used 7.5mls (1/4oz) of each part for the first layer of resin.)

Mix the resin following the instructions included in the package for the best results.

Then spoon enough resin into the bar cavities to just cover the bottom of the mould. This layer will stop the pencils from sitting right on the front of the mould.

Pop the bubbles and leave the resin to cure overnight.

Mix another small batch of resin and half fill each cavity. Insert the pencils into the resin. Check for bubbles trapped under the pencils by lifting up the mold. If there are any, carefully pry them out and pop them. Leave the resin to cure several hours.

Mix another batch of resin and cover the pencils completely. Try not to over fill the mould so you won't have too much finishing to do.

Pop the bubbles and then leave the resin to cure for 24 hours.

Making the Bracelet

Once it's fully cured, you should be able to pop them out by pressing on the back of the cavity or giving it a little twist.

If you've overfilled your mould like I did with this yellow pencil, you'll need to trim away the edges to make them flush with the bar.

Place a mark 15mm (5/8") from the top and the bottom of each piece. You need to do this on both sides of the bars.

Now it's time to drill the holes. If you have a drill press and a long enough drill bit, this will be easy. But if you don't, drilling the hole is a bit tricky. You have to do it from both sides of each piece so the holes join up in the middle. This is why you've marked the bars on both sides - it will give you something to aim at as you drill!

N.B. Take extreme care when drilling without a drill press.... Keep your fingers well away from the drill.

With the bar on its long side, hold both the bar and the drill vertically and align them so you can see both the top and the bottom holes. Now drill through to the centre. It's a good idea to stop and check from both above and side on that you are drilling straight. Take the drill bit out and drill the other side in the same way. If you've aligned your drill holes properly, they will meet in the middle.

Once you've drilled all the resin, cut two 30cm (12") lengths of Stretch Magic. It's a good idea to pre-stretch the elastic so that the bracelet doesn't become overstretched with wear.

String the bars on one length of elastic at a time with your chosen beads in between.

Once you've strung the top holes, string all the pieces through the bottom holes.

To tie the bracelet off, cross both ends of one elastic over each other in a half knot.

Now tie a surgeon's knot. That is, cross them over each other but before pulling the knot up tightly, cross them over again. It will look like the photo below. Pull up the knot, then pull on both the cords before the knot and both cords after the knot to tighten it.

For an extra secure bracelet, apply a dab of G-S Hypo Cement on each knot.

On the adhesive is dry, trim both cords to 6mm (1/4"). If the holes in your beads are large enough, then slide the knot inside the bead.

Give this fun piece of jewellery to your adult colouring book lovers and attach a note: "In case of emergency, break glass". I'm sure they'll love it!

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15-Minute Studded Leather Bracelet - Easy Peasy Braiding

Just because you're short on time, doesn't mean you can't make jewellery. This smart bracelet proves that even the most time-poor among us can still find time to craft! It uses pre-studded faux leather lace and the simplest and easiest weaving technique so you can whip up the braid in no time. Add some ribbon crimps and a clasp to the ends and you can be wearing this bracelet in around 15 minutes! You can buy studded faux suede in a large selection of colours so you can make up lots of these bracelets to suit all the outfits in your wardrobe.

Here are the materials you'll need:

Faux Suede Studded Lace in your choice of colours (I used 2 dark purple with white)

Silver Clasp kit with 16mm ribbon crimps, extension chain, jump rings and lobster clasp

Tools: Fold over clip, nylon jaw pliers, chain nose pliers, scissors

Prepare the Laces

Cut three 23cm (9") lengths of faux suede lace in your choice of colours. Align the ends and clamp them in the fold over clip.

Anchor the fold over clip. I used a giant spring peg memo holder because it is quite heavy. A drawer handle or door knob would also work.

How to Weave a Flat, 3-Cord Braid

The flat 3 cord braid has just two simple movements: Right lace over centre, followed by left lace over centre. This simple weave moves the laces from right, to centre, to left, and then back to centre and finally to it's starting position. This is the set up of the laces. The numbers should help you follow the pattern.

Begin by crossing lace 3 (on the right) over lace 2 so that it now sits in the centre. Lace 1 is still on the left hand side.

Cross lace 1 over lace 3 so it sits in the centre. Lace 2 has now become the lace on the right hand side.

Pass lace 2 over lace 1 so it sits in the centre. Lace 3 is now on the left hand side with lace 1 on the right hand side.

Keeping your tension even, continue the pattern: passing right to centre, left to centre until you reach the end of your cords.

Assemble the Bracelet

Trim the end laces so that they are even.

Place a ribbon crimp over the end of the laces.

Use the nylon jaw pliers to close the crimp firmly over the three laces.

Place the bracelet around your wrist to check for length.

Cut it 2.5cm (1") shorter than your wrist measurement. This will be taken up by the clasp and findings.

Clamp another ribbon crimp over the cut ends of the laces.

Open a jump ring and connect the loop on the ribbon crimp to the lobster clasp.

Attach the extension chain to the other end of the bracelet with another jump ring.

Now, make them up in all sorts of different colours and stack them on your wrist!

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Black Diamonds Bracelet - How to Make a Woven Leather Cord and Rolo Chain Bracelet

Make this really classy looking bracelet using leather cord and rolo chain. This weaving technique is really easy to do and can be as simple or as fancy as you like: Use a length of diamanté braid down the middle to add some extra sparkle (cupchain would work well, too!) or use multiple pieces of chain in place of the braid to weave through.  For added sparkle, this bracelet also has a diamanté slider as the focal so it could even be worn for a big night out.

Here's what you need to make this design:

9 ½” black and crystal imitation rhinestone ribbon braid

15” 5mm gold rolo chain 

72” 2mm ReaLeather silver cord

One 34mm diamante set black metal donut slider bead (with two loops) – available from www.feelinginspired.com.au

Two 6mm gold jump rings

One gold heart magnetic clasp (Use one similar to this and remove the lobster clasps)

Quick drying adhesive

Tools: chain nose pliers, flat nose pliers, wire cutters, scissors, ruler

Cut two 16cm (6 ¼”) lengths from the chain. Set aside the remaining links to finish the bracelet.

Fold the cord in half to find centre and thread on the first link of each chain, sliding it to the centre.

Thread the right hand cord through the third link on both the right and left hand chains.

Thread the left hand cord through the third link of the left hand chain and across to the third link of the right hand chain so that each cord has now passed through both the third links.

Cut a strip of imitation rhinestone ribbon braid two cups wide and then insert it so that it is sandwiched between the two cords. Leave an end of at least 2.5cm (1”). At this stage, your work will be a little messy but it will sort itself out as the weaving progresses.

Take the right hand cord and pass it through the fifth link on the right hand chain, under the imitation braid, and through the fifth link of the left hand chain.

Take the left hand cord and pass it through the fifth link of the left hand chain, positioning it on top of the first cord. Pass it over the braid and through the fifth link on the right hand chain. Adjust the cords so that the chain and braid sit nicely between the cords.

Continue weaving the cord in this manner until you have made seven complete loops. On the eighth loop insert the right hand cord through the right hand loop of the diamante set slider (from the outside) and then through the chain link.

Then continue to weave the cord as before. Repeat on the left hand side with the left hand cord but instead of passing the cord over the imitation braid, pass it underneath the braid.

 On the back it should look like the photo below.

Continue weaving until the bracelet is the same length on both sides of the diamante donut slider. Adjust the cords along the length of the bracelet until you are happy with how it is sitting.

To finish the bracelet you will need five chain links at the beginning of the bracelet and either 3 or 5 chain links at the end. If you cut your 16cm (6 ¼”) chain lengths with an odd number of links, you will need 5 links. If you cut them with an even number of links, you will need 3 links. To open and close rolo chain links, you will need to work with flat nose pliers and grip the links with the length of the pliers to prevent them from sliding around on the link. Once you have removed the links attach them to the beginning of the bracelet: attach the first link of the 5-link chain to the first chain link in the bracelet. Open the last link of the 5-link chain and connect it to the first link on the other side of the bracelet. Repeat for the other end of the bracelet where you will use either 3 or 5 links.

Insert the two cord ends through the next hole in the chain to the back of the bracelet, tie the two cords into separate knots close to the last link on each side of the bracelet. Place a dab of adhesive on the knot to secure it and then trim away the excess cord.

Apply adhesive to the cut ends of the imitation braid and fold it over the last full loop.

Feed it under the loops on the back to secure it and then trim away the excess. Repeat on the other end.

Open the two jump rings and hook one through the center link at each end of the bracelet and hook on one half of the magnetic clasp before closing it again.

Now that you've attached the magnetic clasp, you can easily put on and take off the bracelet without any help!

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If you can't get enough of My Tutorials and you want even more inspiration, click here to find my books and printable pdfs