Jewelry DIY – Make Flower Earrings Featuring Dapped Filigree Bead Caps

May 29, 2020

Making your own jewelry components can add a unique look to your handmade jewelry. It can be a lot of work making jewelry parts from “scratch”, but customizing existing components is fun and easy. Here is an earring tutorial that features instructions for using a metal dapping set to turn flower-shaped filigree into large, lacy bead caps. Read on to learn more.

You will need these supplies

2 each 22mm flower filigrees (I used item #44-116-7)
2 each 10mm round gemstone beads
2 each Swarovski 6mm crystal pearls (I used item #05-810-06-238ST)
2 each 3.4mm heishi spacer beads (I used item #26-233-0)
2 each 3mm round metal beads (I used item #26-463-6)
2 each Swarovski 4mm crystal bicone beads (I used item #05-328-04-01)
head pins (I used item )
2 each kidney ear wires (I used item #34-174-6)

You will need these metal-working tools

The EURO TOOL® dapping block and punch set has eight punches in these sizes: 27mm, 24mm, 19mm, 17mm, 14mm, 11mm, 8mm, and 5mm. It comes with a steel block that has 8 corresponding cavities and a wooden storage stand. The dapping block is completely smooth on the backside and can be used as a bench block.

You will need these jewelry hand tools

The essential jewelry-making pliers are available as a four-piece set that comes with a purple velveteen roll-up pouch.

Follow these steps:

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Form the Flower Bead Caps

It is best to shape and form metal in gradual stages. Place a flower filigree in the largest dapping-block cavity (27mm) with the finished side facing down.

Select an appropriately sized dapping punch. The lacy flower filigrees are very thin, so I selected the 27mm corresponding punch. For heavier metal, use the smaller 24mm dapping punch, this is to avoid pinching the metal’s edge while dapping.

Strike the base of the punch with a brass hammer to shape and form the metal.

The gently curved dapped flower filigree.

To created a deeper curvature, place the dapped filigree in the 24mm cavity.

Use the 24 mm punch to further shape the flower filigree by striking the base of the punch with a brass hammer.

Before and after of flower filigree, dapped piece is on the right.

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Create a Beaded Flower Charm

String the following beads onto a ball-end head pin: crystal bicone bead, metal heishi-spacer bead, 10mm round gemstone bead, and formed filigree bead cap.

Then add a 6mm crystal pearl bead and a 3mm round metal bead to the head pin.

Use round-nose pliers to form a loop on the head pin just above the 3mm round metal bead.

Form a neatly finished wrapped loop by wrapping the head pin tail around the neck of the head pin.

Use semi-flush side cutters to remove the excess tail. Face the smooth side of the cutters toward the beaded piece to achieve a smooth cut.

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Attach a Kidney Ear Wire

Select a kidney ear wire in your preferred length. Available in different sizes, I selected the mid-size 37mm ear wire. For a shorter finished earring, use the 25mm ear wire or for a longer finished earring use the 47mm ear wire.