Have a Summertime “Bling” Fling With a Fast-&-Easy Earring Project

Of course, I love the satisfaction of a completed quilt project (2 in June–yeah!), but chances are there’s no way to start and finish something “quilty” in 5 minutes for less than $15 dollars. Yes, I agree, Darra’s postcards and bookmarks are super quick at perhaps 30 minutes and virtually free if you’re stash busting to create them. It’s just that jewelry making is top of my list for super-fast crafting satisfaction (plus you can wear your handiwork).

Crystal bedecked bling balls are my current obsession. Witness the 3 pairs of earrings I’ve made since May. New outfit, new earrings—why not?

I’ve got stepped-out photos below to show you the building process for fast & easy earrings like the cobalt blue pair featured above, but you’ll need basic jewelry-making skills and supplies for wire wrapping. Don’t sweat it if you lack tools. There’s actually a ridiculously easy, no-tool approach to make bling-ball earrings described as well.

Thunder brand bling balls are available through beading retailers and online resources. They come in a range of sizes and colors.

The No-Assembly-Required Bling Ball Earrings

Baby pink bling balls on silver ear threaders–how easy is that? No tools, just thread the beads onto the strand of chain and adorn yourself.

Check out the ear threaders with “ball ends” pictured above*–they are widely available at bead stores. All you’ll need for the no-tools approach is one pair of threaders with ball ends, bling balls, silver or gold balls to match to the ball ends, and earring plugs to keep the earrings safely affixed to your ears. The plugs are invaluable as well to keep the loose bling balls and the little accent balls from sliding off the threaders when you store your earrings. (You’ll see the semi-transparent plug visible just on the other side of the front-facing bling ball.) Earring assembly is easy:  slide every thing on and slip the filled threaders through your ear piercings.

*Marina at House of Beads, my local bead shop, made the earrings.

The Assembly-Required Bling Ball Earrings

Supplies:  Pairs of silver or gold wire earring bases, bling balls, and head pins. Add 4 tiny accent balls, 3 to 4 inches of smaller-gauge chain, and standard jewelry-making tools like wire cutters and pliers (round, flat-nosed etc).

Step 1:  Thread one head pin with a tiny ball, bling ball, and then another tiny ball. Repeat for the other head pin.

Step 2:  Secure units with deft twists of the head pins following your preferred wire-wrap technique. Do not close the loops yet.

Use round-nose pliers.

Step 3:  Slide the open end of the head pin loop through the last link of the length of chain. Repeat the step for the other head  pin. Use your wire-wrap technique to close the loop.

Step 4:  Determine the desired length of chain and snip it to that measurement. Repeat for the other end.

Step 5:  Slide the endmost link of the chain onto the still-opened loop of the earring base and close with pliers. Repeat for the other earring.

Step 6: Like the no-tool bling ball earrings, grab some plugs to safeguard your handiwork and slip on the finished earrings. You’ll be a sparkling fashion sensation!

Before I close, I’d like to give you a sneak peak at a special event for See How We Sew coming up in late September. Check our announcement below and, if you live in the region or are planning to travel to Northern California in the fall, stop by and say hello! Click the image for details.

Hope to see ya’ll bedecking yourselves in sparkly bling balls–till next time . . .

#QuiltingintheGarden2012 #earrings #fastandeasyproject #blingballs #AldenLane #quiltshow