With these Gypsy Dangle Earrings, you can dangle beads from five of the loops for a fun gypsy look. This design can either be done using a jig or by hand using round nosed pliers. I’ve included the instructions for creating these with hand tools. However, the jig pattern is also included at the end of this project.
You’ll need:
12 inches of 18 gage round wire
1. Cut 2 pieces of wire (each 6 inches long) and file both ends smooth.
2. Curl one end of a wire using round nosed pliers.
4 inches of chain
2 ear hooks
10 head pins
your choice of beads
wire cutters
jeweler’s files
round nosed pliers
flat or bent nosed pliers
raw hide hammer of plastic nosed pliers
3. Then move about 1 inch down the wire, with the curl from step 2 facing away, hold the wire with the middle of your round nosed pliers, and wrap the wire towards you (using your fingers) around the nose of the pliers to form a loop.
4. Move the pliers down below this loop and make another loop.
5. Move down a little further to create a third loop.
6. Now keep the wire up above the third loop and make a fourth above it.
7. Make a fifth loop above the fourth.
8. Move about 1 inch up to create a curl as in step 2.
9. If necessary, trim off excess wire and file smooth.
10. Flatten the piece using a raw hide hammer or nylon pliers.
11. Add chain to loops (step 2 and 8) and close up the loops so the chain doesn’t slip out.
12. Add earring hook to the middle part of the chain.
13. Decide which beads will hang from which hoops.
14. Add a bead to a head pin and curl over the head pin using round nosed pliers.
15. Slip onto a loop.
16. Put round nosed pliers through the curl in the head pin and hold with one hand. Use a flat or bent pliers in other hand to wrap head pin wire around itself. (This same technique can be found in my Bead & Wire Chain project.
17. Continue adding beads onto loops using this technique until all five center loops have beads dangling from them.
18. Repeat step 2-18 for second earring.
If you prefer to use a jig, you’ll need to arrange your pegs in the following configuration.
You could also use this earring pattern to create a matching pendant. These earrings aren’t too difficult to make, but I suggest trying it out with inexpensive copper wire before you use sterling or gold-filled. It took me a few times before I got an earring that I was happy with.
All graphics created by Tammy Powley.