Beads • Adornments • Travel - Whole Bead Show

14
old and Sweet Button Earrings
by Renée Renoir
Materials:
(2) – 17mm button
(2) – 3” length of 22 gauge dead soft gold filled wire
(2) – 2” length of 22 gauge dead soft gold filled wire
(2) – Gold German Metal head pins
(4) – 5mm rose quartz facetted rondelle
(2) – Gold German Metal small flower caps
(2) – Gold German Metal diamond twists
(2) – 28mm vintage Lucite pieces
These directions are provided by a right hander
A
B
D
C
Create the Dangle
Convert The Button
Tools:
Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Flush wire cutters
Ear wire finishing tool
Using round nose pliers, make a loop in the center of a
3-inch length of wire. The wire should now make a 90º
angle. At the base of the loop, bend one wire so that the
loop is now straight up. It should look like an eye pin with
a tail (see photo A).
Hold across the loop with pliers. Bend the tail wire around
the eye pin wire at the base of the loop; it should be a snug
wrap. The tail wire is still making a 90º angle (see photo
B). The loop you have made is the bottom loop.
Thread the eye pin through the button shank from the
bottom so that the button can rest on the loop. Hold the
button and wire together with your left hand. Use your
thumb tip to keep the loop pressed against the button back;
this makes the tail wire stick up and the eye pin wire point
right (see photo C). Pull the tail wire around the shank and
behind the eye pin (see photo D). Rotate the button in your
left hand so that the eye pin is pointing into your palm and
is pressed under your thumb. Grip the tip of the tail wire
with flat nose pliers, and finish pulling it around the entire
shank and behind the loop. Wrap the tail wire around the
base of the loop once (see photo E). Clip excess wire and
use flat nose pliers to press the wire end down.
You are finished converting the button (see photo F).
.
Thread the diamond twist bead onto a German Metal head pin. Keep the bead against the head of the pin and
bend the wire at the top of the bead into a 45º angle. Use round nose pliers to bend a small loop above the bead.
Wrap once between the bead and the loop and clip excess wire (see photo G).
G
F
H
E