Jewelry Basics with Marianne Arkins

Fellow dog lover and gardener, Marianne Arkins is a long time friend. I read her blog faithfully and I'm always amazed at how much she can get done in a day. Her pre-teen daughter is a chip off the old block and started her own jewelry business. How cool is that?

Today, Marianne and DD will take you step by step to create a simple set of earrings. But wait--there's more! One lucky commenter will win the earrings. That's for those of you whose hands hurt just thinking about twisting teeny-tiny wire. Take a look and comment!

Making a simple set of Holiday Earrings

Making this pair of earrings is pretty easy and they look so pretty!

1.  Start with your basic supplies.  We used Swarovski crystal beads in red and green, goldtone head pins, gold tone wires, and goldtone spacers.  The only tool we needed for this were round-nosed pliers (a must have in any jewelry making toolbox).

2.  Thread your beads and spacers onto the headpin in whatever order you desire.

3.  Using the round-nosed pliers, make your loop.  This is actually the hardest part of this creation – I still can’t manage a decent looking loop, while my daughter is a pro at making them!

4.  Slip them onto your earring wires – these wires are super simple to use because you don’t have to leave the loop on the headpin open to put them on.  They simply slide over the top of the “S” and you gently squeeze it shut using your fingers.  Be careful using tools on the findings, as they can scar the metal if you aren’t careful.

5.  Here’s the completed pair – ready for a night out at the company Christmas party, or just hanging out with you while you finish your shopping.

The finished product

*Any questions? Comments? Thoughts?  We’ll be giving this pair of earrings away to one commenter so let us know what you think.

And if you’re looking for great gifts, a little bling or more, check out our store.

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Marianne is originally from California but currently living in much colder New Hampshire with her husband, daughter, dog and cat, as well as a few hundred wild birds, chipmunks and a backyard bear that keeps trying to grab the feeders. She can’t imagine a world without romance or not having stories rattling around in her brain, and she uses comedy to get her through the obscenely long winter.

To learn more about Marianne Arkins please visit www.mariannearkins.com or her blog  www.reading-writing.blogspot.com.

NOTE: For other DIY Christmas posts, go here.  All contests for the DIY posts end 12-22-11, so you can comment on any previous post.