Swarovski Sparkle Tree Earrings
Tutorial by Kristin Burgess
Designed by Megan Hamilton
Our much anticipated fresh shipment of Swarovski Crystal has just arrived and the Holiday Tree parts are here! Try out this fancy twist on the Christmas Tree by stacking three sizes of crystal and topping it off with a bicone of your color choice. Have a blast mixing and matching colors for your own custom tree!
The Ingredients...These earrings include from top to bottom...2x 3mm Swarovski crystal bicones, 2x 6mm Swarovski style 3700, 2x 8mm Swarovski style 3700, 2x 10mm Swarosvki style 3700, 2 seed beads for the trunk. The metal findings used are 2x 24 gauge gold fill headpins and 2x simple gold fill earwires. Crystal colors listed in materials box are just the tip of the iceburg! Check out our other margarita crystals by clicking the links above or using our search engine with csc-3700 and for the bicones csc5301-3- Have fun!!
Step 1:
With all your earring parts laid out, this is the order in which to thread the tree parts onto the headpins... First stack on one seed bead or other small square bead to act as the trunk of the tree. Second stack on one of the 10mm crystal flowers then one 8mm then one 6mm. Top it off by stacking a 3mm Swarovski bicone crystal for the 'star'.
Step 2:Try these combinations if you are playing around with color... Erinite and crystal tree with crystal star. Siam Tree with Palace Green Opal star. Peridot tree with amethyst star. Try switching the center crystal (the 8mm) to a different color for a funky layered look. The vitrail makes a good interchangable part for this as it contains many colors and works well with all the greens.
Step 3:
With the design of your choice stacked on the two headpins now it is time to create the top loop. Using the end of the thinline chain pliers hold above the beads while pushing the leftover wire down (forms a 90 degree angle from the beads on the wire). Set down the thinline pliers and pick up the round nose plier. This tool will be used to form the loop. With the roundnose grab the wire next to the angle just formed. This spot is on the long pin but as close to the angle as possible. The tool and the wire form a ninety-degree angle with eachother. Hold this spot with the tool and wrap the wire up and over the tool until the wire hits the beads. Half of your loop is formed! Now slide out the top of the round nose pliers and place in the bottom part of the round nose pliers. This allows you to now wrap the remaining wire underneath the bottom of the tool. Using the pliers center this loop on the earring being careful to keep the space below the loop vacant for wrapping. To wrap the top of the link hold the earring steady with the pliers and wrap the remaining wire around the core wire (wire running through the beads) until the space is filled.
Step 4:
The side cutters cut away the leftover head pin wire the best.
The flat side of the cutters should be positioned towards your
work to get the cut in closest. After the extra wire on both
earrings has been cut away, use your pointer finger to feel for
any roungh metal edges that may be left after the cut. If
you feel a little burr sticking out use the Thinline pliers to
push the burr in toward the coils. This may take a few times
as you rotate the earring a bit. TIP: Be sure you have cut
as close as possible so that it is only the smallest burr you
are trying to tuck!
