Scrapbook Paper Earrings Tutorial: Using Mat Board or a Cereal Box

I used to mat a lot of my art and ended up accumulating a bunch of mat board scraps. I didn't really feel right throwing the smaller pieces away so I kept them in a box for a few years, hoping someday I would find some way to use them. Now, I finally have a project that incorporates my scrap pieces. This is also a great project to use up some cute scrapbook paper. You could also use an empty cereal box instead of mat board. All you need is a thick inner core to give your scrapbook paper some durability.

Materials Needed:

• 1 inch circle punch
• 1/8 inch hole punch
• scissors
• dimensional glaze  or glossy mod podge
• glue (I used Tacky Glue) 
• small paint brush
• jump rings (or use 18 gauge wire and a round nose pliers to make your own)
• ear hooks 
• flat nose pliers
• mat board or a cereal box

To start, punch out two circles from your mat board or cereal box. My circle punch wasn't the strongest, so I really had to force it to cut the mat board. It worked for the most part. Now, punch four circles out of your scrapbook paper.

Using your small brush, spread a layer of glue evenly on one side of the mat board/cereal box. Place your paper over the mat board and smooth it down. Repeat this for the other side and the other mat board circle.

I tidied up the edges with a scissors since my circle punch left some of the edges a little frayed. Next, use your 1/8th inch hole punch to create holes for your jump rings.

Using your dimensional glaze (or glossy mod podge), seal each side of the paper. I spread out my glaze on one side of each circle, let it dry for a few hours, and then flipped them over and repeated for the second sides. The surface is a little glossy, and waterproof now.

 I made two jump rings for each circle using 18 gauge wire. If you want to make your own jump rings, follow the pictures below. You will need a round nose pliers and wire cutter. Or you can buy some jump rings from a craft store. Use your flat nose pliers to open the rings and the ear hooks. Assemble your pieces and rock those unique earrings!

I didn't really enjoy the gray paper I chose, so I tried another pair with the black damask design. I think these ones are much better. The good thing about this project, is that it's super cheap to experiment with different designs. You can even do an abstract art pair using this tutorial! You can really have fun with earrings like this.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments! And if you like this tutorial check out this tutorial for making more paper earrings. 

Twisted Wire Stud Earrings Tutorial

Hey guys! Want to make some simple stud earrings? Well, I think you might like these little wire creations. 

Materials Needed:

• 18 gauge wire (I used silver plated copper)
• round nose pliers
• flat nose pliers
• wire cutter
• posts with 4mm pads
• super glue gel (or E6000 glue) 
• chasing hammer
• steel bench block

Begin by cutting two pieces of your 18 gauge wire. My pieces were roughly 3 inches. Form a tight loop at the end of one piece with your round nose pliers, and then crimp it shut. This is the beginning of the spiral where you will glue your post so you want to try and close the loop completely if you can. Now, use your flat nose pliers to wind the spiral. I wind it a couple of times. I am using 4mm posts, so as long as the spiral is bigger than the post pads, you are good to move onto the next step.

Using your flat nose pliers, like the 5th and 6th images, start to form your serpentine design.

Once you get near the end of your wire, use your round nose pliers to close off your design with one last loop. The next step is optional. Using a chasing hammer and steel bench block, you can hammer the designs a bit to flatten them out. You can tell between the 3rd and 5th image that the hammering I did is very subtle. So, if you want to omit that step, that's totally fine. Also, if you choose to hammer the wire, be careful not to hammer too hard with the silver plated copper. If you hammer the wire too thin, the copper color will show through. 

Next, take your glue, whether it be super glue or E6000, and attach your posts. You only need a little dab of glue on the post pads. Let the glue dry according to the bottle's directions. I choose to use super glue, because 1.) it dries much faster and 2.) it doesn't say it causes cancer like E6000. I worry too much about everything, so use E6000 if you prefer.

And there you have it! Since the loops at the bottom of the designs are open, you could add on to these earrings with beads or chain. Or really whatever you are feeling. Let me know if you have questions or comments, and if you try this tutorial, I would love to see the end result.

Scrapbook Paper Earrings Tutorial w/Wire Accents

Have a bunch of cute scrapbooking paper lying around? Don't know what to do with it? Well, here's a project you might like.

I don't scrapbook much, so I have a bunch of paper left over from previous projects. I saw a tutorial on making paper bead earrings from this site, and wondered if I could do something similar, but more my style.

Paper isn't exactly the most durable material for jewelry, but coat it with enough glue and it seals up nicely.

Materials Needed:

• paper
• cutting implements: scissors and eighth inch hole punch
• glue (Tacky, Elmers, Mod Podge, or anything that dries clear)
• jump rings (or make your own with 20 gauge wire)
• ear hooks (I used these from Rings & Things)
• flat nose pliers
• wire cutter
• round nose pliers 
• 20 gauge copper wire, or any colored wire of your choice

To begin, I cut two rectangular pieces from a sheet of scrapbooking paper. I glued the pieces together so that the pattern is on both sides of the earrings. If you have double sided scrapbook paper, then you can skip that step. 

I used Tacky glue and a small paint brush to evenly spread the glue before putting the pieces together. Once the glue dried, I cut the rectangle in half, and stacked the two pieces. Then I cut leaf like shapes from the paper. Using an eighth inch hole punch, I put holes in the ends of the paper leaves. 

Now, if you want a pair of temporary earrings, you can put them together from this point. Just don't get them wet, and they may last a little while. But, if you want something a little more durable, you will need to seal the paper. For these earrings, I took a small brush and spread Tacky glue on each side. Brush one side with glue, let it dry, then brush the other side and let it dry. Go ahead and add a couple of coats if you have the patience for it.

If you want a glossy surface on your paper, you can use a dimensional glaze, like this one. I've used this glaze on other paper earrings and like it better than the tacky glue. (I will post another tutorial later.)

Cut two equal piece of copper wire, roughly four inches. Using your round nose pliers, bend each piece of wire in the middle so that it forms a shape like the third picture. Check to see if the wire is matching up with the size of your paper cut outs, like the third picture. Adjust if you need to.

Grip one end of the wire with your pliers, and curl it into the design like the fifth picture. I trimmed a little wire off each piece to make the next step easier. You may or may not need to do that.

Sorry about the crappy seventh picture, but it get's the job done. Kind of. Gripping the other end of the wire with your round nose pliers, curl it into a loop like the eight picture. To assemble your earrings, you will need jump rings. If you would like to make your own, follow the pictures below:

I made four jump rings out of copper wire. I made two larger rings to put around the paper leaves and wire design, and two smaller rings to connect the first jump ring to the ear hook loop. To open your jump rings, use your round nose pliers and your flat nose pliers. Close them the same way.

Now you've got a pair of paper earrings! If you have any questions or comments, please let me know! As you can see from the picture below, these earrings work without any wire design. I only used the two jump rings per earring to assemble the pieces. 

Wire Necklace Charm Tutorial

Following the same trend of the last couple of posts I have done, I used nail polish to spice up this wire necklace charm. It's a simple and adorable way to add color to wire jewelry. I used 20 gauge, black copper wire for the design, and white nail polish mixed with blue alcohol ink for the coloring.

Materials Needed:

• round nose pliers
• wire cutter
• 20 gauge wire of your color choice
• white nail polish and alcohol ink, or nail polish of your color preference
• necklace of your choice 
• third hand tool (optional)

Begin by cutting about 5 inches of the 20 gauge wire. I cut 6, but ended up trimming over an inch off, so go with 5. Using your round nose pliers, form a loop at the end of the wire, let the wire 'stack' so that is is two rings high. This gives the design more strength. Move your pliers out of the first loop, and begin twisting the second loop. For each following loop, you will twist push the excess wire behind the previous loop. I hope that makes sense. If not, please let me know! 

Once you have your desired number of loops, cut off the excess wire. Put your design in your third hand tool (if you feel like using one). Using a scrap piece of paper, I mixed a couple of drops of nail polish with one drop of alcohol ink. Mix the two together with a piece of wire (I use a scrap piece of 26 gauge wire, but 20 gauge will do).

To apply the polish, dip the wire in the nail polish and collect a small droplet on the end of the wire. Place this into one of your loops. I use a circular motion to deposit the polish onto the sides of the wire. If the you have too much polish, it will run out of your loop, but if you have too little, a tight surface will not form across your loop. So, experiment with the different amounts of polish. 

Once your loops are filled, leave this to dry until it is set. Make sure to leave one loop empty to be able to string it on your necklace. Once the nail polish is dry, you can string the charm on your necklace. 

 

As you can see, I used a jump ring to attach the charm to my necklace. I made my own jump ring, but if you have one handy you can use that. Otherwise, follow the images below to make your own jump ring from your 20 gauge wire. They are super easy to make. 

I used a different chain for the image below. I'm not sure which one I like better...

Anyway, if you have questions or comments, please let me know! I would love to hear what you think of this necklace/tutorial. 

And, if you enjoyed this tutorial, try some of the links listed below.

Wire Earrings Tutorial w/Nail Polish

Copper Wire Earrings Tutorial

Faux Stained Glass Earrings

Wire Earring Tutorial w/Nail Polish and Alcohol Ink

These feel very whimsical. I think it's the purple. I love the versatility of wire for jewelry. For these earrings, I used 18 gauge silver plated copper wire for the larger circle, and 24 gauge silver plated copper for the inner loop design. Then, I used clear nail polish, with a little bit of purple alcohol ink mixed in to give a stained glass effect to the coloring of the loops.

Materials Needed:

• 18 gauge wire
• 24 gauge wire
• round nose pliers
• flat nose pliers
• wire cutter
• clear nail polish and alcohol ink or nail polish color of your choice
• fish hook ear wires
• third hand tool (optional)

I'm not the most precise when it comes to measurements. When I work with earrings, I just cut two pieces of wire of the same length and call it good. But, if I had to pin down a length, 3.5 inches would do for each piece of the 18 gauge wire. 

To begin, take one piece of 18 gauge wire, and form a loop with your round nose pliers. Then, grab your bottle of nail polish and use the top to bend the wire. If your nail polish bottle isn't very big, you can use a large marker, or any other cylindrical object of desirable size to shape the wire. 

Form a circle with the wire, then use your round nose pliers to form a loop on the straight end of the wire. Repeat this with your second piece of 18 gauge wire. Set these two aside and grab the 24 gauge wire.

Cut two pieces, about 5 inches in length of the 24 gauge wire. Using your round nose pliers, begin about an inch into the wire to form your first loop. Wrap the longer end of the wire around your round nose pliers until the wire begins to 'stack'. Then move onto the next loop. You can move the wire up and down the round nose pliers to get different sized loops, but don't make them too big if you want to add the nail polish.

Once I have a few loops done, I check how it fits in the 18 gauge design. Once I've adjusted the curves of the 24 gauge wire, I continue adding loops until the first and last loops can touch the sides of the 18 gauge wire near the top of the design. 

Take your flat nose pliers and begin wrapping the excess ends of the 24 gauge wire around the 18 gauge wire. I use my fingers to bend the 24 gauge wire around the 18 gauge wire at first, and then use the flat nose pliers to tighten the wire. Do this for both sides of the 24 gauge wire. 

Now you are ready to add your coloring. I use third hand clamps to hold the designs as I work with the nail polish. It makes things easier, but it's not necessary. Using a scrap piece of paper, place a few drops of clear nail polish down. Then add a drop or two of alcohol ink. Mix it together with a scrap piece of 24 gauge wire.

To add the color to the loops, dip the scrap piece of wire into the polish so that a little drop collects on it. Then put the wire inside of one of your loops, using a light circular motion, the nail polish should stick to the sides of the loop and form a tight surface. Don't use too much polish or it will flow out of the loop, and if you use to little, the center of the polish will pull apart. Also, if your loops are too big, the polish won't form a tight surface.

Add the polish to each loop and let it dry.

Once your nail polish is dry, you can put your ear hooks on. Use your flat nose pliers to open the loops on the ear hooks and slide your designs one. Close the loops the same way and you are good to go.

Let me know if you have comments or questions. If you like this tutorial, check out the list below of similar nail polish designs!

Nail Polish Earrings
Faux Stained Glass Earrings
Copper Wire Earrings Tutorial

Copper Wire Earrings Tutorial

First off, ignore the messier earring on the right. There was a cat on my desk that decided it needed attention. Cats. Always needy at the most inconvenient times. At least the left one is pretty! Just pretend they both look like that.

Materials Needed:

• 20 gauge copper wire 
• white nail polish
• wire cutter
• round nose pliers
• 4mm earring posts (You can get 6mm posts in a smaller pack from Joann's. I use the posts from Ring&Things, because I like to use either titanium or stainless steel for posts and hooks.) 
• third hand tool (optional)
• extra piece of scrap wire
• super glue or E6000 (I use super glue because I am less paranoid about it giving me cancer. I worry too much. I know.)

Cut two equal pieces of wire. Begin by creating a loop at the end of the wire. I overlap the wire a little bit before moving onto the next loop. Create a loop, move your pliers out of the loop and begin wrapping another loop. When I bring the wire around the pliers, I push the wire behind the previous loops so that the loops appear slightly stacked together. I hope that makes sense...if it doesn't, check out the pictures. If those don't make sense, then you may have to wing it. Yay for winging it!

I created seven loops total. Once I got to the last loop, I cut off the excess wire. Keep in mind that the last loop of your design needs to be flat and the same size as your earring post pad. Before you cut the extra wire off of your design, double check that the loop will fit flush on the post pad. This way, you can adjust before cutting. Repeat this for the other wire. Once both earrings are done, I put the wires into the third hand clamps. It made it easier for me to take pictures. Also, you don't want to set the wire down on a flat surface while the nail polish is still wet, because the nail polish might run out of the loops and all will be ruined! Ruined, I tell ya!

Dump a little bit of nail polish onto a scrap piece of paper. I use an extra piece of 26 gauge wire to apply the nail polish to the wire loops, but the 20 gauge will work too. Dip the wire into the nail polish until a little droplet collects on the wire, then gently put the wire into your first loop. I use a light circular motion to deposit the polish onto the wire. If the polish doesn't hold tight across the loop, you might need to add a little more. If it still doesn't form a tight surface after adding more polish, then your loops might be too big.

Once the nail polish is applied, let it dry completely. Once the polish is dry, put a drop of glue onto your earring post and stick it to the flat loop on the end of the copper wire. I started off with my posts stuck into cork board, but it makes so much more sense to place the pad on top of the wire rather than the other way around. Lesson learned. Let your glue dry for a while (according to the directions on whichever glue you choose). Then enjoy!

In case you were wondering, yes I photoshopped my jaw/ear area. I took pictures in bad lighting, and when I zoomed in on this portion of my face I thought "Holy crap! Look at those sideburns!" There is some legitimacy to the my grade school moniker, Chewbacca.

Anywho, let me know if you have comments or questions! If you enjoyed these earrings you may also enjoy my Faux Stained Glass Earrings or these simple Nail Polish Earrings. Can you tell I like nail polish lately?

Polymer Clay Stud Earrings Tutorial

I don't wear earrings on a regular basis. I wear my long earrings for special occasions, but otherwise my ears are bare and boring. But, for some reason, I had a thought that I wanted daily wear earrings and came up with these clay studs. They are fun and not overly complicated to make.

Materials Needed:

• polymer clay (Fimo or Sculpey work great. I use Fimo)
• gloss polymer clay glaze
• small brush
• 6mm posts (or if you have metal allergies try titanium posts)
• rubber or metal backs (if the don't come with the posts)
• X-Acto knife
• ceramic tile(s) (They are maybe 10 cents a piece at a home improvement store)
• cylindrical rolling implement (I chose a glue stick!)
• round clay cutter (I cut the metal eraser holder off the back of a pencil. It's a perfect size)
• super glue gel, or E6000 (if you've read any of my previous posts where I reference toxic chemicals, I avoid anything that says it causes cancer or needs ventilation. E6000 needs lots of ventilation, so I went with the super glue.)

Begin by cutting pieces of your clay and stack together. Roll the clay out on your ceramic tile. The clay crumbles a little until you work it enough to soften it. I work the clay until I find patterns that I like. I flatten the clay, then roll it into a cylinder like the 6th picture. I cut the roll in half, place the pieces next to each other and then roll out again. I repeat this until something tickles my fancy. 

Somehow, the greenish color got lost in my rolling, and cutting. I decided I like the white and black lines and busted out my little metal eraser holder. 

Stamp into the clay and wiggle a little as you pull the metal circle up so the clay doesn't get stuck in the metal. Once you have all of your clay circles cut, pull the excess clay off the tile. I use the blade of my X-Acto knife to pick out the small pieces between the circles. I work with the clay on the ceramic tile so that I don't have to touch the clay circles and risk putting fingerprints on them or deforming them before putting them in the oven. 

The nice thing about the ceramic tiles is that you can put them in the oven and not need to dirty any pans or whatever else people use to bake things...

Once the circles are baked, they don't need long to cool. Just don't forget that the tiles are still hot, even though the clay is touchable. You are ready to glue your studs together. I like to stick my 6mm posts into a scrap of cork board so that stand upright, but you can do whatever works best for you. 

Place a little glue on either the post pad or the clay circle back and put them together. If you use the super glue, your can move to the next step right away, but if you use the E6000, you need to give the studs longer to dry. I'm pretty sure E6000 recommends a 24 hour dry time...but double check that if you use it. 

Once your glue sets, use the polymer clay glaze and a small brush to give your studs a shine. You can either apply multiple thin coats of glaze, or do what I do and blob some glaze on the surface and let it dry over night. 

The glaze will look milky for a while as it dries if you use my glazing method. I worried that I screwed up my earrings at first when the milkiness didn't go away for a while, but adequate dry time fixed it. As you can see from the last photo, the studs have a nice shine and are ready to wear. 

Let me know if you have any comments or questions on how to make these earrings. 

Abstract Art Pendant Earrings Tutorial

Last fall, I discovered a love for making jewelry. Seeing that the leaves are changing again, I wanted to use fall colors to make a new set of pendant earrings. These earrings require a few steps so it may not be the best tutorial for impatient people, but I encourage you to check them out anyway!

Materials needed:
   Pendants

• 12 mm glass cabochons
• 13 mm pendant tray (I like the gunmetal trays)
• dimensional glaze or any clear drying glue (I've used Tacky glue, which works fine, but dimensional glaze is less likely to form bubbles or pull away from the glass as it dries.)
• some type of art or photo. You can use my Abstract Art Technique to have a funkier earring, or print something on card stock. Maybe even try magazine photos!)
• scissors or X-acto knife

   Wire Designs and Jump Rings

• round nose pliers
• wire cutter
• flat nose pliers
• 18 gauge wire
• french ear hooks (I use titanium since I am allergic to nickle)

Begin by gluing your glass cabochons to the art/photo of your choosing. I used acrylic paints to make this design. I love the addition of the shimmery gold paint. 

I use a small amount of glue on the cabochon and lightly press it onto the paper. Cut the glued section of paper out and leave to dry for an hour or so. (While you wait, you can begin working on the wire designs.) I cut the section out with an X-acto knife to keep the paper from rippling and pushing the cabochon off as the glue dries. You can use a scissors if you don't mind cutting through potential designs.

Once the glue dries, trim the excess paper from the cabochons with a scissors. Seal the backs with more glaze or glue. You can use an old brush or use the glue bottle's applicator tip to spread the glue. Leave to dry for another hour, or until the glue isn't tacky anymore.

Next, apply more glue/glaze and press the cabochon into the pendant tray. I like to have a little glue squeeze into the gap between the tray wall and the glass. Allow the glass to dry for a little while before assembling the earrings. If you are impatient, you can assemble now--that's what I did, but I don't advise it. 

Repeat this for the second earring. I encourage you to fiddle with different designs. I like to buy the bigger rolls of cheap wire so that I can experiment with different designs and not feel guilty about wasting wire. 

You will also need two jump rings. If you have them on hand, great. Otherwise use the next image to make your own. I used to buy jump rings, but now I make them all as I need them. Basically, just wrap the wire around your round nose pliers until the wire starts to stack, and then cut. 

Now, let's assemble the earrings. Open the ear hook loop with your flat nose and round nose pliers. Place the wire design in the loop, and then close tightly. Open your jump rings the same way, and connect the pendant to the wire design. Assembly is the best part, because it requires the least steps. 

And now you have an awesome pair of earrings! I love the different colors and different designs that can be created by using these materials. Below are two more examples I made. 

Please let me know if you have questions or comments! I hope you give these a try. If you enjoy using the glass cabochons, then check out my refrigerator magnet tutorial!