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Bead wrapped hoop earrings take a little time to make, but they come out beautiful. Once you get the hang of wrapping the wire you can make them quite quickly.
Materials:
18 gauge wire in your choice of base color
32 or 34 gauge wire
Wire snips
Round-nose pliers
Seed beads
Earwires
Something cylindrical to shape your hoop on.
Steps:
Cut a length of the 18 gauge wire that is about 1.5 inches longer than the cylinder you’re using is around. Use the round nose pliers to make a small loop in one end of the wire. Hold that loop and wrap the wire around the cylinder. Make another loop where the wire meets. Snip off the excess wire. Slide the loop off the cylinder. Repeat this once more and now you have your two loops.
Cut a length of the 32 gauge wire. I recommend 3-4 feet depending on the size of your loop. It’s better to have too much wire and need to trim it than to have too little and need to hide an end.
Wrap the thin wire around the thicker wire 3-4 times, right under the starting loop.
Add a bead to the wire. Slide the bead up to the thick wire, then wrap the thin wire around and back to where it started. Make sure that the bead is sitting on the outside edge of your large loop and that the wire is a snug wrap. Continue this process all the way around the loop. After adding 4-5 beads, push them together to keep them in a snug, straight ring around your loop. Just be careful not to pull the wire too tight and bend your loop.
When you reach the end, wrap the wire 3-4 times under the ending loop and snip off the excess wire.
Open the bottom of your earwire by gripping the loop with your pliers and twisting slightly to the side. Slide the two loops of your beaded loop on, then twist the earwire closed again. Repeat for the other earring.
