DIY Hanging Earrings with Purple Lace Agate Gemstones

This pair of earring is very unique because all the findings are handmade using multi-color Artistic Wire. Add the fine beauty of Purple Lace Agate to match the wires for a bold pop of color!

Items used in earrings:

  • AW00230 – 20 gauge multi colored artistic wire
  • AW00224 – 18 gauge multi colored artistic wire
  • AW00236 – 22 gauge multi colored artistic wir
  • PCA4RD-8 – 4mm purple crazy lace agate
  • PCA8RD-8 – 8mm purple crazy lace agate
  • Z014352 – 1.5-2.0 mm green Chinese glass
  • Z013504 – 3.0 mm grey Chinese glass
  • CH00718 – Chain

Tools:

  • Flat nose pliers
  • Round nose pliers
  • Flush cutter
  • Pen or small dowel

GoodyBeads.com Blog | DIY Hanging Earrings with Purple Lace Agate Gemstones FREE Tutorial

Directions:

  1. String TEN 4mm gemstone and TEN Chinese glass alternating them on the 22-gauge wire. (Do not cut wire off of spool.)
  2. Make a loop an inch from the end then pull one of each bead next to the loop you’ve made and then make a loop on the other side, without cutting wire. Continue making loops, alternating in different directions, while pulling beads up until you have loops after all of the beads.
  3. Cut loop of beads from the spool, leaving an inch of wire on either side. Gently wrap it around the pen/dowl working it to form a bead.
  4. Slide bead off the pen and onto a 3.25 inch piece of 18-gauge wire. Slide on a 3mm Chinese glass next to the wire bead followed by an 8mm gemstone and another 3mm Chinese glass and make a simple loop. Repeat on the other side and curve thee wire slightly.
  5. To make ear wires, cut two 3-inch pieces of 20-gauge wire. Make a loop to one end of both of the wires. Add a 3mm Chinese glass bead to each wire, then bend wires at a 45 degree angle on top of the bead. (Try to bend and make the ear wires both at the same time for consistency.) Wrap wire around pen to create an ear wire shape. Cut off excess wire if needed. Use a soft grit file to smooth out the ends or a Bur Cup tool.        
  6. Loop and coil 20-gauge wire with round nose pliers, making a 5-6mm loop. Cut loops to make 2 jump rings.
  7.  Trim chain link to have large loops on top and bottom. Cut 2 pieces.
  8. Open one loop of your curved gemstone link, slide on a chain link end and close. Repeat to other end of link and chain.
  9. Open jump rings you made, slide on both of your other chain ends and through loop of ear wires you made. Close jump rings.
  10. Repeat all steps for other earring.

Earring Designed by Tia.




DIY White Cowrie Shell Earrings

Can you hear this DIY calling to you? This pair of cowrie shell earrings is designed with enamel cowrie shells and our fun beadable links. Get this free tutorial today and be summer-ready!

Items used in earrings:

  • SB03778 – Sea Opal 11/0 Delica Seed Beads Tube
  • SB03818 – Precious Mix 11/0 Delica Seed Beads Tube
    Use gold beads in this mix or use SB00269.
  • Y005060 (2) – White Enamel with Gold Finish Cowrie Shell Component
  • Z001831 – 8mm Gold Plated Post Earrings
  • A006585 – 4lb Crystal Fireline Thread
  • AW00025/AW00002 – 20 or 22 Gauge Artistic Wire
  • Z005131 (2) – Beadable Link

GoodyBeads.com Blog | DIY White Cowrie Shell Earrings FREE Tutorial

Directions:

  1. Add a foot of beading thread to your needle and add a bead stopper to your thread end, leaving about a 5 inch tail.
  2. Sew through one hole of beadable link and pick up Sea Opal and Gold Delica seed beads, alternating between the colors. Pick up a total of 9 beads. Sew down through the other beadable link across the link channel. Sew back through all the beads. Pull off the bead stopper and tie both threads together, tie two times. Sew thread ends through a few beads before cutting off excess.
  3. Cut a 3 inch piece of wire. Insert a third of the wire through the shell and fold wire. Wrap the longer piece of wire on top and around the shorter piece of wire.
  4. Make a simple loop with the shorter wire.
  5. Open loop, slide in beadable link and close loop.
  6. Open earwire loop and slide on other end of beadable link.
  7. Repeat all steps for other earring.

Video Tutorial

Watch the video tutorial where Tory demonstrates how to make this pair of earrings. Watch it HERE on our facebook page.

Earring design by Tory




DIY Onyx Gemstone and Wood Resin Stick Earrings

We have the perfect fall earrings just for you! Made with some of our newest Wood & Resin pendants and Onyx gemstone beads! Plus, a full tutorial on wire wrapping your stick pendants.

What you’ll need:

GoodyBeads Blog | DIY Onyx and Resin Stick Earrings

GoodyBeads Blog | DIY Onyx and Resin Stick Earrings

Directions

  1. Cut a 4 inch piece of wire. Slide wire through hole of the wood & resin pendant.

2. Twist wire to criss cross at the top.

3. Use your round nose pliers to pinch the wires crossing and make a twist or two.

4. Cut shorter piece of wire and slide on gemstone bead. Make a wrapped or simple loop. Make sure loop is facing outwards.

5. Open ear wire loop and slide on dangle.

6. Repeat all steps for other earring.

Check out more Wood & Resin DIY Designs.




Crystal Quartz Drop Earrings with Tutorial

Today’s FREE tutorial is wire wrapping Crystal Quartz points and making simple pair of earrings with them! All you need are a few tools and wire to get your started!

What you’ll need for tutorial:

Crystal Point Tutorial

Here are some earring examples to using your crystal points!

Crystal Hoop Earrings
We took three different graduated points and slid them over the hoop earrings for an easy pair of earrings!

Items used in earrings: CRY3-36PTAW00055, Z011592

GoodyBeads | Blog - Crystal Point Earrings with FREE Tutorial

Crystal Point Drop Earrings

In this example, we chose two points of the same length and dangled one point on either sides of the drop link. And a third point at a longer length at the middle.

Items used in example: CRY3-36PT, AW00055, Y013693, TCZ0077, A002413

GoodyBeads | Blog: Crystal Point Earrings with FREE Tutorial




Flat Memory Wire and Gemstone Bracelet – Video Tutorial

Candie Cooper came by the GoodyBeads Mezzanine to show us how to make an easy DIY wrap bracelet with flat memory wire and gemstone beads. Watch the video today!

 

GoodyBeads Blog: Flat Memory Wire and Gemstone Bracelet Video Tutorial

After the Spring Twin Cities Bead Bazaar, Candie stopped by to demonstrate how to make a classy and chic bracelet using 4mm faceted coin gemstone beads, wire wrapped around flat memory wire.

 

What you’ll need:

 

Video Tutorial

 




Vendor Video: Artistic Wire® Adjustable Necklace Jig

Make adjustable necklaces with Artistic Wire Findings Forms Necklace Jig. Accompanied with a video tutorial from Beadalon® and Artistic Wire.

 

Make trendy choker necklaces with the Adjustable Necklace Jig, using Artistic Wire and basic tools.

Here are things you’ll need to make adjustable wire necklaces:

 

Tools:

 

Video Tutorial

 

  1. Straighten wire with Wire Straighter Tool.
  2. Bend the wire around the top of the jig.
  3. Bend one end of the wire around the top peg.
  4. Wrap the wire around the jig one and a half times. (Turn the jig to wrap the wire.)
  5. Wrap the wire around the other jig  peg.
  6. Remove the wire from the jig.
  7. Cut the tail end with flush cutters, leaving a small hook. Cut the other end leaving a small hook.
  8. Optional: If you’d like the necklace to be smaller, just a small cylinder to adjust wire.
  9. Use the Memory Wire Finishing Pliers to turn a loop. (Use larger peg of plier.)
  10. Use Bent Chain Nose Pliers to bend wire 90° down.
  11. Repeat Steps 9 and 10 to other wire end.
  12. Use pliers to open loop. Latch the loop onto the necklace and close it.
  13. Repeat step 12 to other end.

 

Finish off your necklace with a dangle charm. Or if you want to add beads to your necklace, string on beads before completing step 11.

 




Eden Green Pearl Beadable Bracelet & Cuff – Tutorial

Wrap yourself in this magnificent new pearl color from Swarovski®: Eden Green. Design with this pearl along with an easy bracelet and cuff tutorial.

 

Eden Green is a gorgeous hue surely to stand out in a sea of spring colors. Tory Vezina has paired the pearl with gold and an array of blues.

 

What you will need for tutorial:

 

Tutorial

Tutorial starts at 5:30 minutes.

 

Make sure to check out Eden Green Pearl Earring tutorial HERE.

 




Beadalon® Artsy Wire Bangle Bracelet – Tutorial

Make an easy wire bangle bracelet using Artistic Wire 14 Gauge Artsy Olive Color Kit with Connectors (Z012739) and a few helpful tools.

 

The Artistic Wire kit consists of 3 feet of 14-gauge wire and 5 connectors/crimp connectors. Here are items/tools you will need to complete a bangle:

 

Here is a step-by-step instruction sheet that shows how easy it is to make a wire bangle bracelet.

GoodyBeads Beadalon Artsy Wire Bangle Tutorial

Click for PDF file instructions. (Tutorial by Beadalon)

 




2018 B&B Show: Swarovski Demos with So Vang

We were fortunate to do two demos at the Swarovski Create Your Style booth during Bead & Button. So Vang demos making beadable cuffs and rings using Swarovski two-hole spike crystal beads and creating hoop to dangle Swarovski Majestic Blue pendants with Beadalon Memory Wire. Check out our facebook videos and components to inspire your next creation.

Crystal Spike Cuff & Ring

If you’ve done fabric sewing and done a ladder stitch to close openings, this technique would be easy for you. Below is a illustrated look at what a ladder stitch looks like from this external website we found. So every time you come up, that’s when you will sew through your bead hole before sewing across and down.

ladder-stitch-diagram1

One of our popular demos was bead stitching Swarovski two-hole spike beads on Beadable Accessories like the cuff and rings. Download our components list HERE for this demo and watch our facebook video of how So Vang ladder stitches the spike beads on beadable rings and cuffs.

Cuff components: Z001859, A006585, SW01714 (6), A015211

Ring components: Z001454,A006585,SW01714 (3), A015211

 

Majestic Blue Drop Earrings with Memory Wire

Make simple drop earrings using Memory Wire and a few tools. Watch as So shows you how easy it is to create hoops and dangle crystal pendants off it. Download the pdf file HERE to get components and tools used for this super easy demo!

Tools: TLZ0207, TL00206, TL00236

Gold Majestic Blue Drop Earrings: WR00126, A019615, SW01725 (2), TCZ0140

Silver Majestic Blue Drop Earrings: WR00127, A001528, TCZ0078, SW01747

 




How to Make a Leather and Memory Wire Bracelet – Video Tutorial

Learn how make our popular leather and memory wire bracelets in our video tutorial and watch as we teach you how to finish your memory wire bracelet with the nifty Memory Wire Finishing Pliers.

Leather and Memory Wire Components

Here are items you need in order to make your leather and memory wire bracelet.

Round Leather

Round Leather is the star of your bracelet. We carry 5mm and 6mm round leather cord, which will need to have a hollow core or hole inside the leather. The hollow core helps the memory wire go through the leather. Make sure when selecting your leather cord to read the descriptions, as not all round leather cords have a hollow core or hole. All leather cord is sold in inches, so order according to the amount of inches you will need for your project.

Another type of cord you can use are Regaliz® Licorice Leather with Hole as seen in our Leather & Swarovski Trend. They are thicker in size with flatten sides.

You can also use Hollow Rubber Cord. These are 3mm in diameter and sold in foot increments. Make sure they say “hollow” in the description for memory wire.

Memory Wire

Memory Wire is the skeleton of your bracelet. Make sure the wire you are selecting is round as we also carry flat memory wire and that “Memory Wire” in the description and/or name.

End Caps

End caps will be used to cap the ends of your leather cord. They make your leather ends look cleaner and finished. When looking for end caps, you can find them in Findings: Clasps & End Caps, TierraCast Findings, or search “End Caps.” PLUS, read the descriptions to determine their inside diameter/opening. This will help to accommodate the round leather size you choose to order.

Beads

Lastly, add these beads to your bracelet: glass beads, Swarovski crystals, gemstones, wood and any type of beads that will slide easily through the memory wire. Don’t forget some accent beads like bead caps, metal beads and seed beads.

Some beads we would not recommend are large-hole beads like interchangeable large-holes or large-hole gemstones because their holes are large and may wiggle around on the memory wire. Some tubes will not work because their shape will not curve along with the memory wire. Pearl beads can be tricky because some will have holes to small for the memory wire.

Tools

The best tool to cut your memory wire is the Memory Wire Cutter (TL00206). This cutter is meant to cut through heavy-duty wire like memory wire or thicker gauge wires.

One of your best friends in making your bracelet is the Memory Wire Finishing Pliers (TLZ0207). It’s a sturdy round plier used to loop your wires. It has two mandrel sides to create a consistent 2mm or 4mm loop. This tool will make it easier for your hands to making a loop compared to your round-nose pliers.

Video Tutorial

Watch our facebook live spin-off video below to learn how to add leather cord and end caps to memory wire and how to loop with the Memory Wire Finishing Pliers.

Items used: WR00121, CH00924 (3″), TC01854, SW00171, SW00180, SW00182, A022201, A022205

Memory Wire Bracelet Examples

You don’t have to only use leather cords. Here are some fun examples we used with leather and/or beads.

MemoryWire_1

(Leather & Swarovski Wrap Bracelets, Cork Cord and Wood Beads, Round Leather and Wire Bracelets)

MemoryWire_2

(Flamingo and Palm Tree Blog, Summer Wrap Bracelets, Memory Wire Leather Wrap Blog)

MemoryWire_3

(Fall Gemstone Trend, Turquoise Czech Glass Beads)

MemoryWire_4

(February Birthstone, March Birthstone, Naturally Coastal)




Artistic Wire® Conetastic Cone Mandrels – Video Tutorial

Artistic Wire shows how easy it is to assemble and make wire cones using the Contastic Inverted Mandrels in this video tutorial. Learn how to use this nifty tool today!

 

We are inspired to show you this video tutorial from Artistic Wire on how to make wire wrapped cones using the Contastic Cone Mandrel (Item# TL00209). Use to make bead caps, connectors, or as a holiday tree charm like in our previous blog post.

 

Video Tutorial

We would love to know what you think of the tool and how you use it in your jewelry making.

 




Ombré Earrings with Chinese Crystals

An assortment of Chinese crystal colors has arrived. We love the opaque and milky hues so we made some stunning earrings with Nunn Design® earwires. Check out these earrings and tutorial.

 

Wrapping wire can be a fun technique used to add beads to frame a hoop or link finding. Here, we used four Chinese crystal colors to wrap around these oval hoop earrings (A014374 & Z014371), creating an ombré look.

 

Components

 

Tutorial

  1. Cut a foot of wire.
  2. Coil 2-3 times around the top part of the earring hoop. (Use nylon pliers or non-serrated pliers to smooth the coil around the earring.) Pinch coil together to keep wires close.
  3. Pick up a Chinese crystal bead and hold it perpendicular to the earring hoop. Wrap the wire the same direction as you’ve done in step two. Wrap around two time.
  4. Repeat 11 more times.
    Note: If you want to create an ombré coloration, use four gradation of Chinese crystal colors. Wrap three beads of the same color individually then add the next color three more times, etc.
  5. Make sure at the end you wrap your wire around the earring hoop three time. Cut excess wire. Use pliers to smooth the coil around the earring hoop.

GoodyBeads | Chinese Crystal Ombre Earrings Tutorial

Items used: WR00039, Z014371, Z007392, Z007450, Z007027, Z006915

 




How to Make a Wire-Wrapped Loop

A simple embellishment you can add to your head pins and wire, is making a wire wrap loop. A wrapped loop adds a decorative and elegant look to your jewelry piece. Here, we’ll explain how to make a wrapped loop, how to connect two wrapped loops together and show you previous projects using wrapped loops.

While we covered the basic of a simple loop in a previous blog post, you can take that knowledge of simple loops and amp it up a notch with wire-wrapped loops. Like, our previous advice; practice, practice, practice.

First, let’s talk about wire gauge. While we recommend your head pins, eyepins or wire to be a 21 – 24 gauge, you can surely use other thickness. Do keep in mind that when wire wrapping a thick gauge, like 20 or lower; it will be more difficult to create a tighter coil. While a thinner gauge above 26 will be more delicate. But when it comes down to beading and jewelry, it’s personal preference.

Wire Wrap Loop Tutorial

Tools you will need:

  • Round Nose Pliers
  • Flat Nose Pliers
  • Serrated Pliers
  • Side Cutter

Linking Wire Wrapped Loops

Unlike simple loops, with wire wrap loops you are unable to open the loops up and link them. You will need to add the two parts in the middle of the wrapping process, while using Artistic Wire to make a double wrapped, loop links.

There are many variations of how to form a wrapped loop. Many jewelry-makers create coils while holding the wire end with their fingers. Or others wire wrap an irregular coil. Whichever the look you are achieving, one way to make a wrapped loop.

Sample Jewelry with Wire-Wrapped Loops

Here, we will explore inspirational jewelry from past trends and blog postings that have used wrapped loops.

GoodyBeads.com | Blog: How to make a wire-wrapped loop - Linked wire-wrapped loops to make this pearl waterfall necklace

We linked up wire-wrapped loops to make this waterfall-inspired pearl necklace.

GoodyBeads.com | Blog: How to make a wire-wrapped loop - wrapped wire loops romanticizes this necklace.

Even these beaded tassel incorporates a wrapped wire loop to romanticize this necklace. Get this tutorial in the Beaded Tassel Tutorial blog post.