Beads & Earrings

The Thanksgiving/Christmas season is always so much fun, but I must say that I get GIDDY when a new year begins because I LOVE all of the upcoming fun to be had with Valentine's Day and spring projects! It kind of helps keep me from sinking into a winter-blah depression.

So today I got yet another Oriental Trading catalog in the mail but before it made it to the garbage bin, I noticed that it was their "bead" catalog. I went NUTS looking through it!!! There were so many beads that my eyes started to go blurry!

Here is a link so you can see for yourself - I've posted some pictures of my favorites!

I think that a cute pair of earrings and matching bracelet would be a GREAT, simple little Valentine gift for some of my girlfriends - so here's an easy earring tutorial for you - only 3 steps!

You'll need:
Beads
Headpins (pictured here)
Metal Earring Wires (pictured here)
Pliers such as: needle nose pliers, round nose pliers, or jewelery pliers. (Most eyelet-making kits have those round nose pliers)
Wire cutters

1.) Stack your beads on your headpins any way you like. Play with various designs until you get something you like.

2.) Cut the headpin with your wire cutters, leaving enough at the top to curl through the loop in your earring wire

3.) Curl the headpin wire through the loop in the earring wire, creating a loop.

YOU'RE DONE!

**Note: Some people can't wear anything but real gold or real silver. JoAnn's has some 14 ct. gold and sterling silver earring hooks like the ones pictured here.