Mixing Shapes

Easy Linked Earrings
Designed by Katie Hacker

You can never have too many earrings! One easy way to shake up your designs is making long, linked chains of interesting beads. Mix shapes for maximum interest. Go bold with mixed colors or keep it monochromatic for a subtler look.

Materials
Bead Gallery dyed imperial jasper by Halcraft:
2 amethyst 8x5mm rondelles #10168497
2 turquoise 8mm rounds #10167810
2 sapphire 10mm lentils #10167801
2 amethyst 10mm rounds #10168565
2 amethyst 15mm rectangles #10120910
Beadalon:
2 silver kidney ear wires 308B-310
8 silver eye pins 310B-113
2 silver head pins 312B-113

Tools: Round-nose pliers, chain-nose pliers, wire cutters

1. String a rondelle onto an eye pin and make a basic loop to create one bead link.

2. Make bead links from one of each of the remaining styles of beads.

3. String a rectangle onto a head pin and make a basic loop.

4. Connect the beads together in a chain in the following order: 8mm rondelle, 8mm round, 10mm lentil, 10mm round, 15mm rectangle.

5. String the top bead link onto an ear wire and squeeze the ear wire shut to hold it in place.

Tip: Add small metal spacer beads to create texture and lend dimension to linked bead creations.

For more earring ideas featuring Bead Gallery beads, see Katie's book: Earrings 101
(Hot Off The Press 2012) available at Michaels stores and KatieHacker.com.