Czech Flower Earrings
I’ve been playing around with some earring designs to compliment the Czech Flower Necklace when I was sent this picture by Rhona of Over the Moon Jewelry. The section at the top of the earrings reminded me of the flower design I was working on, so (with her permission) I adapted her original design to compliment my Czech Flower Necklace. I’ve posted her picture below so you can see the similarities in the designs. She used Swavorski crystals, and I used Czech.
To make a similar pair, you’ll need:
8 4mm Jet Black Czech beads
2 small Jet Black Czech teardrop beads
2 head pins
2 ear hooks
approximately 7 inches of 20 gauge wire
wire cutters
round nosed pliers
flat/bent nosed pliers
1. Start by slipping on a teardrop bead onto a head pin.
2. Use pliers to bend the head pin in about a 45 degree angle.
3. Use round nosed pliers to hold the head pin where you bent it, and use your hand to wrap the head pin wire around the nose of your pliers to forum a loop.
4. Keep the round nose of the pliers through the loop you have created and use flat or bent nosed pliers to wrap the wire of the head pin around itself.
5. Repeat the steps above for the second teardrop bead.
6. Now cut off about 3 ½ inches of 20 gauge wire. (I used sterling, but you can use whatever you’d like. Also, thinner wire would work okay with this too.)
7. Hold the middle of the wire with round nosed pliers, and use your hands to bend the wire into a V shape.
8. Slip on your teardrop piece created earlier so it rests in the middle of the V.
9. Add two 4mm Czech beads to each side of the V.
10. Use pliers to bend the two sides of the wire, approximately 1/8 of an inch away from the beads, so that they cross each other.
11. Next, take one side of the crossed wire, and use that to wrap around the other side. I found it easiest to hold the beads together in one hand (my left), and use bent nosed pliers to wrap the wire around itself.
12. Continue until you’ve wrapped the wire all around itself, and the other is sticking straight up.
13. Next, use the same technique as you did for the teardrops to create a loop at the top of your earring.
14. Slip an ear hook onto the loop.
15. Repeat steps 6 through 14 to finish the other matching earring.
I purposely wanted a rounder look to my earrings so they would match the necklace. As you can see by looking at Rhona’s earrings, you can make them look more square by making the wire more angled. Also, the different shaped beads make a difference in the finished piece as well.
All graphics created by Tammy Powley.
