Tutorial Tuesday is a blog series where I share a do-it-yourself jewelry tutorial.

It’s been awhile (a whole year in fact!) since, I’ve shared a Tutorial Tuesday design with you. I was inspired to create these desert vibe beauties by the “Tempting treasures wire frame earrings” designed by Bonnie Riconda in the August 2016 issue of Bead&Button Magazine.

Tutorial

1. Flush cut 5″ of 18 gauge wire, straighten and smooth the wire with nylon jaw pliers.

2. Using round nose pliers, make a look on each end, with the loops facing each other.

3. Bend the strand of the wire softly up from the middle and line up the two loops at the top. Form wire into a teardrop shape.

4. Place the wire form on a block and lightly hammer it with a nylon hammer to work harden the wire. Do not hammer the loops when they are overlapped. Separate the loops, hammer and squeeze the loops back together they are overlapped again.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 for the second wire form.

6.  Cut 36″ of 26 gauge wire and wrap it three or four times around the top left of the wire form. 

7. String the number of beads needed to reach the other side of the form and secure by making several wraps. Repeat this step with your desired beads, adjusting the number of wraps needed based on the size of your beads. I strung: 3 shell heishi, 3 citrine rondelles, 7 shell heishi, 7 turquoise heishi, 5 citrine rondelles. 

8. Trim and tuck the wire tail, pressing it close to your form.

9. Repeat steps 6-8 for the second earring.  

10. Cut 2” of 20 gauge wire strands and using Wubbers make your ear wires. Watch the video DIY Episode 7: How to make Ear Wires using Soft Flex® Craft Wire and Wubbers Pliers on our YouTube channel.

11. Open the loop of an ear wire, attach it to the two loops on the earring form and close the loop. 

12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 to complete the second earring.