DIY Christmas Earrings - Make Your Own Star of Bethlehem Earrings

When the Three Wise Men looked up into the night sky, it is said they saw a star - the Bethlehem Star - which guided them to where the new born King lay in the manger. And it is that star which is the inspiration for these earrings called "The Star of Bethlehem".

Here's what you'll need to make these earrings:

• 10 6x4mm red olive-shaped faceted crystal beads (sometimes called rice beads or oval beads)
• 2 10mm frosted white star beads
• 10 pearl white seed beads
• 10 size #1 silver crimp tubes
• 2 size #4 silver crimp tubes
• white tiger tail (beading wire) - cut 2 of each of the following lengths: 5cm (2"), 6cm (2 3/8"), 7cm (2 3/4"), 8cm (3 1/8") and 9cm (3 1/2")
• 2 silver earring wires
• Flush cutter, Mighty crimping pliers (for #4 crimps), Micro crimping pliers (for #1 crimps)

N.B. Crimping pliers will finish your earrings more professionally than just squashing the crimps over the wire.

 

Step 1. Gather one of each length of the beading wires in a bundle and place the #4 crimp tube on one end. 

Step 2. Form the wires into a loop and insert the tails into the crimp. They should extend beyond the crimp by about 6mm (1/4"). Push the crimp tube up towards the end of the loop to make it smaller (approximately 6mm - 1/4").

Step 3. Place the crimp into the notched hole of the Mighty Crimping tool and firmly press to secure all the wires. It will now have a channel down the centre with a "wing" on either side. Remove the crimp and place it into the round hole at the top of the pliers (with the channel facing sideways) and crimp it to compress the two wings together.

Step 4. Trim away the excess wires close to the bottom of the crimp tube so that you only have the five longer wires left.

Step 6. String the star bead (point first) onto the five wires and slide it up to the crimp. At this point, you'll want to organise the five wires into graduating lengths. 

Pro Tip: If one is curling the wrong way, you can run the wire through nylon jaw pliers until you get it to face in the direction you want it to.

Step 7. String a red oval, a pearl seed bead and a #1 crimp onto the longest wire.

Step 8. Crimp the crimp tube 5mm (1/4") from the end. Repeat on the other 4 tails.

Step 9. Trim away the excess wire on each tail just below the crimp.

Step 10. Thread the tiger tail loop onto the earring wire and then make a second earring to match. When you attach the second earring to the earring wire, you can decide whether to face the comet tail in the same direction as the first earring or not.

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'Til next time.....

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