Tuesday, December 24, 2013

DIY Chain of Lights Earrings - How to Messy Wire Wrap Beads

Are you running short of creative time this Christmas?

Then you need some QUICK AND EASY earrings to make - a garland of festive lights to dangle from your ears.
Curved silver bars are linked together with red teardrop crystals to create chain of light earrings.

Here's what you'll need to make these:
Christmas red teardrop beads, curved silver connectors and jewellery findings needed to make Chain of Lights earrings.
Cut the wire in half and set one piece aside for the second earring. Cut the remaining wire into 4 20cm (8") lengths. Insert one into a 6x4mm teardrop leaving a tail of 3cm (1 3/16"). Bend the wires so that they cross over each other above the point of the bead. Use your nail to bend the long wire vertically.
Red teardrop bead strung on wire and pinched into a point above the bead.

 Wrap the short tail twice around the neck just created on the long wire.
Beginning the wire wrapping of the neck with the wire above the teardrop bead.

Trim away the excess wire on the short tail.
Using flush cutters to trim away one of the wires close to the wire wrapped neck.

Create a loop with the round nose pliers just above the coil. 
Forming a loop around round nose pliers above the wire wrapped neck of the wire.

Wrap the wire down around the neck and over the wraps made with the short wire.
Wrapping the wire back down the neck over the original wire wrapping.

Continue wrapping the wire around the bead until you cover the holes. Pass the wire diagonally across the wrapping on the bead and then twice around the neck wraps to secure it.
Wrap the wire neatly down over the tip of the bead until you cover the bead holes.

Trim the excess wire. Create two more 6x4mm wrapped beads and one 8x4mm wrapped bead.
Trimming away the tail of the wrapping wire with flush cutters close to the wire wrapping.

Open a jump ring and attach two curved connectors (string the outward curve first) and then one of the small wrapped teardrops so that it sits on the inside curve. Add a third connector and a teardrop. Attach the third teardrop to the top connector with a jump ring.
Opening a jump ring and hooking on two curved connectors and the loop of the wire wrapped teardrop.

 Add the large teardrop to the bottom connector with a jump ring.
Opening a jump ring to connect the large wrapped teardrop bead with the last curved connector.

Now attach the top jump ring to the earring wire and then create a second earring to match.

If you liked this project, you might also like this one:
Sparkle Tree earrings 

Pin this project!
Chain of Lights earrings inspiration sheet


'Til next time.....








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