Monthly Archives

July 2012

DIY Earring Cards that won't break the bank!

July 20, 2012

Whether you make jewelry as a hobby, to sell at craft fairs or to just give as gifts to friends and family, presentation is always an issue. You wouldn’t hang up a beautiful print on the wall without a proper frame. Well, the same goes with your jewelry. It is after all wearable artwork that you have created, and it should be presented in a pretty way! I decided to try and find some DIY earring card ideas that are cute, quick and inexpensive. That way you can spend more time making the jewelry, and less time (and money) worrying about how to display it.

For this project, there are are few basic supplies needed to get started. A paper cutter makes this process much easier and faster. You can find small affordable ones at any craft store. Also, a glue stick is great for layering paper, to make thicker cards. I just use a pushpin to make my holes on the cards, though craft stores will sometimes have paper punches available specifically for creating earring cards. I have tried them, but I still prefer my pushpin. The last two items I recommend are nylon or rubber earring stoppers, to keep your earrings on the cards, and adhesive clip cards, so you can hang the earrings on display racks. The rest of the items I used I found for less than $3 at my local mega store.

Basic supplies needed. Paper cutter, glue stick, pushpin, adhesive clip cards, and nylon earring backs

Close up of the earring clip cards. Sometimes,you may need to trim the bottom. This can be done easily: just trim them with scissors.

Close up of the nylon earring backs. There are a few different styles of these available, but I like the bell shape best.

NEW ~*~ NEW ~*~ NEW ~*~ NEW ~*~ NEW 

Since publishing this post in 2012, Rings & Things has introduces new earring-hole-punch tools.  Appropriately named, both punches make the hole-punching task “easy”!

Easy Earring Card Leverback Punch

Easy Earring Card Double Post Punch

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Okay, so now that the basics are covered, time to have fun! Check out all the affordable ideas I came up with below!

Playing Cards

52 cards for a few bucks! And they come in so many different designs!

The classic poker card transformed! Simply adhere the clips to the back so they can hang!

I particularly like these Japanese themed playing cards paired with the Buddha Heads Earrings!

Greeting Cards

All of these cards came from packages of six or more and were less than $3. A paper cutter can transform them into functioning earring cards in no time!

Use your glue stick to glue a second neutral piece of paper to the back, creating a border. The floral card was perfect for resin flower studs and I just love how the zebra print looks with the neon pink chalcedony!

Paint Chip Samples

These offer great pops of color! Coordinate your earrings to have matching colored cards!

Total cost for paint chips, Free! At least for now, though I am sure due to Pinterest, they are disappearing more quickly from the shelves, so don’t be surprised if they start charging for them soon!

Gift Bag Tags

I found a 6-pack of these blank floral gift bag tags for $1! Check the dollar bins at your store, you never know what you might find!

Book pages

Love this look! Cut the pages vertical or horizontal and use the glue stick to adhere them to thick white construction or scrap book paper. Great for vintage looking earrings!

Maps

Buy inexpensive road maps, adhere to thick white scrapbook paper. I love this one, because you can pick out your favorite cities or coordinate your jewelry with the maps. Pair beachy earrings with maps of Hawaii of Celtic Earrings with maps of Ireland!

Well I hope I have inspired everyone to make some pretty earring cards! Please feel free to ask me any questions and add any ideas that you have for creating funky earring cards! Look forward to more blog post to help you with displaying and packaging your jewelry!

~~Tiffany

The Bead Bandit: make masculine beaded men's jewelry!

July 18, 2012

Well, hello there, bloglandia. Do you ever feel like most jewelry findings are designed to look feminine? Even if they aren’t frilly or covered with hearts and flowers, there is often something innately delicate about most DIY jewelry findings. When you want to make beaded men’s jewelry, it can be a problem. Crimp beads and bullion just don’t look that tough! Luckily, jewelry designer Jeff Fulkerson invented a solution: the Bead Bandit.

Continue Reading…

Mark your calendars NOW for Fall 2012 Bead Shows!

July 16, 2012

Hi bloglandia! It is finally SUMMER. BEAUTIFUL SUMMER. And yet – what did I see at the store last night? That’s right: row after row of back to school supplies! While I found this to be a bit of  a bummer, it did serve as a good reminder that summer really will be over before we know it. That isn’t all bad news, though, for in September Rings & Things’ nationwide Bead Shows start up again!

road-show-bead-collage

Turquoise, labradorite and citrine are very popular gemstones at our shows. Plus, we sometimes have great deals on bracelets like the African bangles in the center pic.

The first show is September 9 in Minneapolis. For two months, the shows keep coming until November 7 in Missoula. So please take a moment to take a look at our Fall Schedule and see when the beads will be in a town near you! It is always so, so tragic when people post on Facebook about the bead show they just missed. Don’t let that happen to you! 🙂

Also, if you aren’t already familiar with her beautiful work, be sure to check out Heather Powers at HumbleBeads Blog – she did a great write up with photos about our 2012 spring show in Grand Rapids! ~ Cindy

Pretty in Pearls on Pinterest!

July 10, 2012

Hi bloglandia! It seems every new breakthrough in technology divides people into 2 groups – those in the know and those who aren’t! The most influential new site is Pinterest.

floral-toggle-clasp-sterling-silver

Once you start pinning…either you’ll be really inspired – or completely glued to your computer!

Either you are busy pinning your favorite jewelry designs, wedding cake toppers, nail polish colors and mason jar DIY crafts – or you have no clue what all the fuss is about!

I think Pinterest is tons of fun for those of us who like pretty things (hi there, jewelry designers!!). Rings & Things has added new design boards for each of our Crystal Jams SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS bicone crystal bead assortments, and I must say, once you spend a bit of time searching for color-coordinated items, you start seeing the world in a whole new way!

peach-gray-pearls

I braided four strands (4mm pink coral, 3mm light grey, 5-8mm rice pearls and 4mm bicones, with a few sterling silver rounds here and there) to make this statement necklace.

For example, I started pinning to our Kiss From A Rose board, and suddenly the world just looked peachier! The more I looked, the more I found (and loved) examples of peach with gray.

It led me to create this “Peachy Keen” necklace with pink coral and grey crystal pearls, freshwater pearls, and the Kiss From A Rose Crystal Jam. I finished it with a sterling silver floral toggle clasp and
Santa Me´ cone ends.

cone-end-sterling-silver

The gorgeous cone ends hide the messy cluster of cord ends and wire.

Follow Rings & Things Design Team on Pinterest to see all our color inspirations, plus boards devoted to new tools and techniques.

kiss-from-a-roseThen, Pick Your Palette and enter our design contest! The winners receive Rings & Things’ gift certificates and could be featured in our future catalogs! Happy pinning! ~ Cindy