Santa Snowman Earrings

It's that time again -- time to prepare for our annual Family Christmas Workshop event. Actually, it's been that time for a while, which is a good part of the reason why I've been absent for a bit. Now that the preparation is well underway, I'll catch you up on a number of the craft projects we're offering this year.

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!

Candy EARRINGS Tutorial

These earrings look good enough to eat! I wouldn't recommend eating them, but they will make a "sweet" embellishment for your earlobes. Make them now and you can wear them for Halloween, or the next kids' party, or just for fun. Everyone will think they're a real "treat."

For supplies, you will need
- 2 head pins
- 2 french hooks
- 2 12mm "candy" beads (any beads that remind you of candy)
- 2 4mm x 6mm crystal flower caps
- 2 4mm crystal disc beads
You will also need a wire tool. It doesn't have to be a jewelry tool, but something with a small tip that will cut and twist wire.

Load the beads onto the head pin, starting with one of the flower caps, large side first. Follow this with one of the disc beads. Next, the "candy" bead. Then finish up with another disc bead and the another flower cap, small side first.

Now, clip the wire to within about 3/8" of the last bead. Using the wire tool, form a small loop, leaving a slight gap for the french hook. Place the closed loop on the french hook onto the open loop of the head pin, then close the loop using the wire tool. Repeat with the second earring.


Added tip: You can skip the disc beads if your candy bead doesn't have too large of a hole, which would embed the flower cap too deeply into the candy bead. Leaving out the disc beads results in a slightly different look, and is also a bit smaller which works well for younger girls.

These make wonderful gifts for school teachers, babysitters, hair stylists and more. Depending upon what quality of beads you purchase, you can easily make them for under two dollars a pair. If you need to make a lot, Fire Mountain Gems and Ring 'n Things have some great deals if you purchase in bulk.

Beaded Zipper Pull Tutorial

This simple zipper pull (or key fob) is very easy to make and a great idea for gifts. By adjusting the bead colors, you can theme them for a school, sports team, or simply for a person's favorite colors.

The materials you will need are as follows:
1 - 14mm or larger lobster clasp
1 - 4mm x 7mm bead cap
1 - fold-over oyster bead
1 - 15"-length of 28g or thicker bead wire
1 - large drilled faux diamond
12 - seed beads
3-4 large mixed-style beads
For tools, you will need a wire tool and glue (optional)

Most of these items can be acquired at any store that sells beading supplies. If you're not familiar with bead styles, be aware that some of them can be quite pricey. For the faux diamond, I found mine at Michael's. If you can't find these, any large bead can be substituted.

To begin, thread the faux diamond onto the wire, positioning the bead mid-way on the wire. Fold the wire in half and tie a knot in the wire tightening it onto the bead.

Line up the ends of the wire and thread the wire through the bead cap, wide side first. Position the bead cap so that it covers the top of the faux diamond.

Loading the beads can be done in any order to form any pattern. In the sample pictured above, there are 3 seed beads between each larger bead except for the matched pair. The wire should make it easy to pick up the beads. I find it easiest to have the ends of the wire different lengths, so that you're not trying to thread both wires at the same time, but whatever works for you.

Once the beads have all been loaded, it's time to add the oyster bead.

Thread the ends of the wire through the hole in the oyster bead. Make sure all the beads are positioned tightly next to each other, including the oyster bead, and tie a knot in the wire. It might be necessary to knot the wire several times to be sure the knot is large enough not to slip though the hole in the oyster bead. I recommend applying a dot of glue onto the knot so prevent the knot from slipping loose.
Using a wire tool, squeeze the oyster bead closed, being careful not to scratch the bead.

Next, position the hook on the oyster bead through the loop on the lobster clasp, and use the wire tool to close the loop in the hook.

Now it's ready to adorn a zipper on a pullover or purse, or to be added to a key ring.