Beaded earrings are beautiful, fun to wear, and an essential part of any jewelry collection. Hand-crafted jewelry often comes with a steep price tag, but what if you could save money by making your own hand-crafted beaded earrings?
Making beaded earrings doesn’t need to be hard. With a few considerations, you could be making your own beaded earrings like a pro in no time. They also make great gifts, and crafting them could potentially turn into a fun, long-term hobby.
Are you ready to learn how to make beaded earrings? Read on to learn step-by-step instructions for making beaded earrings!
Supplies Needed to Make Beaded Earrings
There are a few required tools you’ll need to make these earrings. But some of the supplies will be the crafter’s preference.
Necessary tools include:
- Jewelry wire cutter
- Jewelry flat pliers
- Jewelry round-tip pliers
This 4-piece Jewelry Tool Set includes all the tools you’ll need to create both methods of making beaded earrings shown in this post.
Necessary supplies include:
* Your choice of beads. These Natural Indian Agate Round Beads were a great choice!
* Head pins. These are varied lengths of wire that have one end with a flat end. Aim to use head pins in the same metal finish—silver or gold—as the other supplies. These 3-inch Silver Plated Head Pins work well for these earrings.
* Ear wires. The ones used in this post are these Sterling Silver Fish Hook Ear Wires. Again, aim to use the same finish hardware so the earrings are uniform.
Find the Right Beads
Beads can be purchased online, at a local crafting store, or even at a specialty shop for jewelry crafting. There is no wrong answer for which beads will work for these as long as they fit your preferred aesthetic.
The only thing to note is the size of the hole you’ll be threading the headpin through. The hole in the bead will need to be large enough for the headpin to fit through. But they shouldn’t be too large for the flat end of the headpin to slip through on the opposite end.
Beads come in all shapes and sizes, as well as cost. There are glass-blown, wooden, ceramic, metal, resin, plastic beads, and more.
As you grow in your technique of making beaded earrings, you’ll learn which beads work well for you. You’ll also learn the most cost-effective places to purchase them.
Step-By-Step Journey in How to Make Beaded Earrings
Step 1. String the beads
Headpin wire ready to bead
begin beading pictures
Begin by slipping each individual bead onto a headpin. Fill it as full as you’d like, but be sure to leave at least ¼”-½” of wire at the end. You’ll need this to bend into a loop in another step.
Step 2. Cut the excess
Once you’ve slipped on the desired number of beads onto the headpin, cut the excess wire using your jewelry wire cutters. Again, you’ll want to leave at least ¼”-½” of wire at the end.
Step 3. Bend the end of the wire
Using your jewelry pliers, carefully bend the end of the wire into a small loop shape. There is no trick to this other than gently bending the wire until you’re satisfied with the loop you’ve made.
It can be frustrating as you learn to do this. Take your time and figure out what works for you. Sometimes, it’s easier to use one of the other jewelry tools to hold the headpin while you use the pliers to bend the loop.
Step 4. Attach the headpin to the ear wire
Carefully pull the loop at the bottom of the fish hook ear wire so it comes apart. Slip the loop end of your beaded headpin onto the ear wire loop. Squeeze the ear wire loop back together using the jewelry pliers so the headpin won’t slip off.
And you’re done! Duplicate the process to make an identical earring for your other ear, and you’ve got a completed set of earrings.
Clip-On Earring Variation
Are you looking to make these into clip-on earrings? You can make these earrings using the same technique. Just simply replace the fish hook earring wires with clip-on convertor hooks. These Clip-On Earring Converter Hooks work great for dangle-style earrings.
Customize Your Beaded Earrings with Handmade Seed Bead Earrings
Have you mastered the above technique of making beaded earrings? Are you ready for a challenge to make an even prettier beaded earring?
Try this boho beaded hoop earring variation with these handmade seed bead earrings. It uses a similar technique but has an extra step of attaching the headpin wires to the hoop part of the earring. This set of Silver Plated Hoop Earrings includes three different sizes to choose from.
You’ll use smaller beads for the headpin. These Glass Seed Beads with 12 different colors were a good pick for these earrings. Read on for step-by-step instructions.
Step 1. Clip off the head part of the headpin
By clipping off the head part of the head pin, you’ll be starting with a completely straight pin. If you choose to purchase straight wire pins with no head pin at the end, those will work, too. The wire you begin with should be about 3” in length.
Step 2. Round one end of the wire
Using your jewelry pliers, bend one end of the wire into a curved end. You’ll want about ¼”-½” bent down.
Variation #1 for Your Handmade Seed Bead Earrings
Step 3. Add your beads to the wire
Slip each individual bead onto the wire. Carefully measure what you have against the hoop to check if you’ve filled it with enough beads. There should be enough to reach from one end of the inside of the hoop to the other side.
Step 4. Wrap the bent end around one side of the earring hoop
Using your jewelry pliers, bend the end of the already bent wire around one side of the earring hoop. Continue until it’s circled around the hoop and no longer has a loose edge.
This can be tricky to keep the beads on the headpin wire. It might help to bend the opposite end of the wire over so the beads stay put while you use the pliers to attach the first end.
Step 5. Round the second end of the wire
Once more, bend the other end of the wire into a curved end. Clip off the excess wire using the jewelry wire cutters.
Variation #2 for Your Handmade Seed Bead Earrings
Step 3. Wrap the bent end around one side of the earring hoop
Using your jewelry pliers, continue to bend the end of the bent wire around the earring hoop. Continue until it’s circled around the hoop and no longer has a loose edge.
Step 4. Add your beads to the wire
Slip each individual bead onto the wire. Fill the wire until the beads reach the opposite side of the hoop.
Step 5. Round the second end of the wire
Once more, bend the other end of the wire into a curved end. Clip off the excess wire using the jewelry wire cutters.
Both Variations
Step 6. Wrap the bent end around the opposite side of the earring hoop
Using your jewelry pliers, continue to bend the end of the wire around the opposite side of the earring hoop. You’ll make circles around the hoop until there is no loose edge.
Repeat these steps as many times as you like until the earring hoop is filled with as many rows as you desire.
Attach the fish hook ear wire to the earring hoop in the same fashion as the directions for method #1. Repeat these steps to make another identical earring to complete your pair!
And you’re finished making your handmade seed bead earrings!
How to Make Beaded Earrings Frequently Asked Questions
What should I budget to begin making beaded earrings?
This will depend entirely on when and where you purchase your tools and supplies. A budget to begin creating your basic jewelry-making kit will likely cost in the $50 range.
If you plan to make your earrings anywhere around a holiday, you might be able to find some good sales to take advantage of! Some large chain craft stores will often run sales on jewelry supplies every few weeks, so keep an eye out for that.
The quality of supplies you use will also affect your budget. If you want to only use the highest quality gold finish wires and hooks, it will cost more than stainless steel. The quality of beads can also vary from just a few dollars for plastic beads to a much higher cost for glass-blown or ceramic beads.
Are there other designs that use this technique?
Most designs for making beaded earrings will begin with this technique. The most important part of making your own beaded earrings is having the right tools and supplies. If you don’t have the proper tools, it will only frustrate the process.
The quality of supplies will also make a difference. Research what items you purchase and be sure they are high quality. Some supplies come cheaply made, and the wire or hooks might break as you make the earrings. Higher-quality supplies will make the process easier for you.
Having said that, do take into consideration that the higher quality metals are sometimes softer than others. You might find some of the materials bending if you apply too much pressure. Just be aware that you’re bending only the wire you wish to bend. Take it slowly. Enjoy the process so you can appreciate the end product!
Have Fun Making Your Own Beaded Earrings!
You’ve got all the tools needed for how to make beaded earrings. What kind of beaded earrings will you make? Don’t forget to have fun!
Are you interested in learning how to make more earrings? Check out our post on How to Make Macrame Earrings!
Laura L. Zimmerman is an author of both indie and traditionally published books. She lives in a tiny rural town in south-central Pennsylvania with her husband, daughters, four adorable kitties, and one energetic puppy!
After earning a BMUS with a Certification in Music Therapy, she decided to homeschool her children. Here she discovered a passion for learning and teaching, which led her to make writing a priority. She currently enjoys reading and writing YA sci-fi and fantasy, as well as middle-grade mysteries.
Her hobbies include sewing, crafting, jewelry making, learning languages, and doing yoga. You can find her drinking coffee, singing loudly, or consuming another Jane Austen novel.
Laura can be reached at [email protected]