If you're an avid crafter and jewellery maker, this how-to guide is perfect for you! In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of creating beautiful orange drop earrings using Preciosa beads. Get ready to unleash your creativity and make a stunning pair of earrings that will surely catch everyone's attention. So gather your seed beads, jewelry-making tools, and let's get started!
The full list of Preciosa beads, components and tools needed to complete this project can be found below. If you click on the product description (link), the respective product page will open, where each item can be viewed and added to cart:
| Component | Component Name / Link | Quantity |
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Preciosa Round Beads Hyacinth 6mm | x 18 |
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Preciosa Seed Beads Hyacinth 8/0 | x 480 |
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Preciosa Seed Beads Topaz S/L 6/0 | x 14 |
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Gold Plated Crimp Beads 2mm | x 2 |
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Gold Plated Crimp Cover 4mm | x 2 |
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Gold Plated Fish Hook Ear Wires | x 1 pair |
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Clear Illusion Cord | x 1 |
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Chain Nose Pliers | x 1 |
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Crimp Pliers | x 1 |
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Thread Cutter | x 1 |
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Magic Sorting Tray | x 1 |
Step 1
Thread your first bead
Cut a 1m length of Illusion cord and thread it through one 6mm round bead and then 6 hyacinth seed beads. Be sure to leave a tale of loose cord, which we will use later.
Step 2
Build the seed bead layer around the base bead
Loop the cord round and pass it through the large bead a second time so that the seed beads wrap around the large bead, filling the space between the two openings. Repeat this process 8 times until the surface of the large bead is securely covered in seed beads.
Step 3
Thread the next three beads
Thread on one Topaz S/L seed bead, then one 6mm round bead which will remain uncovered and another Topaz S/L seed bead.
Step 4
Build the next layered bead
Thread on another 6mm round bead and repeat step 2 to cover this bead in seed beads. Repeat this pattern until you have 5 covered round beads in your design.
Step 5
Secure the tail at the bottom
Now that the chain of beads is woven, you can weave the tail of illusion cord (that’s loose at the bottom), back up through pattern so that the end can be lost in the weave. Tie a knot in a discrete place and continue to weave the tail until you are happy that it is going to stay secure and not unravel. Trim away any excess.
Step 6
Attach the beaded strand to the earring
Add a crimp bead onto one end of your illusion cord and then thread it through the loop at the bottom of the ear wire. Loop the cord back through the crimp bread and pull until it is secure. The loop should look something like this.
Keeping a firm grip of the thread to ensure that both parts of the thread stay within the crimp bead, use crimping pliers to crush the crimp bead first one way, then the other, to grip the Illusion cord in place permanently.
The cord should now stay in place when the thread is pulled. Once the thread is secure within the crushed crimp bead, thread the rest of the cord back through the beaded strand and trim off any excess.
Step 7
Hide the crimp bead with a crimp cover
To make the top of the earring aesthetically pleasing, cover the crimp bead with a crimp cover. Do this by pushing the open crimp cover the crimp bead and then use the chain nose pliers to gently press it closed. It should look like a smooth round bead when you are done.
Step 8
Create a matching pair
Repeat steps 1 to 7 to create the second orange drop earring and complete the set.
Congratulations on completing your orange drop earrings with Preciosa beads! With this simple yet creative tutorial, you've learned how to transform seed beads into stylish and eye-catching earrings using basic jewelry-making techniques. Now that you have the skills, you can customize and create various designs with different bead combinations to enhance your jewellery collection. Enjoy crafting and happy earring making!
