DIY | Wrapped earrings

With the help of these DIY jewellery instructions you can make your own wrapped earrings with small pearls, beads and crystals.

In this blog post, we provide you with instructions on how to make earrings wrapped with agate beads, Delica beads or Swarovski crystals and hope we can inspire you to come up with your own designs.
For our jewellery examples we threaded beads and crystals on thin wire and wrapped it around the earings.
You can use this technique with all kinds of beads and produce various patterns and colour combinations. Coloured copper wire is well suited for this wrapping technique, sets with 12 assorted colours are available in 0.30mm and 0.40mm.

See technical guide for hoops with beads and windings here.

Buy the ready-to-use jewellery set Earrings with pearls and windings here.

Wrapped Hoops with Small Agate Beads

We used the following DIY materials to assemble these earrings:

• 1 pair of hoops, 15mm, gilded sterling silver
• 14 apatite beads, 2mm
• approx. 40cm wire, 0.4mm, gilded sterling silver
• approx. 8cm Figaro chain, 0.40mm, gilded (doublé)
• chain-nose pliers
• side-cutter pliers

First, you wind a little piece of wire around the hoop. Then, you string a bead on the wire and wind it around the hoop again. Hold the bead tightly while you wind the wire, so you don't end up with a lopsided work. For our example, we wound the wire three times in between each pearl and incorporated the chain after four pearls. 

The wire is thin enough for you to work with your hands alone, but in order to obtain tighter windings you can use chain-nose pliers. To round it off, you make as many windings as you made at the very beginning. Finally, you cut the ends of the wire. You can use chain-nose pliers to press the wire ends tightly to the hoop. 

In our example "Teardrop Hoops with Swarovski Crystals" you find a step-by-step guide with illustrations on how to make the windings. 

Wrapped Hoops with Small Freshwater Pearls

We used the following DIY materials to assemble these earrings:

• 1 pair of hoops, 25mm, gilded sterling silver
• approx. 20 freshwater pearls, 2x3 mm (currently sold out)

       (Alternatively, you can use the small freshwater pearls size 3x4mm.)

• approx. 50cm wire, 0.4mm, gilded sterling silver
• chain-nose pliers
• side-cutter pliers

Wrapped Hoops with Semiprecious Beads and Citrine Treardrops

We used the following DIY materials to assemble these earrings:

• 1 pair of earwires, large open teardrops, gilded sterling silver
• approx. 16 semiprecious stone beads, 3mm (Here we used labradorite, carnelian, garnet and sun stone. Alternatively, you can take a multicoloured strand of tourmaline 3mm.)
• approx. 50cm wire 0.4mm, gilded sterling silver
• 2 eyepins with cup, gilded sterling silver
• 2 half-drilled citrine teardrops
• chain-nose pliers
• side-cutter pliers
• jewellery glue

Teardrop Hoops with Swarovski Crystals

We used the following DIY materials to assemble these earrings:

• 1 pair of teardrop hoops, gilded sterling silver
• ca. 25cm red copper wire, 0.40mm
• Swarovski crystals, bicones
• chain-nose pliers

First, wrap a piece of wire around the hoop, ca. 4 times. Then, you string 3 Swarovski crystals on the wire and wrap it afterwards around the hoop again. You can wind the wire with or without the help of tools, but a pair of chain-nose pliers can be helpful and secure that the wire comes to sit tightly around the hoop.

String 2 more crystals and wrap the wire around the hoop again.

String 1 crystal, wrap, string 2 more.

Finally, you string 4 crystals and finish the last windings.

Cut the ends of the wire and press them carefully to the hoops using chain-nose pliers.

Hoop Pendants with Swarovski Crystals

We used the following materials to make these earings:

• 1 pair of earwires with spiral and ball, gilded sterling silver
• 2 hoops pendants, 30mm, gilded brass
• ca. 30cm gilded brass wire (doublé), 0.40mm
• Swarovski crystals, bicones
• chain-nose pliers
• jewellery glue (optional)

Decorate the hoop pendats with Swarovski crystals in the same way as shown in the first example.
Afterwards, you close the hoop pendant and press the clasp together with chain nose pliers. To make absolutely sure that the clasp won’t open up again you can apply a bit of jewellery glue before you close it.
Finally, you open the eyelet of the earwires, hang the hoop pendant into it and close the eyelet again.

Hoops with Agate Beads

We used the following materials to make these earings:

• 1 pair of hoops, 30mm, gilded sterling silver
• agate beads, mixed colours, 2mm, faceted
• ca. 25cm gilded brass wire (doublé), 0.40mm
• chain-nose pliers

For the wrapping procedure, please see example 1.

Earwires with Agate Beads

We used the following materials to make these earings:

• 1 pair of P-shaped earwires, oxidised sterling silver
• agate beads, mixed colours, 2mm, faceted
• ca. 20cm wire, 0.40mm, black copper
• chain-nose pliers

For the wrapping procedure, please see example 1.

Earrings with Delica Beads

We used the following materials to make these earings:

• 1 pair of earwires, large open teardrops, gilded sterling silver
• Delica beads, various colours
• ca. 20cm wire, 0.40mm, gilded brass (doublé)
• chain-nose pliers

For the wrapping procedure, please see example 1.

Earrings with Delica Beads

We used the following materials to make these earings:

• 1 pair of earwires, large open teardrops, gilded sterling silver
• Delica beads, various colours
• ca. 20cm wire, 0.40mm, gilded brass (doublé)
• chain-nose pliers

For the wrapping procedure, please see example 1.