Basic Earring Construction

Earrings are great projects, because with a few tools you can have a finished piece in a matter of minutes. Instant gratification! Follow the steps below to learn the basics of earring construction.

A B C D

1. After you've chosen the beads you want for your earrings, stack them onto a headpin in the order you desire. (A) Leave about 1/4" of headpin above the top bead. Trim the headpin if necessary with side cutters (wire snips).

2. Using needlenose pliers, bend the top of the headpin at a right angle. (B)

3. Then, using roundnose pliers, turn the headpin into a loop that sits squarely above the top bead. (C) Straighten out the loop if necessary using whichever set of pliers seems appropriate for the task.

4. Using the needlenose pliers, open the loop just enough to attach your earwire, earpost, or other earring finding. (D) Close the loop and your earring is complete!