Fan Fun Earrings

Skill Level: Beginner/All

Technique: Round wire

I do enjoy working with colored craft wire. The following is an easy pattern for earrings that can be made in less than an hour!

Materials

• 24- or 26-gauge round dead soft craft wire, two 9″
  (23cm) lengths
• 1 pair ear wires

Tools

• Chain nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Ruler
• Tape
• 2 round dowels, mandrels, or found items: 8mm and 3mm in diameter (Albina used a pen and a crochet hook)

Instructions

1. Make a shaping device by temporarily taping the two round items together as shown.
2. For each earring, use one piece of cut wire (9″ or 23cm long). Leaving a tail of 2 ½” (6cm) long, wrap one length of wire around the newly made device 6 or 7 times, stopping when you have about 3/8″ (1cm) of wire left.
   
3. Carefully remove the coil from the device. Notice that the coil is slightly twisted, which is fine.
   
4. Use either round or chain nose pliers to hold the coil, by placing them inside the coil from the end with the shorter tail, in the smaller curve of the coil.
   
   
5. Use your fingers to wrap the longer tail of wire back along the top of the coil, and then inside the coil, coming out on the back side of where it began.
   
6. Remove the pliers and hold the wrapped coil with your fingers and use the longer wire to make one more wrap around the coil.
   
7. Still working with the longer tail, use round nose pliers to make and wrap a loop at the top of the coil. Do not trim the wire yet!
   
8. Wrap the end of the loop wire back under and around the coil, heading away from the loop, two times to show. Now trim and tuck the wire end. Use chain nose pliers to carefully slide both sets of wraps toward the center of the coil, so they are positioned on each side of the wrapped loop.
   
9. Use your fingers to gently pull the coils (or petals) apart, one at a time, sliding each one toward its respective side.
   
   
10. Make sure the petals are equally separated. Then attach an ear wire and make the second earring in the same manner as the first.
    

Congratulations! You’ve made your first set of Fan Fun Earrings!