Tassel Earrings made using WireLace, Swarovski Crystals, and Vintaj birds and bead caps
I have always been a sucker for anything sparkly. So when I started working here at Rings and Things, I soon became addicted to everything Swarovski! I know all the colors and all the shapes. Bronze Shade, Golden Shadow, Silver Night, Red Magma and of course the coveted Bermuda Blue! I dream of crystals. Seriously. I rarely leave work without buying a few new crystals. (Basically I get paid in crystals!) So here is my new fun crystal project!
Some of the different Swarovski Crystal Jams bicone bead mixes.
One thing we do here at Rings & Things are make these magical little baggies full of mixed Swarovski Crystals called crystal jams. I love crystal jams because they are carefully selected assortments that contain several colors that coordinate. I have been wanting to make something with one of the crystal jams for a while so when a co-worker suggested these tassel earrings, I couldn’t resist.
Supplies needed to make these lovely earrings.
The crystal jam I decided to use for this project is called Brown Sugar. It blends golden shades of topaz, beige and browns. I paired the crystals with chocolate WireLace, shell pearls, Vintaj bead caps, Vintaj bird charms, and niobium earring wires. I also use Hypo Cement to seal the edges of the WireLace.
Supplies needed:
- One Gross (144) Swarovski Crystal Jam Mix, 4mm bicones
- 1mm WireLace in a coordinating color
- Hypo Cement
- Vintaj natural brass fold-over crimp ends
- earring wires of your choice
- Optional decorative charms and beads
- Cardstock to make template
First make several templates from card stock. Start with a 3×3 inch square. Cut a triangle out of one corner of the square, leaving about an inch on each side. Create a stair pattern up the diagonal, making a new step at each 1/4 inch.
Start threading the crystals onto the wire lace. Make a slit on the top left to string the lace through after each new loop is made.
Place anywhere from 5 to 10 crystals per step on the template.
Keep going until you have the desired amount of loops for your tassle.
For this one, I used 8 bicones on each loop, and made 8 loops, so a total of 64 bicones per earring.
Tie the two ends together. Then wrap one end under all the loops and tie another secure square knot. This way all the loops are connected.
Remove tassel from the template. I found that the best way to do this is to cut away the template from the tassel. This is why you need to make several templates.
Trim excess Wire Lace and add a dab of Hypo Fabric Cement to secure the loose ends. Attach your fold-over crimp before the glue sets. Fold the crimp over using your chain nose pliers.
Finished Tassel Earrings! I used some beautiful shell pearls, large Vintaj bead caps, cute little Vintaj bird charms and niobium earring wires.
Well I hope you liked my tassel earrings! I think that this technique could really be applied to all different beads and cording so go nuts with it! Now I just need to figure out what to name these earrings…..
~~Tiffany in the Showroom
3 Comments
I just came across these exquisite earrings that Tiffany made and am truly inspired. I love the template idea to make the tassels. Is there actually one now that I could buy? And do you still offer the crystal jam product? Would also like to know how long the tassels are, I want to make one for a necklace, too. Thank you so much.
Erika
Hi Erika, We don’t have a template specifically for these, but I am pretty sure that I have seen plastic drawing templates at art stores, that are similar.
And, we don’t have that exact Crystal Jam any more, but we do have over 100 colors of #5328 bicone beads in 4mm, including lots of browns and oranges. Or, you can check the “shop by color” page and scroll down to the browns – almost every color we carry, has a 4mm bicone.
I think the tassels themselves are about 1.5″ long, so the earrings altogether are about 3″ long.
~Polly
I don’t have the time or energy to put these together for myself. I had to put to sleep my beautiful beloved tortoiseshell cat, Julietta today and wanted something special I could wear in her honor. These are perfect. The doves-she in in Heaven with Jesus, and these colors are her perfectly. Anyone I could pay to make me a pair of these beautiful earrings? And if so, how much. I do cat rescue on my own-so many felines are part of my family and the money-well, there is never enough of it-for them, for the car, for the plumbing, for the house-well, you get it.