ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Make Funky Bead Earrings

Updated on February 23, 2014
Rosie writes profile image

Rosie is a library media specialist. An avid reader and life-long learner, she enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise in many areas.

Simple Bead Earrings

Bi-pin with one large focal bead.
Bi-pin with one large focal bead. | Source
Wire with small beads atop cool charm.
Wire with small beads atop cool charm. | Source

Funky Bead Earrings

If you are looking for a quick jewelry making idea, earrings are just the thing to make. It only takes minutes to make a pair of beautiful earrings, and you can be very creative with a unique design as well. Earrings can contain one incredibly funky bead each, and be perfect just that way, or they can be an assortment of funky beads, and be larger in size, for more effect. You can use headpins, hoops, or wire, with a straight pattern or a curved one. Below I have a few examples along with instructions on how to make some funky bead earrings.

Materials You Will Need

  • Earring hooks: these are easy to add curled headpins to. These can be sterling silver, sturgical steel, and gold.
  • Earring hoops: these are easy to add beads to and are very inexpensive. They can also be used for wine-glass charms.
  • Jewelry grippers: use these to hold onto beads or wire without slipping.
  • Jewelry cone-shaped pliers: use these to curl headpins.
  • Flush cut snippers: use these to cup wire and headpins.
  • Crimp tubes: these are used to hold wire together.
  • Crimp tool: use this tool to squeeze crimp tube closed.
  • Jewelry wire: use wire to create earring loops.
  • Assortment of funky beads: create a pattern with large and small beads.
  • Crimp covers with loop: these are used to cover crimp tubes.
  • Jewelry glue: great for holding beads in place.


Beads on Wire Loop Earrings

Tools and wire.
Tools and wire. | Source
Crimped wire with cover.  Use glue to reinforce closure.
Crimped wire with cover. Use glue to reinforce closure. | Source
Finished loop wire earring.
Finished loop wire earring. | Source

Hoop Earrings

Hoop earrings, bi-pins, beads.
Hoop earrings, bi-pins, beads. | Source
Large bead with bi-pin.
Large bead with bi-pin. | Source
Large bead with curled bi-pin.
Large bead with curled bi-pin. | Source
Hoop with beads.
Hoop with beads. | Source
Add glue to keep beads in place.
Add glue to keep beads in place. | Source

Beaded Loop Earrings

Beaded loop earrings are fun to wear. They have an alternative, modern flare. The tricky part is getting the crimp tube tight against the beaded portion, while holding the two wire ends still.

  1. Cut a 3 inch piece of wire.
  2. String beads, leaving 1/2 inch of wire exposed on both ends of each wire.
  3. Bring ends of wire together and thread both ends through crimp tube. Using crimp tool, squeeze closed.
  4. Trim wire down close to crimp tube. Place crimp cover over wire ends and crimp tube.
  5. Place dab of glue onto crimped tube. Squeeze closed, covering crimp tube. Allow to dry.
  6. Insert earring loop into end of crimp cover loop and close.
  7. Repeat steps 1-6 for second earring.

Beaded Hoop Earrings

Hoop earrings are probably the easiest to make. Hoops can be completely covered with beads or partially left exposed, like the one pictured here. All the beads can be the same or can vary. You can be creative by adding bi-pins to beads, giving them a dangling effect. Glue is optional, however, you are less likely to lose beads, if you use the glue to keep them in place.

  1. Bend "L" portion of wire so that it is straight. Place beads on hoop.
  2. Use bi-pins to create beads that dangle. Place bead on headpin, bend pin at 90 degree angle, curve with cone-shaped pliers, into a cirlcle.
  3. Place beads on hoop in a pattern. Here, I used 4 smaller beads placed in between the larger dangling beads on headpins.
  4. Bend end of hoop wire back to an "L" shape.
  5. Place a dab of glue onto last bead on each end of pattern.
  6. Allow to dry.
  7. Follow steps 1-6 for second earring.

Simple Beaded Earrings

Simple bead earrings are very easy to make. Choose a large funky focal bead as your main bead. Embellish it with a smaller accent bead or two. Charms and clasps can also make interesting earring accents. Use wire to thread beads, with curved ends, to attach to the earring hook and to the charm.

  1. Place large focal bead on headpin. Place accent beads on top.
  2. Bend wire 90 degrees at bead opening.
  3. Trim end to 1 centimeter in length.
  4. Curl end into circle.
  5. Open circle end on earring hook.
  6. Place beaded headpin onto open hook and close.
  7. Repeat steps 1-6 for second earring.

More Funky Earring Ideas

Turquoise nuggets.
Turquoise nuggets. | Source
Gemstones and butterflies.
Gemstones and butterflies. | Source
Crystals
Crystals | Source
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)