https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/vintage-bead-earings • Posted by MissMeliss
I used my round nose pliers, wire cutters, and needle nose pliers as my basic tools to create these bold vintage bead earings.
I took the largest bead and put it on the head pin as my base, and directly above the bead I held the head pin with my needle nose pliers while taking the round nose pliers and curling the tip of the head pin towards me to form a loop. The wire cutters come in handy to trim excess wire.
I then took the medium sized bead and put it on an eye pin and repeated the loop making as I did with the prior bead to make the next loop above that bead.
And then the smallest bead went onto the next eye pin and repeated the same procedure as above only instead of just creating a short loop above the bead, I inserted the earing hook and then proceeded to wrap the wire tightly about three times around before snipping the excess wire.
Finally in just a few minutes I used my pliers to slightly bend the other loops open and hook the three beads together and closed the loops back up just like opening and closing a jump ring.
I found it easiest and fastest to make each separate bead unit for both pair and then connect them afterwards. Also to make sure your loops are uniform, it is a good idea to take a pen and mark the spot on your round nose pliers where you turn your first loop at so that you dont have to guesstimate every time. I got these red vintage beads from a broken bunch of real vintage jewelery and signed costume jewelery that I bought and then recycled to make my own projects with. You can usually find vintage beads at garage sales, or your own attic, ask granny for any broken jewelery that maybe she no longer needs and then you can create a simple, maybe even sentimental, set of your own. Also please remember that vintage beads(non plastic) tend to be a little heavier on the earlobes being as the beads can often be stones or glass