Each year we offer a pair of earrings. They are very simple to do, even for the youngest of visitors, and they make great gifts for teachers. This year, we're doing snowman earrings with a festive red Santa hat.
The supplies needed are 2 of each:- French hook or equivalent
- extra-long quilter's pin (not the standard head pin, but an actual pin with a point)
- 10mm round white bead
- 6mm x 8mm red cone bead
- 5mm white pom
- 1"-length mini red rick-rack
- 1/2" square of plush fabric
Gather the supplies and lay them out on your work space. I find that working with jewelry crafts is always easier if done on a piece of fabric, like felt. It keeps the parts from rolling around, plus makes them easier to see.
Begin by folding a piece of the rick-rack in half, and spear the pin into the folded edge just inside the fold.
Slide the rick-rack to the head of the pin.
Next, add the round white bead.There are some FABULOUS and inexpensive options for the 10mm white bead. The white agate is lovely, as well as the frosted crackle glass. Check out your options before settling on plain white.
Spear the piece of plush fabric in the center and slide it onto the pin to the top of the bead. There will be lots of excess fabric at this point, which is fine for now. You'll be trimming it up in a bit.I used a plush fabric that reminded me of the same thing used for the super soft bathrobes. Fleece and terry cloth are additional options. It can be anything that will leave a little "fluff" when trimmed.
Next, slide on the bell bead, wide side against the plush fabric.I learned after-the-fact that these are not easily found. I purchased mine off of ebay here. I haven't found them anywhere else. But you could also substitute a different shape and accomplish the same basic effect.
Now, position the point of the pin into the center of the pom and spear the "knot" on the inside of the pom. This might take a couple of tries, depending upon how tough your pom is. It's important to get the center of the pom, to keep it from pulling off the pin.
Using a sharp pair of scissors, trim the plush fabric to make a shapely trim for the hat.
You can experiment a little with different lengths for the trim. Just remember, you can always cut more but you can't put it back on. The pin hasn't been closed yet, so if you mess up, you can always slide the beads off and try with another piece of fabric.
When you're content with the trimming, use a pair of wire snips to cut off the point of the pin. You should have about 3/8" to 1/2" of wire left beyond the pom, depending upon the length of your pin. Shorten the remaining length if necessary.
Use your jewelry tool to turn the end of the wire to form a loop for the French hook. Insert the hook and close the loop.
And finally, use a sharp pair of scissors to trim the length of the rick-rack scarf to your preference.
And you're done! Aren't they fun?You can change these up a bit and make them less seasonal by substituting different colors for the scarf and hat. And a semi-circle bead would give the effect of a sock hat, rather than a Santa hat.
To make it more general, substitute the 3-piece hat with a black cylinder bead and black sequin.
If you try this, I'd love to feature your finished project. Just let me know!
And be sure to check out the endless list of inspirational ideas at my home page childmade.com.
I'll be linking to some of the fabulous link parties listed on the right sidebar ... but really, that's a LOT of parties! I probably won't get to them all, but you should stop in and visit a few yourself.
While you're at it, stop by my home page and add a few links there too!
