Design with Me! Beaded Wire Earrings Bead-Along Tutorial

Design with Me! Beaded wire earring tutorial bead-along

In this video, I walk you through step by step as I create a pair of beautiful beaded teardrop hoop earrings with wire.

First, you’ll learn how to make a sturdy teardrop shape wire frame for your earrings, then we’ll use a finer wire to fill them with beads to create a fun and flirty pair of colorful beaded earrings.

This wire wrapping tutorial is a little bit different from my other jewelry tutorial videos in that I didn’t know exactly what I was going to make when I sat down and started the camera – so you’ll see my design process from start to finish with lots of tweaks and troubleshooting tips along the way, as well as several design options as I play around with various beads before settling on the final earring design.

There is a little bit of chit-chat which is also different for me, but I hope that you’ll find this design process video helpful for learning to adapt when your original design ideas don’t go exactly as planned ❤️

Need help with some of the basics of wire wrapping? 👉 Join my FREE wire wrapping crash course here👈 and learn the basics in 3 easy lessons!

TOOLS AND MATERIALS:

*Some of these links may be affiliate links meaning I may receive a small referral commission at no additional cost to you.

TOOLS:

round nose pliers ($$$)
bent chain nose pliers (similar)
Xuron tweezer nose pliers
Xuron flush cutters
Tronex flush cutters ($$$)
mandrel (I used an old prescription pill bottle, 1.25″ (32mm) diameter

alternative round nose pliers ($)
alternative round nose pliers ($$)

WIRE AND OTHER MATERIALS:

20g half hard wire (for frame) – I used this wire
26g half hard wire (wrapping wire) – I used this wire
ear wires – BUY: Amazon or Etsy
ear wires – DIY

BEADS USED IN THIS DESIGN:

Miyuki Delica size 11/0 DB 1576: Amazon OR Etsy
Miyuki Delica size 11/0 DB 1228: Amazon OR Etsy
Miyuki Delica size 11/0 DB 2133: Amazon OR Etsy
Miyuki Delica size 11/0 DB 0920: Amazon OR Etsy
Silver faceted nugget beads (Etsy)
Czech glass dagger beads 3x10mm (Etsy)

OTHER BEADS SHOWN BUT NOT USED IN THE FINAL DESIGN:

DB0878: Amazon OR Etsy
4mm fire polished “Sapphire A/B” (Etsy)
4mm fire polished “Aqua A/B” (Etsy)
Aqua glass briolette drops (Etsy)
Dark blue glass briolette drops (Etsy)
Czech glass Aqua dagger beads 3x10mm (Etsy)

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Use only half-hard wire for the frame so it won’t bend out of shape as you work.

20 gauge half-hard wire is a great size for earrings because it’s sturdy without being heavy. For pendants you can use a slightly larger gauge (like 18g) if you want a chunkier look, though the 20g works well for pendants too.

This style will work in many sizes and shapes! Use a cylindrical mandrel for shapes with curves, or use chain nose pliers to make bends and form a square, rectangular, or any other shape with corners or angles.

Use a round (cylindrical) mandrel to form the teardrop shape. Don’t wrap the wire all the way around – use it to make a curve for the bottom of the teardrop shape and criss-cross the ends of the wire at the top to create the point.

Use a smaller mandrel for a smaller teardrop shape – for example: a glue stick, a magic marker, tube of mascara, etc.

Use flush cutters and chain nose pliers with super-fine tips for precision work with the fine wire. (See my suggested tools above).

Use a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes of beads to create an interesting pattern.

Play and have fun! There is a lot of room for creativity using this technique.

Design with me - bead-along teardrop earring tutorial

What did you think of this tutorial?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this type of video. I enjoyed creating it, but I know some people prefer shorter, more “get-to-the-point” type of tutorials. Was it helpful to see my process and mistakes, etc.? Or did you find it too long and drawn out? Leave a comment below; I appreciate your feedback!

Any questions? Comment below!