Look how artistic wire can be when used in this  earring design. We created a simple dangle with our flexible beading wire and made an elegant earring with very little effort or materials. This free beading project idea can be designed by beginners or professionals. All you need are the supplies,  tools, and a basic grasp on how to crimp your beading wire. If you do not know how to crimp, you can get tips and walkthroughs on our  YouTube channel, our Facebook page, and you can email us if you are still not getting the hang of it.

One of my favorite things about these earrings is how simple they are to make. Basically, you are just taking a small length of Soft Flex Beading Wire, placing a bead or beads on the wire, making a loop and then crimping to close it. The process is so simple and quick and the finished earrings look amazing. The color combinations are limitless. Pick a colored beading wire, whatever beads or gemstones that you fancy and you have a unique handmade earring.

If you are an avid jewelry designer, these earrings are a great way to reduce waste. I find, after stringing a bunch of different projects, that I have wire left on the spool that is too short to use for a bracelet or necklace. If I work with a  knitting spool or Kumihimo board, it is easy to cut a length of wire that is too long and when you finish your design you are left with extra wire that cannot be easily used for another project. I am not a wasteful person. If I can repurpose something, I am going to use it. These earrings are wonderful for reclaiming your remnant wire that you might have thrown away before.

A great thing about using Soft Flex Wire for designing earrings is the spectrum of color available. We have spools in all varieties of color. We recently featured a beading kit on our site that was very electric. Our Neon Nights Kit came with a bold  Yellow Lemon Quartz. We felt this color was a great challenge for designers that were not used to using such a loud beading wire. A lot of people prefer a subtle wire that hides in their designs or is concealed completely by the beads strung on a design. Using a color like Yellow Lemon Quartz means the wire demands attention, you have to mold your design around the wire. It is fantastic for thinking outside the box.

If you do not think a strong color is agreeable, you can always select a wire that is thematically appealing. We have copper and antique brass colors that are perfect for working with old findings and beads. Imagine how great an old skeleton key would look as a focal bead on a copper necklace or earring. We also have a bunch of great  Trios packages that are perfect for theme designing. Trios packages are three spools of Soft Flex Wire colors designed to fit the color of a mood or holiday. Trios make it easy to design with color. Don’t be afraid to show the wire. We love color. Color makes a beautiful piece of jewelry sing!

Make sure you get creative with your beads. A  briolette is a great shape for dangle earrings, but nearly any shape or color can be arranged into a great design. On our website, we make it easy to shop for gemstones and beads. If you want to shop for color, shape, short strands, or a single bead, we have made it simple to find a selection of each. We have taken all of our  gemstones and beads and separated them by those attributes to make it easy. If you would just prefer to buy a particular gemstone, it is easy to find that as well. If you felt like making an earring with a Citrine dangle, just visit our  Citrine section and see what would be a great addition to your jewelry collection.

If you end up creating some lovely earrings, we would love to see them. Visit our  Facebook V.I.B. Group and post pictures of what you made. Our V.I.B. Group is a fun group of people that love beaded jewelry. It is very active and people are posting pictures of their collection. We have some talented crafty people there. You don’t have to post pictures in the group, but it is an awful lot of fun showing off the stuff you made and are proud of!

Materials
Soft Flex Beading Wire .019 diameter - 8"
Sterling Silver Ear Wires - 1 pair
2x2mm Sterling Silver Crimp Tubes - 2 pcs
Drop Shaped Beads - 2 pcs

Tools
Cutters
Crimping Pliers

Instructions

Step 1: Choose a wire color and matching bead. Here are some examples, but you are welcome to use your creativity to pick the color of wire and bead that best fits you! Ex: Purple SFW & Fluorite, Green SFW & New Jade, Yellow SFW & Yellow Jade, Butterscotch SFW & Red Adventurine, Black SFW & Onyx, Bronze SFW & Sunstone, Dark Blue SFW & Sapphire, Pink SFW & Rose Quartz, White SFW & Clear Quartz.

Step 2: Use cutters to cut 4 inches of wire.

Step 3: Use one end of the wire to string 1 crimp tube and 1 ear wire. Pass back through the tube, but do not crimp.

Step 4: Use the other end of the wire to string 1 Drop Shaped Bead. Pass back through the tube so that there are 3 strands of wire in the tube.

Step 5: Adjust the wire to make the dangle as short or long as you prefer.

Step 6: Crimp the tube using Regular Crimping Pliers. Trim excess wire.

Step 7: Repeat Steps 1-6 to make a second earring.

Join the fun in our VIB Facebook Group today! Stay in the know. Stay up to date. From our bead shows to our video shows and sales, you can stay in touch with us. The community is full of artistic and helpful beaders and crafty people. Inspire and be inspired. Share your pictures and get the beading bug from others!

Visit the  Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!

Sara Oehler (pronounced Ay-ler) is a well-known jewelry designer living in the Bay Area. Sara is the author of several beading books, including her latest title, written with Kristen Fagan, Seed Bead Revolution. She has designed and written for numerous publications including: BeadStyle, Bead&Button, Bead Trends, Stringing, Jewelry in Fashion Trends, Simply Beads, The Flow and Today's Creative Home Arts. Currently, Sara is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Soft Flex Company.
Ask Sara Bead Expert
Blog: softflexcompany.com/beading-blog
Email: Sara@SoftFlexCompany.com