Jewelry is one of the easiest ways to accessorize and jazz up an otherwise plain outfit or make a special outfit even more unique. Making jewelry is fun, easy and the perfect way to add a personal touch.
Handmade jewelry makes a great gift because the basic supplies like hooks, backers, beads and wire come in multiples and the sizes don’t matter.
Here are two earring projects. The first is trendy feather earrings. They’re made from skinny craft feathers and colorful thread. The feathers I chose are soft, neutral colors with a bright color pop from the thread.
Alternatively, colorful feathers and neutral thread would look really cool. The only skills these take are knotting and patience. Once you get the hang of it, you could try adding more feathers or even shimmery strings to the mix in the future.
The second is a crochet lace dangler. They’re made from a purchased cotton doily, which are available in varying sizes at the fabric store. A dab of fabric glue and a couple inches of very flexible wire are all it takes to make charmingly vintage earrings. As a bonus, each doily makes two pairs of earrings.
If you wanted to get really fancy, you could string some pearls or other beads onto the wire before
twisting it onto the hook. For a little color, soak the doily in a few drops of food coloring and hot water for an hour. Wring it out, let it dry overnight, and proceed with the instructions.
When it comes to making jewelry, the directions may not make sense at first reading, but once you get started with the actual supplies it’s easy to see what needs to be done. The work can often easily be undone if mistakes are made, and there are enough materials to start over since the earring hooks are sold in bags of about 20.
Feather earrings:
You’ll need:
Four skinny feathers
Embroidery thread
Two earring hooks
Project steps:
Cut two 24-inch lengths of thread and set them aside. Pair the feathers together so there’s one of each color in both earrings. Holding the feather stems together, knot the thread once right above the soft part, pulling the ends so they’re in equal lengths (like shoe lace ties). Knot tightly to secure.
Start wrapping the stems together, crossing over the threads so each string is always going the opposite direction and crossing over the other one in an “X” pattern. About a fourth of an inch from the top of the stem, double knot the threads together tightly but don’t cut them yet.
Thread one of the strings through the loop or notch of the earring hook, and use both strings to double knot it in place securely. Trim excess thread from ends.
Lace earrings:
You’ll need:
One 3-inch diameter cotton crochet doily
Fabric glue
Two earring hooks
Six inches very soft, flexible wire
Project steps:
Cut doily into eight equal sections (like a pizza), with each curve (or scallop) being one section. Cut two sections in half horizontally. Place a thin line of glue across the top of each smaller piece. Glue the two whole sections on top of these, letting the smaller section hang out under the top piece to make a double-layered scalloped edge.
Cut the wire in half to get two 3-inch pieces. Fold each piece in half. Slide the middle loop through the top points of the lace. Take the two ends of the wire and feed them through the loop and pull as snugly as possible to secure the wire to the lace.
Wrap the wire ends around the earring hooks. Depending on the type, this will either be a circle or a notch at one end of the hook. Twist once or twice, or until the earring faces the right direction. Trim any excess wire.
