Free Jewelry Making Project #3 from Bead Chic by Margot Potter

Did you know how easy it is to create your own findings? Once you master that skill, you'll find it difficult to buy them ready made! This project from my new book Bead Chic shows you how to create some longer bent and curved ear wires. You can opt to use base metal instead of sterling, but definitely use a 20 gauge wire made from stainless or another more sturdy metal and make sure you sand or use a wire rounder on the ends. I used a rat tail comb to create the sharp bend...I'm of the mind that you use what you have at hand!

I called this design 'Effortless Elegance' because it's just a few lovely beads and an artfully bent wire. This is from the chapter on Pattern and the variation is a little more complex with some hammering of the front part of the ear wire and some simple wire wrapping on a QuickLinks component. You could wrap beads on the front part of the ear wire...or add coiled wire...or add a bead or two...see how this keeps shifting if you make small changes? That's what this book is all about! You'll need to buy the book to get the step by step photos.

If you leave a comment here, I will select one of you to win a signed copy of the new book and a bonus swag sample. I'll announce the winner next Saturday August 28th.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Madge

Effortless Elegance Earrings Copyright Margot Potter 2009

Effortless Elegance Earrings
Bead Chic
Copyright Margot Potter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Materials
2 12x17m black onyx polished tear drop beads
6 3mm red coral beads
6 24 gauge sterling head pins
2 ball tip sterling head pins
20 gauge sterling wire

Tools
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Thin metal dowel (I used metal end of a rattail comb)

1. Cut off two 3” segments of wire.

2. Bend wire over a thin dowel to create a crease or point, this should be not quite in the center of the wire and in the same spot on both wires.

3. Gently round both wire tails into a matching curve.

4. Sand ends of wire.

5. Bend a loop in one end of wire using round nose pliers.

6. Create wrapped dangles using ball tip head pins and onyx beads. Repeat for coral beads using regular head pins.

7. Attach beads to loop at end of ear wire onyx first followed by three coral beads. Use chain nose pliers to open and close loop.