Sea Stone Earrings

These are really simple earrings and you can change out the color for any occasion.  They have a nice weight and can be dressy or casual. They only take about 10 minutes to make.

Findings:

*2 Earring Wires

*2 Medium/Large Jump Rings

*2 Headpins

~20 Stones in any (Michael's)

*Assorted Beading Tools

*Michael's has kits that include these things and a couple of tools.  

Step 1: 

Slide the stones over the straight head pins. Use stones that are similar in size, as the sizes may vary.

Step 2:

Finish off the 2 head pins.  Loop the ear wire and the earrings with a large jump ring..and you're done!

Boho Ladder Earrings

I love these earrings!  They are so easy to make (it only takes about 10 min) and they look really nice on.

 

Findings:

*2 Earring Wires

*2 Medium/Large Jump Rings

*4 Headpins

8 Square double holed Square Beads (Michael's)

16 Brown Wooden Seed Beads (Michael's)

*Assorted Beading Tools

*Michael's has kits that include these things and a couple of tools.  

Step 1: 

Slide the Square double holed Stone over 2 straight head pins. Add alternating brown seed beads, like in the above picture. 

Step 2:

Finish off the 4 head pins.  Loop the ear wire and the earrings with a large jump ring..and you're done!

Jade and Amethyst Earrings

These are really simple earrings and you can change out the colors to match and outfit.  For a more sophisticated look, try using only metallic beads. They only take about 15 minutes to make.

Findings:

*2 Earring Wires

*2 Medium/Large Jump Rings

*2 Headpins

*Assorted Beading Tools

2 Silver Hollow Beads (surrounding the Jade ones: Michael's)

2 Jade Beads (Michael's)

2 Purple Flat Beads (Michael's)

2 White Flat Beads (Michael's)

6 small flat silver beads (Michael's)

*Michael's has kits that include these things and a couple of tools.  

Step 1: 

Onto your headpin, slide on one small silver flat, one while flat. the bottom hole of the hollow bead, one small silver, one jade, the top hole of the hollow, one purple and one flat silver.

Step 2:

Finish off the 2 head pins.  Loop the ear wire and the earrings with a large jump ring..and you're done!

Wire Earrings Gallery

Leather and Cord Necklace

This necklace is really easy to make and great for casual wear and gifts. It is also a great project to do when trying to use leftover beads.

I have made a bunch of these necklaces and what looks best, in my opinion, is a mix of colored and metal beads.  This one uses blue, pink, red, turquoise, black, hematite and silver.

Leather Strip

Findings:
1MM Waxed Cotton Cord
Suede Leather Strip (any color is fine but I used turquoise)
2 Large Rings
Cording Endings
2 Lobster clasps
*1 Med jump ring
*1 small jump ring
*2 ribbon clasps






*you can just buy a multi pack that has a selection of findings, like this one on Amazon.

Beads:
Multi Color Seed Beads
Silver beads
Hematite Beads

Tools:
Assorted Beading Tools
Beading Board
Candle (yes, any candle will do. Rose scented made the necklace smell nice)

Step 1:

Cotton Cording

Light your candle.
Get your cotton cording and dip the end of it in the newly melted wax. Immediately, pinch the ends of your cord just to tap the wax down.  This will give you a hard tip and make your cord much easier to string.

Step 2:
 String 20 seed beads onto the cord.  Cut off the waxed tip and tie a knot about 1 inch from the top.  Push 5 beads up to the knot and tie another knot on the other side.  Space about an inch and repeat.  Do this 2 more times until you have a string of beads that look like this:



Step 3:
Cut your cord so that you have the one strand.

Seed Beads

Step 4:
Now dip the tip of the wax in the candle again and string 27 more beads of different colors.  Tie knots around 3 groupings of 9 beds like so:


Step 5:
Here is a close up of the necklace.  You can follow the beading as closely as you like.  It is almost impossible to mess this necklace up.  Try any combos that you like.  It is also best if the strands of cord aren't all exactly the same size.




Step 6:
Once you have as many beaded cords as you want, take 2 and secure one end with a small cord ending.  Then do the same for the other end.


Now attach each end to its own jump ring.  Continue to secure cords 2-3 at a time, depending on your cord ending size.  Attach to the jump rings.

PINK!!!

Step 7:
The Suede Leather Strip can come from a sheet of leather (cut it yourself with scissors) or pre-cut cording. When cutting it yourself, it doesn't need to be perfectly straight. Honestly, I just eye-ball it.  Just make sure the widths, at each end, fits your ribbon clasps.

Ribbon and Lobster Clasps

Step 8:
Attach your ribbon clasps and lobster clasps to each end.  The length of the suede cord is really dependent upon where you want the necklace to fall.  Sometimes, I make a couple of these, in different lengths, so I change the length of the necklace, just by changing out this one piece....especially when I'm giving it as a gift!

You have completed your necklace!