Pearl Hoops

When I first started making simple beaded jewelry, I remember a stinging criticism I received from a woman. "All your earrings look the same. Do you have any hoops?" I came home with hurt feelings. However, this gave me the seed for an idea which eventually allowed me to design hoops using beads and bead tips. Eventually, I combined this idea with freshwater pearls to make these "Pearl Hoops."

You’ll need:

20 3-4mm freshwater pearl beads
2 bead tips
size .010 beading wire
wire cutters
glue
2 ear hooks
flat/bent nosed pliers

1. Slip 10 pearls onto your thread and cut the thread allowing an extra few inches on either side of our pearls.

2. Put both ends of your thread through the hole of your bead tip.

3. Tie 2 over hand knots, and tighten them to they rest inside the shell of your bead tip.

4. Trim off excess thread (using wire cutters), and dab a little glue onto your knot.

5. Use bent nosed pliers to close the bead tip around the knot.

6. Repeat steps 1 - 6 for the other earring.

7. Add an ear hook to the hook on one bead tip.

8. Use round nosed pliers to close the hook.

9. Repeat steps 8 & 9 for the other earring.

This is just one example of how you can take a criticism and use it to create a new design.

All graphics created by Tammy Powley.

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