Beaded Earring Designs

Beaded earring designs have been a part of cultures everywhere for thousands of years. Beaded designs have served as jewelry, decoration, religious tools, and ceremonial accoutrements.

These types of designs and other jewelry designs, in many regions of the world, have much bearing on traditions qand beliefs.

Beaded jewelry designs reflect inspiration from the Far East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, and from traditions of thousands of years ago as well as more modern traditions.

Making earring designs is a sure way to gain an appreciation for beaded artwork throughout history.

For those just starting out making beaded jewelry, the easiest material to work with are eye pins, beading thread, or tiger tail. There are many jewelry books that have simple designs. Starting with easier ones then tackling more comples ones.

The Process

Beaded Earring Designs

Eye pins are fine metal wires with a small loop, or "eye" at one end onto which you string beads. Beading thread is often made of nylon because of its unobtrusiveness.

Fine nylon thread can be difficult to see without a well-lit workspace, but the results are worth the trouble. Tiger tail is a fine wire that holds its shape and therefore doesn't require use of a needle.

Though it is generally very easy to use, it does have a tendency to develop kinks, so some degree of care is necessary in handling it.

Soft-flex wire is newer than tiger tail and more expensive, but it doesn't have the same risk of kinking as tiger tail. Excellent for beaded earring designs

Be creative

Beaded earring Designs

Other necessities for beginning bead-making include crimp beads and crimping pliers. Crimping beads are made of soft metal. You flatten them onto tiger tail or soft-flex wire to keep beads in place and finish off a strand.

To flatten them onto the wire, you use crimping pliers made just for this task. Crimping pliers will do the job more neatly than regular pliers will.

With beaded earring designs, several pages could be written about each of the types of beads available, they will just be briefly mentioned here, as a guide to what is available for you to work with when making beaded earring designs.

Glass beads, such as Czech glass beads or Indian glass beads, are widely used and come in many different shapes. Indian glass beads are usually handmade with bright coatings.

Crystal beads are very popular for their sparkle. Swarovski crystal beads come in numerous designs and add a definite touch of glitter to your beaded earring designs and creations.

It is important to make sure you're really getting Swarovski crystals if that is what you are paying for, so read up on a supplier before committing to buy Swarovski crystals.

Semi-precious stone beads come in numerous colors and shapes. Seed beads are tiny beads and are fabolous for beaded earring designs.

The ones from Japan are generally of high quality, as are those from Taiwan.

Plastic beads are great for beading projects for children because they are very inexpensive, bright, and come in every color imaginable.

Metal beads may be made of brass or other non-precious metals, though there are beads made from precious metals.

You can also find beads made of stones, wood, or bone. Bone beads may be carved into intricate designs before crafting into earrings.

Beads for earring designs are readily available in many places, and you can usually find them priced very competitively. They can be found at craft and hobby stores, some fabric stores, discount retailers, and through many sources over the internet.

Visit us regularly for updates on beaded earring designs and website.

I became hooked on beading a few years ago when my girlfriend asked me to accompany her to the bead store. She had run out of a certain kind of bead. I became interested right away and bought my first set of beads. I have made numerous trips since then.
Evadne Williams. Ontario, canada

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